AQA GCSE Chemistry grade boundaries 2025: Higher and Foundation

AQA GCSE Chemistry grade boundaries June 2025

From the Chemistry Tier H and Tier F rows of AQA's GCSE grade boundaries for June 2025 (version 1.0, published 21 August 2025). Each figure is the lowest total out of 200 for the grade, and a dash means the tier does not award it.

Chemistry is two papers of 100 marks. For what the two papers cover, see the GCSE Chemistry guide and the AQA GCSE Chemistry guide; the periodic table guide covers the table you are given.

Turning a Chemistry total into a grade

A Higher candidate scores 47 on Paper 1 and 44 on Paper 2, a total of 91. The grade 5 boundary is 66 and the grade 6 boundary is 90, so 91 is a grade 6, a single mark above the grade 6 line. Add 2 marks of working to that Paper 2 and it is still a 6, but lose 2 and it drops to a 5.

The grade 3 boundary is only 30, which is 15% of the total. A Higher candidate on 31 gets a grade 3, where 29 gets nothing. Foundation is set far higher: grade 3 needs 80, which is 40%.

2025 against 2024 and 2023

Using AQA's 2024 and 2023 documents, the Higher tier first:

The top of Higher barely moved: grade 9 was 149, 149 and 150. The bottom slid. Grade 4 went 48, 46, 42, and grade 3 went 37, 35, 30, so the lowest Higher grade needed 7 fewer marks in 2025 than in 2023. Foundation:

Foundation grade 5 was 132, one mark under 2024 (133) and above the 126 of 2023.

What Chemistry candidates should take from this

• On Higher, a pass is cheap. 42 out of 200 is 21%. A candidate who solves only the easiest fifth of each paper can still reach a 4 on the right day, which is why Higher is worth entering for those aiming at 4 or above.
• Grade 9 is a different matter. 150 is 75%, and the Chemistry grade 9 line moved by only 1 mark between 2023 and 2025.
• Foundation reaches grade 5 at 66%. Practice with calculations like moles and concentration pays off here, because they are where easy marks are lost.

Use today's paper to estimate your grade

Try today's Foundation paper or Higher paper. It is a short timed paper of 8 questions worth 25 to 35 marks, written by us and not by AQA. Mark it and compare your share with the table: 14 out of 30 is 47%, above the Higher grade 6 share of 45%. The GCSE Chemistry mock paper guide explains how to sit it.

Mistakes to avoid

• Reading Paper 1 alone. The boundary is for the 200 total.
• Thinking a low Higher boundary means an easy paper. It means the marks were lower.
• Looking up Combined Science. Trilogy and Synergy have their own totals.

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