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AQA GCSE Chemistry grade boundaries 2026: marks for each grade

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AQA GCSE Chemistry grade boundaries June 2026

The Chemistry Tier H and Tier F rows of AQA's GCSE grade boundaries for June 2026 (version 1.0, published 20 August 2026). Each is the lowest total out of 200 for the grade; a dash means the tier does not award it.

GradeHigher tier, out of 200Foundation tier, out of 200
9155-
8137-
7120-
694-
568132
443110
33081
2-52
1-24

The total 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.

How 2026 differs from 2025

Beside AQA's June 2025 figures:

GradeHigher 2025Higher 2026ChangeFoundation 2025Foundation 2026Change
9150155+5---
8132137+5---
7115120+5---
69094+4---
56668+21321320
44243+1109110+1
3303008081+1

Higher grades 9, 8 and 7 each rose by 5 marks, and grade 6 by 4. Grade 5 rose by 2, grade 4 by 1, and grade 3 stayed at 30, the same as 2025. On Foundation, grade 4 rose from 109 to 110 and grade 5 held at 132.

The result is that a Higher grade 7 candidate needed 5 more marks than in 2025, but a candidate at the grade 3 line needed no more.

A 2026 worked example

A Higher candidate scores 60 and 58, a total of 118 out of 200. Against 2026 that is a grade 6, 2 marks short of the grade 7 boundary of 120. Against the 2025 table the same total would have been a grade 7, because grade 7 needed only 115.

For a Foundation candidate, 110 is a grade 4 (the boundary is 110), 22 marks below a 5.

Using the 2026 table in revision

  • A grade 7 is 60%. 120 marks is 60% of the papers, so about 80 marks can go.
  • A grade 9 is 78%. 155 is the highest Chemistry grade 9 boundary of 2023 to 2026, so the margin for slips is narrow.
  • Grade 4 on Higher stays cheap. 43 marks, 22%.

Use today's paper to estimate your grade

Sit today's Foundation paper or Higher paper, a short timed paper of 8 questions and 25 to 35 marks, written by us. Divide your mark by the paper's total and compare it with the shares in the table. 17 out of 29 is 59%, which sits just under the Higher grade 7 share of 60%. Take the mean of several days with the Mean, Median and Mode Calculator.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Using the 2025 grade 7 line. It rose by 5 marks.
  • Assuming Foundation also rose. Grade 5 held at 132.
  • Treating a total as a share without checking the tier. The same share means different grades on the two tiers.

Common questions

What were the AQA GCSE Chemistry grade boundaries in 2026?
Higher: 9 at 155, 8 at 137, 7 at 120, 6 at 94, 5 at 68, 4 at 43, 3 at 30. Foundation: 5 at 132, 4 at 110, 3 at 81, 2 at 52, 1 at 24. All out of 200.
What mark is a grade 4 in AQA GCSE Chemistry 2026?
43 out of 200 on Higher and 110 on Foundation.
What mark is a grade 7 in AQA GCSE Chemistry 2026?
120 out of 200.
Did Chemistry boundaries go up in 2026?
At the top of Higher, by 5 marks. At Higher grade 3 they did not move.
When did AQA publish the 2026 boundaries?
20 August 2026.

Revision cards

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