AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy (8464) papers, topics and grade boundaries

AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy papers at a glance

The specification is AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy 8464. Questions are multiple choice, structured, closed short answer and open response. You sit all six papers at the same tier. The course contains 21 required practical activities, assessed through the written papers. AQA also offers Combined Science: Synergy (8465), a separate specification that this page does not cover.

The June 2023 Biology Paper 1 cover lists a ruler and a scientific calculator. Each paper is shorter than the single-science papers, so questions move quickly, and a paper this short rewards neat method on every calculation.

How the double grade works

Combined Science counts as two GCSEs, so it awards a pair of grades such as 5-5 or 5-4, from 1-1 to 9-9. Foundation tier covers 1-1 to 5-5, and Higher tier covers 4-4 to 9-9 with an allowed grade 4-3 for a student who just misses 4-4. A student who falls below the lowest grade is recorded as U.

Worked examples in AQA style

Physics: speed and acceleration

A scooter accelerates from 3.0 m/s to 9.0 m/s in 15 s. Divide the change in velocity by the time taken:

Chemistry: relative formula mass and moles

How many moles are in 20 g of sodium hydroxide, NaOH? With Aᵣ Na = 23, O = 16 and H = 1, the Mᵣ is 40, so:

Biology: percentage change

A potato cylinder has a mass of 4.0 g before it is left in sugar solution and 3.4 g after. The percentage change in mass is:

The negative sign shows a loss, which means water left the cells by osmosis. Practise forces and motion in our Laws of Motion course, then press Mark to check your answer in the course:

AQA GCSE Combined Science grade boundaries

These are AQA's raw boundaries for the whole qualification, out of 420 (six papers of 70). AQA published June 2026 on 20 August 2026 and June 2025 on 21 August 2025. A dash means the tier does not award that grade.

The Higher 4-4 boundary was 111 of 420 in 2026 and 96 in 2025, a change of 15 marks out of 420. See theAQA GCSE grade boundaries 2026 guidefor every subject.

How AQA Combined Science differs from Edexcel

Pearson Edexcel GCSE Combined Science (1SC0) is also six papers, each 1 hour 10 minutes and 60 marks, so 360 marks in total against AQA's 420. Edexcel lists 18 core practicals where AQA lists 21. Both use double grades and both allow a calculator. See theEdexcel GCSE Combined Science guidefor the Edexcel papers.

Use the daily paper as a short timed mock

Uni-Sine publishes a free daily paper on theGCSE Combined Science HigherandGCSE Combined Science Foundationtracks. Each is a short timed paper of 8 questions worth 25 to 35 marks, mixing biology, chemistry and physics. It is not a full AQA paper and it is not written by AQA. It covers atoms and the periodic table, cells, health, chemical reactions, energy, electricity, waves, forces, ecology and radioactivity. Because it mixes subjects, it is a good test of switching topic quickly.

Common mistakes in AQA GCSE Combined Science

• Revising one science and neglecting another. Each of the three is a third of the marks.
• Forgetting the units in physics and chemistry calculations.
• Using "heat" and "temperature" as the same thing.
• Not linking structure to function in biology answers.

Exam answers

The answers and a worked mark scheme come with today's paper once it is marked. We do not publish official or past paper answers. Every question on the daily paper is our own.

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UK · GCSEAQA GCSE Combined Science grade boundaries 2026AQA's official June 2026 GCSE Combined Science boundaries for Trilogy (8464) and Synergy (8465) on Foundation and Higher, with changes since 2025.