AQA GCSE Combined Science grade boundaries 2025: Trilogy and Synergy

AQA GCSE Combined Science grade boundaries June 2025

From the Combined Science rows of AQA's GCSE grade boundaries for June 2025 (version 1.0, published 21 August 2025). Each figure is the lowest total for the grade pair. Combined Science is worth two GCSEs, so it is graded with double grades from 9-9 down to 1-1, and every grade pair has its own boundary. Trilogy (8464) is six papers of 70 marks, out of 420. Synergy (8465) is four papers of 100 marks, out of 400. A Higher entry earns 9-9 to 4-3, and a Foundation entry earns 5-5 to 1-1.

A dash means the tier does not award that grade. The GCSE Combined Science guide and AQA GCSE Combined Science guide cover the papers, and the equation sheet guide covers what you are given. Your school will have told you whether you sit Trilogy or Synergy.

Reading a double grade

A Trilogy Higher candidate with 195 marks is above the 6-6 boundary of 184 and below the 7-6 boundary of 206, so the grade is 6-6. That means two GCSEs, one at 6 and one at 6. A candidate on 206 gets 7-6, a 7 in one GCSE and a 6 in the other, and pairs like 7-6 and 6-5 sit between the matching pairs.

On Synergy Higher the same logic applies at a different scale: 200 out of 400 is a 7-6, because the 7-6 boundary is 191 and the 7-7 boundary is 211.

2025 compared with 2024 and 2023

From AQA's 2024 and 2023 documents, Trilogy Higher first:

Trilogy Higher 9-9 rose from 289 in 2024 to 299 in 2025, an increase of 10. Synergy Higher 9-9 rose by 16, from 268 to 284. Trilogy 4-4 on Higher barely moved (93 to 96). Synergy Higher:

On Foundation, Trilogy 4-4 went 230, 225, 231 and Synergy 4-4 went 212, 216, 214. Neither moved by more than 6 marks.

What the shares look like

• Trilogy Higher 4-4 is 23%. 96 out of 420 is under a quarter of the marks, and the bottom Higher pair 4-3 needs only 85, which is 20%.
• Synergy Higher 4-4 is 23%. 93 out of 400.
• Foundation 4-4 is a pass at 55% (Trilogy) or 54% (Synergy). More than half the marks, because Foundation papers are easier.

Use today's paper to estimate your grade

Open 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, so it does not match either specification's papers. Turn your mark into a share and compare it with the shares above. For instance 20 out of 30 is 67%, comfortably above the Foundation 4-4 share. Our GCSE Combined Science mock paper guide shows how to sit it.

Mistakes to avoid

• Looking in the wrong course. Trilogy is out of 420 and Synergy out of 400, so their numbers cannot be swapped.
• Reading 7-6 as a typo. It is a real grade, between 7-7 and 6-6.
• Checking a Higher entry against Foundation boundaries. The Higher tier cannot award 3-3 or below.

Read next

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.