AQA GCSE Maths (8300): papers, calculator rules and grade boundaries

AQA GCSE Maths papers at a glance

The specification is AQA GCSE Mathematics 8300. AQA says the table is the same for both tiers and that content from any part of the specification may be assessed on any paper. You must take all three papers at the same tier and in the same series. Questions are a mix of styles, from short single-mark questions to multi-step problems, and the demand increases as you progress through each paper.

The six content areas are number, algebra, ratio, proportion and rates of change, geometry and measures, probability, and statistics. AQA provides a formulae sheet with each paper, in a Foundation and a Higher version, for exams in 2027. See theAQA GCSE Maths formula sheet guidefor what is on it.

Foundation and Higher tier

Foundation tier awards grades 1 to 5 and Higher tier grades 4 to 9, and AQA's boundary table also lists a grade 3 on Higher for a student who just misses a 4. Ask your teacher which tier you are entered for: it is the biggest single choice you make. Higher papers include harder algebra, trigonometry, circle theorems, vectors, histograms and proof, while Foundation concentrates on number, ratio, and routine algebra and geometry. The same three paper lengths and mark totals apply to both.

Why the non-calculator paper matters

A third of the grade comes from Paper 1, with no calculator. Fractions, percentages, ratio, surds, standard form, angle facts and exact trigonometric values all need to be done by hand. Practise them separately, because mistakes come from speed and arithmetic, not from not knowing the method.

Worked examples in AQA style

Algebra: solve a linear equation

Solve 5x − 7 = 2x + 11. Collect the x terms on one side and the numbers on the other:

Check by substituting x = 6 into both sides: 5 × 6 − 7 = 23 and 2 × 6 + 11 = 23.

Ratio: sharing an amount

Share £84 in the ratio 3 : 4. The total is 7 parts, so one part is 84 ÷ 7 = £12 and the shares are 3 × 12 = £36 and 4 × 12 = £48.

Trigonometry (Higher): a missing side

In a right-angled triangle the hypotenuse is 12 cm and one angle is 35°. Find the side opposite the 35° angle. Use sine, because you know the hypotenuse and want the opposite side:

Check your calculator is in degree mode. Practise rearranging and solving in our Algebra course, then press Mark to check your answer in the course:

AQA GCSE Maths grade boundaries

These are AQA's raw boundaries for the whole qualification, out of 240: the lowest total mark that earns each grade. AQA published June 2026 on 20 August 2026 and June 2025 on 21 August 2025. Foundation awards grades 5 to 1 and Higher grades 9 to 3.

AQA GCSE Maths Higher tier boundaries

AQA GCSE Maths Foundation tier boundaries

The Higher grade 4 was 63 in both years, so a student needs about a quarter of the marks for a 4 and about 91% for a 9 (219 of 240 in both years). That is why every mark on Paper 1 counts. Compare with other AQA subjects in theAQA GCSE grade boundaries 2026 guide.

How AQA GCSE Maths differs from Edexcel

Both boards set three 1 hour 30 minute papers of 80 marks, one without a calculator, so the structure is the same. Pearson Edexcel GCSE Maths (1MA1) publishes its topic weightings by tier, for example Algebra at 27 to 33% on Higher and 17 to 23% on Foundation. Each board writes its own papers, so use the board's own past papers for style, and our daily paper for extra mixed practice. See theEdexcel GCSE Maths guideif you are on Edexcel.

Use the daily paper as a short timed mock

Uni-Sine publishes a free daily paper on theGCSE Maths HigherandGCSE Maths Foundationtracks. Each is a short timed paper of 8 questions worth 25 to 35 marks, not a full AQA paper, and it is not written by AQA. It covers fractions, ratio, algebra, graphs, probability, Pythagoras and trigonometry, circle theorems and vectors at Higher. Do one without a calculator, then one with, to practise both kinds of working.

Common mistakes in AQA GCSE Maths

• Calculator mode. Degrees, not radians, and brackets around the denominator.
• Not showing working. Method marks are awarded for the working even if the answer is wrong.
• Rounding too early. Keep full calculator values until the final answer.
• Skipping units and labels. Area is cm², not cm.
• Ignoring the "hence" or "show that" in the question. You must use the earlier result or reach the printed answer.

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 Maths grade boundaries 2026: Foundation and HigherAQA's official June 2026 GCSE Maths (8300) grade boundaries for Foundation and Higher tiers, compared with June 2025.