CCEA A-level Chemistry grade boundaries 2026: raw marks by unit

CCEA A-level Chemistry grade boundaries 2026

The tables are copied from CCEA's Raw to Uniform Mark Boundaries for GCE Chemistry (A1114), Summer 2026, dated 13 August 2026. A-level Chemistry has six units. AS 1 covers Basic Concepts in Physical and Inorganic Chemistry and AS 2 Further Physical and Inorganic Chemistry and an Introduction to Organic Chemistry. AS 3 is Basic Practical Chemistry. A2 1 is Further Physical and Organic Chemistry, A2 2 is Analytical, Transition Metals, Electrochemistry and Organic Nitrogen Chemistry, and A2 3 is Further Practical Chemistry.

Uniform marks at each boundary

Subject lines for AS and A-level

A2 1 keeps climbing

The A2 1 Further Physical and Organic Chemistry unit asked for more raw marks again: grade a rose from 85 to 90 (82% of 110), after 80 in 2024. Its grade c went from 61 to 66 and grade e from 38 to 42. A2 2 rose four, from 74 to 78. A rising raw boundary means the paper gave up marks more readily, so the same uniform mark of 116 at grade a needed more of them. Meanwhile AS 3 fell five, from 62 to 57, and its grade e stayed at 25, as it has for three years.

A worked example at grade b

A candidate on the grade b raw boundary in every unit scores 57, 56, 49, 78, 65, 55. These convert to 68 + 68 + 34 + 101 + 101 + 51 = 423 uniform marks, a B (the line is 420). The A2 part of that total is 253 out of 360. To lift the grade to A they would need another 57 uniform marks, and an A* would need A2 marks of at least 324.

How the papers are built

The raw totals tell you the shape of the course. AS 1 and AS 2 are each 90 raw marks: 10 multiple-choice questions plus 80 marks of written questions, in 1 hour 30. A2 1 and A2 2 are 110 raw marks each, with 10 multiple-choice and 100 written marks, in 2 hours. AS 3 is 80 marks and A2 3 is 90, each combining practical tasks with a written paper of 1 hour 15.

Using the boundaries

• A2 1 and A2 2 are worth 144 uniform marks each, 24% of the A-level apiece. They matter most.
• AS 3 and A2 3 are practical units. Their raw boundaries move less than the written ones.
• Use the CCEA Chemistry data sheet to see what you are given. Our A-level Chemistry guide covers the content.

Try today's Year 1 or Year 2 Chemistry paper as a timed check. It is 8 questions and 25 to 35 marks, written by us and not by CCEA, so it will show weak topics only.

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