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CCEA A-level grade boundaries 2026: the marks for every grade

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CCEA A-level grade boundaries 2026: the subject-level table

CCEA publishes the A-level lines in two documents: GCE Subject Level Uniform Mark Grade Boundaries (A2), Summer 2026 and the AS version. Each figure is the lowest total of uniform marks (UMS) for the grade. The subject's maximum decides the row: the subjects in our papers use 400 or 600. CCEA does not offer A-level Computer Science. Its Digital Technology is the nearest subject, and it sits with the 400 mark group.

GradeA-level out of 400 (Maths, Further Maths, Digital Technology)A-level out of 600 (Physics, Chemistry, Biology)AS out of 160 (Maths, Further Maths, Digital Technology)AS out of 240 (Physics, Chemistry, Biology)
A320480128192
B280420112168
C24036096144
D20030080120
E1602406496

There is no A* line in the table. CCEA awards A* only at A-level, never at AS or for a single unit, and only to a candidate who does both of these things: reaches a grade A overall, and earns 90% or more of the maximum uniform marks across the A2 units. In a 600 mark subject that means 480 overall and 324 of the 360 A2 marks. In a 400 mark subject it means 320 overall and 216 of the 240 A2 marks.

From raw marks to an A-level grade

Every unit has its own raw boundaries for grades a to e, set again each series. A raw mark on a boundary earns a fixed uniform mark, and AS units count for 40% of the A-level with A2 units counting for 60%. Take A-level Maths. A candidate who lands on the grade a boundary in all four units in 2026 earns 72 raw (77 UMS) in AS 1, 44 (52) in AS 2, 99 (116) in A2 1 and 68 (77) in A2 2. The total is 322, over the A line of 320. But the A2 part is only 193 of 240, short of the 216 needed for an A*. This is why a straight grade A is common and an A* is a step further.

Unit boundaries for our A-level subjects, Summer 2026

The raw boundaries are what you compare your own marks with. This table lists grade a and grade e for every unit of the six subjects, copied from each subject's Raw to Uniform Mark Boundaries document. The AS units come first in each subject, then the A2 units. Open the subject page for every grade.

UnitOut of (raw)Grade a, rawGrade e, rawUniform marks at a and e
Maths SMT1100722777 and 39
Maths SMT270441752 and 26
Maths AMT11509928116 and 58
Maths AMT2100681977 and 39
Further Maths SFM1100732864 and 32
Further Maths SFM2100592064 and 32
Further Maths AFM11501071596 and 48
Further Maths AFM21501062196 and 48
Digital Technology SDT1100562164 and 32
Digital Technology SDT2100613164 and 32
Digital Technology ADT11509643128 and 64
Digital Technology ADT21201025764 and 32
Physics SPH1100714777 and 39
Physics SPH2100704677 and 39
Physics SPH390663439 and 20
Physics APH11008661116 and 58
Physics APH21007843116 and 58
Physics APH390755158 and 29
Chemistry SCH190653377 and 39
Chemistry SCH290643377 and 39
Chemistry SCH380572539 and 20
Chemistry ACH11109042116 and 58
Chemistry ACH21107827116 and 58
Chemistry ACH390672158 and 29
Biology SBY175583872 and 36
Biology SBY275573572 and 36
Biology SBY371533448 and 24
Biology ABY11007539116 and 58
Biology ABY21007629116 and 58
Biology ABY375573058 and 29

Because the uniform marks stay the same, a raw boundary that rises means that unit was easier that year, and one that falls means it was harder. A-level Chemistry unit A2 1 had a grade a at 90 in 2026 against 85 in 2025, while Physics A2 1 went the other way, from 79 to 86. Neither tells you how you will do next year.

AS grades stand on their own

AS is a qualification in its own right as well as the first part of the A-level. CCEA's AS lines are 40% of the A-level ones, matching the AS weighting: 128 for an A in the 160 mark subjects and 192 in the 240 mark subjects. If you take only AS, the AS table applies. If you carry on to A2, the AS units are cashed in with the A2 units and the A-level total decides the grade.

Use today's paper to check where you are

Try today's paper in the subject on our UK papers. It is a short timed paper of 8 questions and 25 to 35 marks, set by us and not by CCEA. Mark it, then compare the percentage with the shares the boundaries represent: 80% is the A line in every CCEA A-level (320 of 400, or 480 of 600) and 40% is the E line. A run of papers is more useful than one.

Subject pages for 2026

Common questions

What are the CCEA A-level grade boundaries for 2026?
In a 400 mark subject: A 320, B 280, C 240, D 200, E 160. In a 600 mark subject: A 480, B 420, C 360, D 300, E 240. An A* needs a grade A overall and 90% of the A2 uniform marks.
How does CCEA award an A* at A-level?
A candidate must reach grade A overall and earn at least 90% of the maximum uniform marks in the A2 units. A* is not given at AS or for individual units.
What mark do I need for an A in CCEA A-level Physics in 2026?
480 uniform marks out of 600. In raw terms the Unit A2 1 grade a was 86 out of 100.
Do CCEA A-level grade boundaries change each year?
The uniform lines for A to E never change in the life of the specification. The raw boundaries for each unit change every series.
Does CCEA offer A-level Computer Science?
No. CCEA offers GCE Digital Technology. Our A-level computer science daily paper is the nearest match.

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UK · A-levelCCEA A-level Maths grade boundaries 2026: raw marks by unitCCEA A-level Maths grade boundaries for Summer 2026: raw and uniform marks for AS 1, AS 2, A2 1 and A2 2, the 400 mark lines and the A* rule.