CCEA GCSE Chemistry grade boundaries 2025: raw marks by unit and tier
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CCEA GCSE Chemistry grade boundaries 2025
The figures are from CCEA's Raw to Uniform Mark Boundaries for GCSE Chemistry, Summer 2025. The qualification has three units: Unit 1 (35%) on structures, trends, chemical reactions, quantitative chemistry and analysis; Unit 2 (40%) on further chemical reactions, rates and equilibrium, calculations and organic chemistry; and Unit 3 (25%), the practical skills unit with Booklets A and B.
| Unit grade | Unit 1, Foundation | Unit 1, Higher | Unit 2, Foundation | Unit 2, Higher | Unit 3, Foundation | Unit 3, Higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Out of | 60 | 80 | 80 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| a | - | 53 | - | 58 | - | 49 |
| b | - | 42 | - | 46 | - | 41 |
| c* | 38 | 32 | 38 | 34 | 28 | 33 |
| c | 31 | 22 | 31 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| d | 25 | 12 | 25 | 12 | 20 | 17 |
| e | 19 | 7 | 19 | 6 | 17 | 13 |
| f | 14 | - | 14 | - | 14 | - |
| g | 9 | - | 9 | - | 11 | - |
| Unit grade | Unit 1, Foundation | Unit 1, Higher | Unit 2, Foundation | Unit 2, Higher | Unit 3, Foundation | Unit 3, Higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most you can earn | 102 | 140 | 116 | 160 | 72 | 100 |
| a | - | 112 | - | 128 | - | 80 |
| b | - | 103 | - | 117 | - | 73 |
| c* | 94 | 94 | 108 | 108 | 67 | 67 |
| c | 84 | 84 | 96 | 96 | 60 | 60 |
| d | 70 | 70 | 80 | 80 | 50 | 50 |
| e | 56 | 63 | 64 | 72 | 40 | 45 |
| f | 42 | - | 48 | - | 30 | - |
| g | 28 | - | 32 | - | 20 | - |
Subject lines, Summer 2025
| Subject grade | Lowest total uniform mark, out of 400 |
|---|---|
| A* | 371 |
| A | 320 |
| B | 292 |
| C* | 268 |
| C | 240 |
| D | 200 |
| E | 160 |
| F | 120 |
| G | 80 |
Reading the table
Pick your tier's columns, then read down. On the Foundation tier a grade c* in Unit 1 needed 38 out of 60 in 2025, and in Unit 2 it needed 38 out of 80. Both come to roughly 63% and 48%, which shows how the two papers differ even on the same grade. The Foundation columns begin at c* because Foundation papers target grades C* to G. The Higher columns begin at a, and end at e.
A worked example from 2025
A Foundation candidate with the grade c* raw mark in all three units has 38, 38, 28. Those convert to 94 + 108 + 67 = 269 uniform marks, a C*, just over the line of 268. On Higher, a candidate who earned the grade b raw marks of 42, 46, 41 had 103 + 117 + 73 = 293, a B.
How 2025 compares with 2024
| Unit and grade | Summer 2024 | Summer 2025 | Change in last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 Foundation, c* | 33 | 38 | +5 |
| Unit 1 Higher, c | 23 | 22 | −1 |
| Unit 2 Higher, c | 26 | 23 | −3 |
| Unit 3 Foundation, c* | 33 | 28 | −5 |
| Unit 3 Foundation, g | 20 | 11 | −9 |
| Unit 3 Higher, a | 55 | 49 | −6 |
| Unit 3 Higher, c | 31 | 25 | −6 |
The practical unit changed most. On Foundation, every grade fell: g went from 20 to 11, the largest drop at nine marks, and c from 30 to 24. The Higher Unit 3 fell as well, with grade a down from 55 to 49 and c from 31 to 25. In the written papers, Unit 1 Foundation rose, with grade c* up from 33 to 38, while the Higher papers dipped by one to three marks. Most of the 2025 movement therefore sat in the Booklet A and B marks, not in the written exams. The A* rose from 368 to 371.
What to practise
- Unit 3 is 25% and its boundary moved most. Practise the nine prescribed practicals and write up results with care.
- Past boundaries are a loose guide. A boundary can drop by six marks in a year.
- Check which tier your school entered you for before you compare anything.
See the CCEA GCSE Chemistry guide for what each unit covers, and try today's Foundation or Higher paper as a timed check. It is 8 questions and 25 to 35 marks, set by us.
Common questions
What were the CCEA GCSE Chemistry grade boundaries in 2025?
What was the Foundation Unit 3 grade c in 2025?
What is the C* grade in Chemistry?
How many units does CCEA Chemistry have?
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UK · GCSECCEA GCSE Chemistry grade boundaries 2026: raw marks by unitCCEA GCSE Chemistry grade boundaries for Summer 2026: raw and uniform marks for Units 1 to 3 at both tiers, plus the 400 mark subject lines.