CCEA GCSE Physics grade boundaries 2026: raw marks by unit and tier

CCEA GCSE Physics grade boundaries 2026

The unit table copies CCEA's Raw to Uniform Mark Boundaries for GCSE Physics (G9762), Summer 2026, which was loaded on 20 August 2026. Physics has three units, Unit 1 and Unit 2 written papers and Unit 3 practical skills. Units 1 and 2 are entered at Foundation (grades C* to G) or Higher (A* to D, with an E allowed), and the two Unit 3 papers must be taken at the same tier. The raw mark you need for a grade is different for each tier and each unit, which is why the table has six columns.

A dash means the unit does not award that grade at that tier. Unit grades are in lower case in CCEA's tables, subject grades in capitals.

The uniform mark each boundary earns

The subject grade lines, Summer 2026

Why the tier matters so much

Look at Unit 1. A grade c on the Foundation paper needs 41 out of 80 and is worth 90 uniform marks. A grade c on the Higher paper needs 39 out of 100 for the same 90. The Higher paper is longer (1 hour 30 against 1 hour 15) and harder, so far fewer raw marks earn the same grade. There is a ceiling on the other side. Add the largest uniform mark in each Foundation unit, 109 + 109 + 72, and the most you can earn is 290. That is above the C* line of 268 and below the B line of 292, so Foundation tops out at C*.

A worked example: Higher Physics, all units on grade b

Take a Higher candidate with exactly the grade b raw boundary in every unit: 65, 62, 58. These convert to 110, 110, 73 uniform marks, which add to 293. That is above 292, so the grade is a B. To reach an A the same candidate needs 320, which means 79, 77 and 69 raw marks, the grade a boundaries. Unit 3 is a full 25% of the subject and has the lowest grade a raw boundary of the three Higher units: 69 out of 100, against 79 and 77 in Units 1 and 2.

How 2026 compares with 2025

Unit 1 Foundation moved most: grade c* rose nine marks, from 43 to 52, so the 2026 paper was easier for that grade than the 2025 one. Unit 2 went the other way on both tiers: the Higher a fell from 85 in 2025 to 77, and the Foundation c* from 50 to 44. The Foundation practical unit was identical to 2025, as it was in 2024: 30, 25, 21, 17, 13 and 9 for grades c* to g. The A* line was 357 in 2025 and 358 in 2026.

Using this to plan

• Know your tier before you read the table. A Foundation 41 and a Higher 39 in Unit 1 are both a grade c.
• Do the practical work properly. The two practicals in Booklet A are done in school before May, and Booklet B is a written paper with questions set in a practical context; together they are 25% of the subject. See the CCEA GCSE Physics guide.
• Learn the equations you must recall, and check the equation sheet for those you are given.

Today's paper as a timed check

Try today's Foundation or Higher Physics paper. It has 8 questions worth 25 to 35 marks, written by us and not by CCEA. A high score on the Foundation paper does not tell you what you would get on the Higher one, so use the tier you are entered for.

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UK · GCSECCEA GCSE Physics grade boundaries 2025: raw marks by unitCCEA GCSE Physics grade boundaries for Summer 2025: raw and uniform marks for Units 1 to 3 at both tiers, compared with 2024.