Edexcel GCSE Combined Science grade boundaries 2025

How a Combined Science grade works

Combined Science (1SC0) counts as two GCSEs, so you get a pair of grades. On Higher the pairs run from 9-9 down to 4-3, and on Foundation from 5-5 down to 1-1. A 7-6 means a 7 in one GCSE and a 6 in the other. The total is out of 360, and every pair has its own boundary.

Unlike the single sciences you sit six short papers, and the boundary applies to the sum. See our Edexcel GCSE Combined Science guide for what each covers.

Edexcel Combined Science boundaries, June 2025

These come from Pearson's June 2025 GCSE document, with 2024 from its 2024 document for comparison.

What moved between 2024 and 2025

On Higher, 4-4 rose from 94 to 107, 7-7 from 210 to 227 and 9-9 from 272 to 284. That is between 12 and 17 marks up. Foundation went the other way by a few marks: 5-5 fell from 217 to 215, and 4-4 from 178 to 174.

A move in the opposite direction on the two tiers is a good example of why you only compare like with like.

Two examples

• Higher. 200 out of 360 is above 187 (6-6) and below 207 (7-6), so a 6-6, 7 marks from a 7-6.
• Foundation. 160 out of 360 is above 151 (4-3) and below 174 (4-4), so a 4-3, 14 marks from a 4-4.

When one science is stronger than another

The boundary reads the sum of all six papers, so strength in one science can cover weakness in another. A student scores 85 out of 120 in Biology, 70 in Chemistry and 55 in Physics, which is 85 + 70 + 55 = 210 out of 360. On Higher that is above 207 (7-6) and below 227 (7-7), so a 7-6, 17 marks short of a 7-7. Nobody sees the three science scores separately in the grade: you get the pair, and nothing records which science dragged it down.

That is also why the single-science boundaries are not the right comparison. Combined Science boundaries are for the six-paper total and the pair of grades only.

Reading the lines

• Higher 4-4 is 30% of 360. Foundation 4-4 is 48%.
• Foundation tops out at 5-5, 60% of the total.
• Each paper is worth 60 of 360. A weak paper in one science is made up in another.

Today's Combined Science Higher and Foundation papers are 8 questions and 25 to 35 marks. They are not Edexcel papers, so compare the share, not the mark.

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UK · GCSEEdexcel GCSE Combined Science grade boundaries 2026Edexcel GCSE Combined Science June 2026 boundaries: Higher 4-4 was 108, Foundation 4-4 was 194, out of 360, with 2025 and 2024.