A level grade boundaries are set after marking and published at 8am on results day, so they differ by board and by year; the standard for each grade does not. This page puts the June 2026 boundaries from AQA, Pearson Edexcel and OCR side by side for the subjects most sixth formers take, as raw marks and as percentages, with what a grade is worth in UCAS points, the 2026 national results and the 2027 dates. The GCSE equivalent is on GCSE grade boundaries 2026 explained, and the Tariff calculator on UCAS points calculator.
Download the June 2026 A level grade boundaries table (PDF) (the three boards by subject as marks and percentages, the UCAS points per grade, and a mock-marking worksheet; two pages, free).
How A level boundaries are set
The method is the one Ofqual sets for all three boards. The papers are marked to the mark scheme; the senior examiners then fix the boundaries for grade A and grade E by examining scripts around candidate marks and by comparing the cohort with earlier cohorts on prior attainment at GCSE, so that a student of the same ability gets the same grade in a year with a harder paper. B, C and D are placed at equal intervals between A and E; A is set above A using the top performers' results so that the proportion of A is comparable across years. Ofqual's 2026 summary says in terms that the standard of work needed for any grade in maths was the same as in previous years, and that the standard for any grade remained constant overall.
Two consequences for reading the tables: a lower boundary means a harder paper, not a lower standard; and the percentage an A* takes depends on how the subject's mark scheme spreads marks, which is why maths needs 85 percent and psychology 60.
June 2026 by subject: AQA, Edexcel and OCR
Minimum raw marks for the overall grade, with the percentage of the maximum in brackets for A* and A. Where a board sets a boundary per option combination, the range is given.
Mathematics and further mathematics
| Board and specification (max) | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA Mathematics 7357 (300) | 260 (87%) | 219 (73%) | 182 | 145 | 108 | 72 |
| Edexcel Mathematics 9MA0 (300) | 254 (85%) | 210 (70%) | 173 | 136 | 100 | 64 |
| OCR Mathematics A H240 (300) | 250 (83%) | 208 (69%) | 172 | 136 | 100 | 65 |
| Edexcel Further Mathematics 9FM0 (300, by option set) | 262 to 275 | 236 to 251 | 199 to 213 | 162 to 176 | 125 to 140 | 89 to 105 |
| OCR Further Mathematics A H245 (300, by option set) | 235 to 243 | 200 to 209 | 167 to 177 | 135 to 145 | 103 to 113 | 71 to 81 |
| Edexcel Statistics 9ST0 (240) | 206 (86%) | 183 (76%) | 154 | 126 | 98 | 70 |
The sciences
| Board and specification (max) | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA Biology 7402 (260) | 199 (77%) | 174 (67%) | 146 | 118 | 90 | 63 |
| Edexcel Biology A, Salters-Nuffield 9BN0 (300) | 220 (73%) | 196 (65%) | 170 | 144 | 119 | 94 |
| Edexcel Biology B 9BI0 (300) | 218 (73%) | 189 (63%) | 160 | 131 | 102 | 73 |
| OCR Biology A H420 (270) | 204 (76%) | 176 (65%) | 150 | 124 | 98 | 72 |
| AQA Chemistry 7405 (300) | 255 (85%) | 220 (73%) | 181 | 142 | 104 | 66 |
| Edexcel Chemistry 9CH0 (300) | 246 (82%) | 212 (71%) | 176 | 140 | 104 | 68 |
| OCR Chemistry A H432 (270) | 234 (87%) | 200 (74%) | 164 | 128 | 92 | 56 |
| AQA Physics 7408 (250, by option) | 186 to 191 (74 to 76%) | 157 to 162 (63 to 65%) | 132 to 136 | 107 to 111 | 82 to 86 | 57 to 61 |
| Edexcel Physics 9PH0 (300) | 239 (80%) | 215 (72%) | 182 | 149 | 117 | 85 |
| OCR Physics A H556 (270) | 207 (77%) | 178 (66%) | 151 | 124 | 97 | 70 |
English
| Board and specification (max) | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA English Language 7702 (500) | 432 (86%) | 397 (79%) | 343 | 290 | 237 | 184 |
| Edexcel English Language 9EN0 (250) | 182 (73%) | 160 (64%) | 136 | 113 | 90 | 67 |
| OCR English Language H470 (200) | 168 (84%) | 149 (75%) | 126 | 103 | 80 | 58 |
| Edexcel English Literature 9ET0 (300) | 231 (77%) | 210 (70%) | 182 | 154 | 126 | 98 |
| Edexcel English Language and Literature 9EL0 (300) | 231 (77%) | 208 (69%) | 178 | 148 | 118 | 88 |
| OCR English Language and Literature H474 (200) | 169 (85%) | 155 (78%) | 136 | 117 | 98 | 79 |
AQA English Literature A 7712 and OCR English Literature H472 publish boundaries per component (OCR H472 Component 1, out of 60: A* 55, A 52, B 46, C 40, D 33, E 27; Component 2, out of 60: 58, 55, 47, 39, 31, 23) rather than one overall line.
Humanities and social sciences
| Board and specification (max) | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA History 7042 (200, by option pair) | 156 to 161 | 133 to 138 | 111 to 115 | 88 to 92 | 65 to 70 | 43 to 49 |
| Edexcel History 9HI0 (200, by option set) | 172 to 176 | 158 to 161 | 135 to 138 | 113 to 116 | 91 to 94 | 69 to 72 |
| OCR History A H505 (200, most option sets) | 150 to 151 | 134 to 135 | 114 to 115 | 94 to 95 | 74 to 75 | 55 |
| AQA Geography 7037 (300) | 246 (82%) | 219 (73%) | 189 | 160 | 131 | 102 |
| Edexcel Geography 9GE0 (350) | 268 (77%) | 242 (69%) | 213 | 184 | 155 | 126 |
| AQA Economics 7136 (240) | 178 (74%) | 154 (64%) | 132 | 110 | 88 | 66 |
| Edexcel Economics A 9EC0 (335) | 288 (86%) | 265 (79%) | 230 | 195 | 160 | 126 |
| OCR Economics H460 (240) | 195 (81%) | 168 (70%) | 139 | 111 | 83 | 55 |
| AQA Business 7132 (300) | 212 (71%) | 192 (64%) | 165 | 138 | 111 | 85 |
| Edexcel Business 9BS0 (335) | 251 (75%) | 233 (70%) | 203 | 173 | 143 | 113 |
| AQA Psychology 7182 (288) | 229 (80%) | 205 (71%) | 170 | 135 | 101 | 67 |
| Edexcel Psychology 9PS0 (270) | 162 (60%) | 140 (52%) | 116 | 93 | 70 | 47 |
| OCR Psychology H567 (300) | 220 (73%) | 200 (67%) | 170 | 140 | 111 | 82 |
| AQA Sociology 7192 (240) | 186 (78%) | 167 (70%) | 142 | 118 | 94 | 70 |
| OCR Sociology H580 (300) | 256 (85%) | 234 (78%) | 194 | 155 | 116 | 77 |
| Edexcel Politics 9PL0 (252, by option) | 177 to 179 | 158 to 160 | 134 to 136 | 111 to 112 | 88 | 64 to 65 |
| Edexcel Religious Studies 9RS0 (240, by option) | 211 to 214 | 188 to 194 | 159 to 163 | 130 to 133 | 101 to 104 | 71 to 75 |
Languages and other subjects
| Board and specification (max) | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA French 7652 (400) | 362 (91%) | 329 (82%) | 290 | 251 | 212 | 174 |
| Edexcel French 9FR0 (400) | 348 (87%) | 301 (75%) | 253 | 205 | 157 | 109 |
| AQA Spanish 7692 (400) | 351 (88%) | 313 (78%) | 265 | 218 | 171 | 124 |
| Edexcel Spanish 9SP0 (400) | 335 (84%) | 297 (74%) | 251 | 205 | 159 | 113 |
| AQA Physical Education 7582 (300) | 231 | 211 | 184 | 157 | 130 | 103 |
| Edexcel Physical Education 9PE0 (360) | 266 | 237 | 205 | 173 | 141 | 110 |
| AQA Drama and Theatre 7262 (200) | 157 | 142 | 122 | 102 | 82 | 63 |
| Edexcel Design and Technology 9DT0 (240) | 188 | 170 | 145 | 121 | 97 | 73 |
| AQA Philosophy 7172 (200) | 156 | 134 | 108 | 83 | 58 | 33 |
| AQA Accounting 7127 (240) | 179 | 153 | 128 | 103 | 78 | 54 |
What a grade is worth, and what a mark is worth
| Grade | UCAS Tariff points (2027 entry) | Lost by missing it by one mark |
|---|---|---|
| A* | 56 | 8 points, and the A* condition of an offer |
| A | 48 | 8 points |
| B | 40 | 8 points |
| C | 32 | 8 points |
| D | 24 | 8 points |
| E | 16 | 16 points (E to U) |
On a grade-based offer ("AAB including Mathematics") one mark under the A boundary in maths can cost the place; on a points offer it costs 8 of, say, 136. Either way the plan is ten marks clear. In June 2026 the gap between grades was 36 to 42 marks on the 300-mark maths and science papers (12 to 14 percent), so a student on a B at Easter needs about 40 marks, which is roughly one full question per paper done to the mark scheme.
The 2026 results
From Ofqual's summary of the 13 August 2026 results for England: 835,950 A levels were awarded to 320,505 students in 57 subjects, 2.7 percent more awards than 2025 with the 18-year-old population up 3.7 percent; 28.3 percent of results were A or A (28.2 percent in 2025). Maths was the most-taken subject, about one result in eight, followed by psychology, biology, chemistry and economics; the A and A rate in maths rose from 41.6 to 42.1 percent, which Ofqual attributes to a slightly stronger cohort, and further maths entries grew strongly. A further 48,835 AS results were issued.
Results days and when the boundaries appear
| Series | A level results and boundaries | GCSE |
|---|---|---|
| Summer 2026 | Thursday 13 August 2026 | Thursday 20 August 2026 |
| Summer 2027 | Thursday 12 August 2027 | Thursday 19 August 2027 |
Boundaries come out at 8am on the day from each board; UCAS Track updates the same morning and Clearing opens. Until then no 2027 boundary exists.
How to use the tables
- Mark every mock and past paper against your board's row, with the component boundaries from the board's document to find the weak paper.
- Read the percentages, not the mark, when comparing subjects: an A* in Edexcel psychology was 60 percent and in AQA French 91 percent; both are top grades.
- Expect the boundaries to move by a few marks, sometimes twenty. AQA chemistry's A rose from 197 to 220 between 2025 and 2026 because the paper was easier; a 2027 mock marked against 2026 could be a grade out either way.
- The predicted grade is what the offer is made on, so a Year 12 end-of-year exam marked against these tables is the number that decides the UCAS year.
How we teach A levels
1-on-1 online in UK after-school hours for A level maths, further maths, chemistry, physics and biology, with the student's own board's papers marked to the mark scheme and the latest June boundaries, and a timed paper every fortnight from the spring. The first 30-minute class is free: send the board, the subjects and the predicted grades on WhatsApp or the contact page. The subject pages are A level maths, A level further maths, A level chemistry, A level physics and A level biology; the points are on the UCAS points calculator.
Download the June 2026 A level grade boundaries table (PDF)
Sources: AQA, Grade boundaries, June 2026 exams, A-level (published 13 August 2026); Pearson Edexcel, Grade Boundaries, GCE, June 2026; OCR, AS and A Level grade boundaries, June 2026 series; Ofqual, A level and Level 3 results 2026 at a glance (13 August 2026); UCAS Tariff tables for 2027 entry; read 27 October 2026. The 2027 results days are the JCQ dates as published by schools.
Questions parents ask
1What were the A level maths grade boundaries in June 2026?
2What percentage do you need for an A* at A level?
3How are A level grade boundaries set?
4How many UCAS points is each A level grade?
See how we teach this, 1-on-1 online →
Shobha
Founder and lead tutor, Science with Shobha
Teaching maths, science and English to children online since 2018. 500+ students, 20+ tutors, families in nine countries.