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GCSE grade calculator
Enter your paper marks and the grade boundaries from your exam board's document to estimate your GCSE grade, see the marks you need for the next grade, and work out what you need on papers you haven't sat yet.
- Paper 1
- 38/50
- Notional B
- Paper 2
- 31/50
- Notional B
- Total
- 69/100
- Grade C
In AQA's worked example, grade B started at 70 out of 100, so two notional Bs made a C overall. Your total decides your grade, which is what this calculator adds up.
Last reviewed ·
How to use the grade calculator
- 01
Add each paper: your mark and what it's out of. Leave the mark blank for a paper you haven't sat yet.
- 02
Open your board's grade-boundary document for the series and copy the overall subject boundary for each grade. If your board scales papers, enter each scaled maximum in “Counts as”.
- 03
Read your estimated grade, the marks to the next grade, and what you need on the papers left for any target grade.
How your grade is worked out
Boards publish boundaries for each paper and for the whole subject. In linear GCSEs, AS and A-Levels, your total subject mark decides the grade.
- Your marks are added across all papers and compared with the subject grade boundaries. Your grade is not an average of paper grades.
- A grade boundary is the minimum total for that grade: reach it and you get the grade.
- A scaled paper counts as its mark × its scaled maximum ÷ its raw maximum, so your total matches the subject maximum in the document.
- With papers still to sit, the calculator projects your grade at the same percentage and works out the share of the remaining marks you need for any grade.
- Grades left blank are skipped, which is how tiers and options without every grade work. Below the lowest boundary you get U (unclassified).
Sources: AQA, guide to notional component grade boundaries · OCR, grade boundaries
GCSE grades explained
GCSEs in England are graded 9 to 1. Wales and Northern Ireland use letter grades, and each tier offers its own range.
| England | 9 (highest) to 1, then U |
|---|---|
| Standard pass (DfE) | Grade 4 and above |
| Foundation tier | Grades 5 to 1 |
| Higher tier | Grades 9 to 4, plus a narrow 3 |
| Wales (WJEC) | A* to G |
| Northern Ireland (CCEA) | A* to G, including C* |
- 01The bottom of grade 7 lines up with the bottom of the old grade A, grade 4 with C and grade 1 with G. The scales aren't directly equivalent.
- 02Grades 9, 7, 4 and 1 are the key boundaries, with 7, 4 and 1 set by examiners' judgement. Grade 8 sits halfway between 9 and 7, and grades 6, 5, 3 and 2 split the gaps between 7, 4 and 1 into thirds.
- 03On higher tier, students who just miss grade 4 can get a safety-net 3; below that is U. A 4 or 5 counts the same on either tier.
- 04CCEA added C* to its A* to G scale to line up with grade 5 in England.
Sources: Ofqual, GCSE 9 to 1 grade scale explained (2025) · Ofqual, GCSE qualification level conditions (2026) · Ofqual, letter on tiered GCSEs (2020) · DfE, GCSE factsheet for parents (2019) · CCEA, why GCSE grading changed · Qualifications Wales, 2025 results
Where to find official grade boundaries
Boards publish boundaries after every exam series, usually on results day. Use the overall subject table for your specification, tier or option.
- AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC Eduqas give subject boundaries in total marks, plus notional paper boundaries as a guide. AQA shows scaled boundaries next to raw ones for scaled papers.
- Unitised WJEC (Wales) and CCEA qualifications use a uniform mark scale (UMS). Convert each unit's raw mark with the board's raw-to-UMS tables or converter, then enter UMS marks and the subject's UMS boundaries.
- Cambridge publishes grade thresholds for each combination of components, out of a maximum mark after weighting. The percentage uniform marks on a Cambridge statement can't be used with these tables.
Tips for using grade boundaries
- 01Use the overall subject boundaries for a full set of papers. Paper boundaries only suit an estimate for a single paper.
- 02For a mock, try the boundaries from the last two series to see a range rather than one grade.
- 03Check your tier, option or component combination: each one has its own boundaries.
- 04Look at the marks you need, not only the grade. A small gap on one paper is something to aim at in your next practice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out my GCSE grade from my marks?
Add up your marks across all the papers, scaled where your board scales them, then compare the total with the subject grade boundaries for that series. The highest grade whose boundary you reach is your grade. The calculator does this as you type.
Are GCSE grade boundaries the same every year?
No. Boards set new boundaries after each series is marked, to reflect how hard the papers were, so a grade is no easier or harder to get in any year. Use the boundaries for the series you sat, or the last two series as a guide for a mock.
What counts as a pass at GCSE?
The Department for Education counts grade 4 and above as a standard pass. Students without a 4 in English or maths carry on studying them after 16. The bottom of grade 4 lines up with the bottom of the old grade C.
Why doesn't my overall grade match my paper grades?
Your grade comes from your total mark, and paper boundaries are only a guide. In AQA's worked example, a notional B on two papers (38/50 and 31/50) added up to 69/100, one mark under the subject B boundary of 70, so the grade was C.
Do foundation and higher tier have different boundaries?
Yes. Foundation tier offers grades 5 to 1 and higher tier 9 to 4, with a narrow safety-net grade 3. Enter only the grades your tier's table lists and leave the rest blank. A 4 or 5 is worth the same on either tier.
Can I use it for my mock results?
Yes. Enter your mock marks with the boundaries your school used. If it used a past series' official boundaries, copy those from the board's page, and try another series to see how much the grade could move.
Does it work for IGCSE, Welsh or Northern Irish GCSEs?
Yes. Choose the A*–G scale for WJEC in Wales or Cambridge IGCSE (or 9–1 for a Cambridge IGCSE 9–1 syllabus), or the scale with C* for CCEA. For unitised qualifications, enter UMS marks and the subject's UMS boundaries.
Are my marks saved or shared?
Your marks and boundaries are saved in this browser so they're there when you come back. The calculator runs on your device and doesn't send them to Aripsy.