As you know, GCSE Maths is a required course, along with GCSE English. Students attach great importance to grade boundaries, but GCSE maths grade boundaries don't tell us very much. To wit, Edexcel's 2024 Foundation Maths Grade 5 boundaries ranged between 182/240, and 147/240 for a Grade 4. In this article, we explain what students must do to fall within those passing boundaries, and why the boundaries exist.
Marks don't shift dramatically from one exam year to the next. Aiming for a Grade 4, you might reasonably expect up to a +/- 7 point difference, either way, from what the 2024 marks in the table above. This table shows the 2024 GCSE maths grade boundaries for different exam boards:
| 📈Grade | 🔝Maximum marks | 👩🎓Edexel 2023 Higher Maths | 📅Edexel 2024 Higher Maths | 👨🎓AQA 2023 Higher Maths | 📅AQA 2024 Higher Maths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 240 | 203 | 197 | 218 | 219 |
| 8 | 240 | 174 | 167 | 186 | 191 |
| 7 | 240 | 145 | 137 | 158 | 163 |
| 6 | 240 | 112 | 105 | 125 | 129 |
A Quick Grading System Review
In 2017, the Department for Education (DfE) worked with the exam boards to change the GCSE grading system. The old system was very limiting, as it didn't permit fine distinctions between students' marks.
For instance, a student scoring a 92 or 93 on an exam might earn the same A as a student who scored 97 or 98.
1. Broad boundaries create disadvantages for students.
2. The change was about setting grade boundaries fairly.
3. It was about assuring the most unbiased access to learning opportunities for all.
This table shows how hard the old grading system made it to set grade boundaries. It also points out how the old system seemed to expect students to do poorly.
| 🧓Old grading system | 👶new grading system |
|---|---|
| A* - A | 9, 8, 7 |
| B - C | 6, 5, 4 |
| D, E, F, G | 3, 2, 1 |
| U | U |
Note the four grades in the lowest boundary, using the old system. Contrast them with the top two grade ranges, which have only two grades apiece. The unfairness was baked right into the system!
The chart shows the new grading system's three grade ranges, each with three grades per range. Such an even distribution allows exam boards to spread all test-taking students' marks more fairly and evenly.
Takeaways from the New Grading Structure
An Overview of Edexcel Grade Boundaries
Grade boundaries for Edexcel Maths GCSE are set by the examination board after each exam series. Exams usually take place in June and November, although exam dates will vary. Be sure to check your schedule well in advance!
Grade boundaries determine the minimum marks required to achieve each grade. These range from Grade 1 (the lowest) to Grade 9 (the highest).
After marking all the papers, the exam board spreads those marks across the range of grades.
It tries to make sure each grade has roughly the same number of marks.
Exam boards shift grade boundaries to include more (or fewer) marks, as needed.
Grade boundaries vary depending on the exam paper's structure and difficulty level. Students' performance matters, as well.
With all of this taken into account, Edexcel then uses statistics to distribute all the test takers' marks across the grade range. This is why grade boundaries change with each exam series.
Edexcel publishes the grade boundaries after marking the exams and finalising the results. You can find every exam cycle's grade boundaries on Edexcel's website a few days after you receive your results. Other official channels release them, as well.
What is the Pass Mark for GCSE Maths?
For Maths GCSE, a 4 is a pass, while a 5 delivers a 'solid' pass. Those two grades mark the halfway point between 1-9, so it makes sense that they draw the line between passing and falling.
Understanding Maths Grade Boundaries
As mentioned in the previous section, Edexcel Maths GCSE grade boundaries use statistical analysis to calculate each grade. The boundaries are set to ensure a fair distribution of marks across the grade range.
Let's say a handful of stellar maths students earn the maximum number of points on their exams. At the other end of the scale, we find a dozen students who earned the lowest possible scores. The rest of the cohort falls somewhere along the spectrum between those two extremes.
We needn't think too hard to realise that the stellar students will have their choice of future learning opportunities. Everyone else will have to scramble along. More importantly, nobody - least of all university admissions boards, will know where any applicant stands within their cohort.
How are GCSE Grade Boundaries Defined?
Edexcel adjusts its grade boundaries to signal where each student sits along that spectrum. This practice helps democratise grading by breaking the student cohort into roughly same-size groups. It ensures a fairer distribution of desirable university places.
The question is: should you worry about grade boundaries? Logic - and your maths tutor, say 'No!', because GCSE Maths grade boundaries change with every exam.
You won't know where your grade boundaries lie until after you get your results. Focus on mastering maths concepts, rather than fretting over boundaries. That is the better use of your productive energy.
How Many Marks to Pass GCSE Maths Foundation?
To pass GCSE Foundation Maths, you typically need around 40-60% to achieve a grade 4, which is considered a standard pass. However, grade boundaries vary each year depending on the exam's difficulty. If you're taking the Higher Tier, the pass mark is generally lower, often around 10-25%. A strong pass in GCSE Maths is usually around 70%, but this can fluctuate annually.
As you can see, most of the students fell into the passing range, and even more qualified for a solid pass. You could achieve that by studying with a maths tutor for just a few weeks.
How Many Marks Is a 4 in GCSE Maths Foundation?
Unfortunately, nobody knows yet, not even the examiners. We won't know until:
- Every student sits their exams
- All those papers are marked
- The exam boards distribute all the marks across the grade ranges
- The exam boards establish that exam cycle's new grade boundaries.
The COVID era marked the most noticeable change in grading since 2017, when the exam boards adopted the new grading system.
Naturally, this is not all the grades. Still, this sample shows us that grade boundaries don't change that much, from year to year. But they change, nevertheless.
What About AQA GCSE Maths Boundaries?
All exam boards follow the same system for distributing grades across their grade ranges. However, Edexel and AQA present different papers, and mark their papers differently. Among other differences, AQA's papers generally result in a slightly higher point count.
This chart shows AQA's grade boundaries for the 2024 GCSE Maths results. To keep things simple, we crafted it like the Edexcel table, above. This AQA chart shows the total marks across all three papers, for both exam levels.
| 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | - | - | - | - | 186 | 157 | 117 | 77 | 37 |
| Higher | 219 | 191 | 163 | 129 | 95 | 61 | 44 | - | - |
Maths Grade Boundaries and Your GCSE Maths Curriculum
At the GCSE level you can expect multiplication and division, addition and subtraction, counting, fractions, and basic algebra concepts. These topics make up the first half of your course. Remembering the order of BIDMAS will serve you well during these lessons.
Once you've refreshed your memory on these topics, the GCSE Maths course will address more advanced concepts.
Your GCSE Maths course follows a particular structure. To earn the GCSE grades you want, you mustn't skip lessons or homework assignments.
Falling behind will make the rest of the course difficult for you. It will also add to any exam anxiety you might feel come time to sit your papers.
Focusing on grade boundaries adds to the tension you feel around exam time.
It's best to focus instead on your maths skills and abilities, which pave the way to higher boundaries.
Achieving a passing grade on the GCSE Maths exam will demonstrate that you have a wide range of mathematical abilities. Universities and future employers prize these skills, albeit for different reasons.
Your future university considers solid maths skills an academic advantage. Employers contend they are transferable skills that adapt well in any workplace.
How Is the Course Set?
The change in the structure of the GCSE maths exam reflects contemporary students' aptitude, based on their coursework and class scores. It presents a mix of easy and more difficult maths problems. More challenging questions present a higher standard for pupils to reach for.
The grading system for the GCSE mathematics course has changed dramatically. However, the exam format has not undergone such a change. Your Maths course still covers the same topics, so you don’t need to worry about the curriculum affecting your scores.
You only need to consider how they will reflect on your scorecard.
The curriculum for GCSE mathematics is still designed to give students a holistic understanding of mathematics. This, in turn, prepares them for their exam. The best way for students to reach these learning goals is to study the most up-to-date curriculum.
Your mathematics syllabus addresses all the skills learners need to score well on exams.
Its structure and content mean to help students succeed in their future professions.
The Department for Education (DoF) set the course curriculum according to market requirements, and current skills demand. That means organisations study gaps in the workforce to determine which skills are most needed. These and other considerations are the reasons for Maths GCSE curriculum updates.
They are also among the reasons for Edexcel's exam updates in 2024. If you're preparing to sit your GCSE Maths in June, you might have downloaded past papers over the winter holidays.
You must know that those Christmas maths problems you did won't feature on your upcoming paper. That's another reason Edexcel updates its papers for every exam.
What Grade Is 80 Percent in GCSE?
Scoring 80% in your GCSE exams will typically secure at least a grade 8, and in some cases, it may even result in a grade 9, depending on the exam board and grade boundaries for that year. This reflects a high level of achievement, demonstrating strong subject knowledge and application. For GCSE Maths, an 80% score would generally earn a grade 9 with Edexcel and Eduqas.
Reaching it is a high bar. Looking at our table in the previous section, we must conclude that even the students who achieved Grade 9 fell short of the '80' mark. Still, those high scores suggest that those students benefited from maths tutoring and lots of hard work.
Your new understanding of Edexcel (and AQA) grade boundaries for GCSE mathematics must leave you puzzled. How can you achieve high marks and compete for a Grade 9 in your upcoming GCSE maths exam?
Preparing for GCSE Maths
There are countless different methods that you might choose to employ in your preparation. Few are as effective as a personal tutor overseeing your work on past papers and mock exams.
Of course, that strategy is not exclusive to studying mathematics. It extends to every subject you study at school. Exam practice is especially helpful if you are unfamiliar with exams, which is likely the case for GCSE applicants in 2024.
As your exam date approaches, your maths tutor will likely stage mock exams. These events are just like real exams, including the time factor.
When sitting exams, you have a specific amount of time to complete each paper. Mock exams help you hone your time management skills, so you won't leave any questions unanswered. In fact, you should budget a few minutes to review your answers before turning your papers in.
Using past exam papers to your advantage, you can improve your test-taking skills while boosting your confidence. Then, you won't need to worry about maths grade boundaries.
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on my maths gcse i got 210, but i got failed and put as a grade 3, but others got 170 and got a grade 4 have they marked me wrong? do i need to get remarked?
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