The grade boundaries, and therefore the actual GCSE exam grades you receive, will fluctuate based on the difficulty of the exam, and by extension how well the rest of the cohort does. GCSE grade boundaries determine the minimum number of marks needed to achieve each grade. These boundaries are set annually by exam boards (such as AQA, Edexcel, and OCR) and can change slightly depending on the difficulty of the exam.
This current 9-1 system was introduced in England in 2017, replacing the old A*-G system:
Grading System:
- Grade 9 = Exceptional performance (Above an A*)
- Grade 8: Between A*-A
- Grade 7: Equivalent to an A
- Grade 6: Just above a B
- Grade 5 = Between B and C, known as a strong pass
- Grade 4: Equivalent to a C, known as a standard pass
- Grade 3: Between D and E
- Grade 2: Between E and F
- Grade 1: Between F and G
Explaining GCSE English Grades
While for some exams, such as university exams, the grading is very simple and the boundaries fixed, GCSEs use a fluctuating system that changes the grade boundaries year-on-year. Unlike fixed grade boundaries:
- Different exam boards set their own grade boundaries.
- While for some exams, such as university exams, the grading is very simple and the boundaries fixed, GCSEs use a fluctuating system that changes the grade boundaries year-on-year. Unlike fixed grade boundaries:
- Different exam boards set their own grade boundaries.
It might seem a confusing system, but it was designed and implemented to make sure that GCSEs were fair year-on-year, with no cohort getting easier or harder exams based on the year they took their exams or the exam board they took them with.
Until seven years ago, GCSE English was a relatively standardised course, with a comfortable split between coursework and the final exam as contributors towards a student’s final GCSE English grade.
However, this has changed in recent years, with the course now placing a much heavier focus on the exam than any coursework, to the point that exam performance is overwhelmingly the main factor in determining a student’s final grade.
The format of English GCSE exams changed in 2017 as part of a wider GCSE reform. One major change was the removal of Foundation and Higher tiers. Previously, some subjects had two tiers—Foundation, which limited students to a maximum grade of 5 (or C), and Higher, which allowed access to the top grades.
From 2017 onwards, English Language and English Literature GCSEs became untiered, meaning all students now sit the same exam, regardless of ability. This ensures that every student has access to the full range of grades (1-9) rather than being restricted by tiered entry.
This change not only offers more fair opportunity to every student but also reduces the risk of discrepancies between the difficulties of papers in unintended ways.
Most of the time, English courses no longer have coursework components at all. While courses like GCSE Computer Science and GCSE Design and Technology all have significant coursework elements, English qualifications have mostly done away with coursework entirely.
Good news, if you do your best work in exams!
GCSE Grade Boundaries Explained
The idea behind grade boundaries as they currently exist was designed as a way to offset any variation in difficulty of exams between different exam boards. These more challenging exams naturally meant students would score lower marks on average, which meant if the old system stayed, it just wouldn’t be fair.
This is where the idea of moving grade boundaries' comes in.
The idea is that the top percentage students remain the top percentage, and are awarded grades accordingly. While previously the exams were set so that only the top 7 or 8 percent of students would be able to reach the A* threshold, the new system does away with any such estimations.
It orders all students by grade and just says that the top percentage, whatever their mark, get a 9.
This way of doing grades has the significant advantage that no matter how hard the paper is, your performance relative to the rest of the cohort will stay the same, and your grade will be assigned accordingly.
This basically allows for the complete standardisation of grades. A 4 or above means you were good enough compared to every other student taking the exam to be given a pass, whereas previously it only meant that you had reached an arbitrarily assigned boundary. In essence, grading is simply fairer now.
Moving grade boundaries generally refers to adjusting the thresholds for achieving certain grades in exams based on the overall performance of students in a given year, ensuring fairness and standardisation regardless of the difficulty of the exam papers.
GCSE Grade Boundaries 2024 & 2023
One of the best ways to get an idea of what the grade boundaries are likely to be like for the 2024 GCSE exam season (which is set to occur between May 5th and June 25th) is to look at the boundaries for previous years.
There is often not quite a perfectly consistent trend, but you can get a vague idea of roughly where the grade boundaries might be likely to fall.
AQA GCSE English Language 2024
| Exam Series | Maximum Mark | Grade 9 | Grade 8 | Grade 7 | Grade 6 | Grade 5 | Grade 4 | Grade 3 | Grade 2 | Grade 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2024 | 160 | 121 | 111 | 102 | 92 | 82 | 73 | 54 | 35 | 16 |
OCR GCSE English Language Grade Boundaries 2024
| Exam Series | Maximum Mark | Grade 9 | Grade 8 | Grade 7 | Grade 6 | Grade 5 | Grade 4 | Grade 3 | Grade 2 | Grade 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2024 | 160 | 134 | 121 | 108 | 95 | 83 | 71 | 56 | 41 | 26 |
AQA GCSE English Language Grade Boundaries 2023
| Exam Series | Maximum Mark | Grade 9 | Grade 8 | Grade 7 | Grade 6 | Grade 5 | Grade 4 | Grade 3 | Grade 2 | Grade 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2023 | 160 | 120 | 110 | 101 | 90 | 80 | 70 | 52 | 34 | 16 |
| Nov 2022 | 160 | 120 | 110 | 101 | 91 | 81 | 71 | 52 | 34 | 16 |
OCR GCSE English Language Grade Boundaries 2023
| Exam Series | Maximum Mark | Grade 9 | Grade 8 | Grade 7 | Grade 6 | Grade 5 | Grade 4 | Grade 3 | Grade 2 | Grade 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2022 | 160 | 123 | 111 | 100 | 88 | 76 | 65 | 51 | 37 | 24 |
Trends in GCSE grade boundaries 2022
In the 2021 exam season, the exam boards charged with the GCSE examinations reported the highest ever increase in top marks with 44.3% of students scoring at least a 7, equivalent to an A or higher. This was largely seen as an outlier, and the grades were expected to be significantly lower on average.
Ultimately this ended up being true, with the grade boundaries falling such that only 26.0% of students being awarded a 7 or higher in 2022. This was largely credited to the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on education and as a result exams, leading to far more generous grade distribution.
Trends in GCSE grade boundaries 2023
This trend of a decrease in the top grades continued in 2023, with even fewer students attaining the top grades. The number of students scoring a 7 or higher was now down to only 21.6% of students.
Most notably, the number of students who failed to reach a passing grade of 4 or higher was also dramatically higher. While in 2022 only 27.1% of students failed to reach the passing grade, in 2023 this was up to 32.2% of the national cohort.
However, this trend is expected to be beyond its most severe downward turns as the system recovers to its pre-pandemic numbers.
What To Expect From 2025 English Grade Boundaries
While exact 2025 GCSE English grade boundaries will not be known until results day, we can make some predictions based on 2024 trends and general exam board practices.
1. Grade Boundaries Adjust Based on Exam Difficulty
- If 2025 exams are harder than 2024, grade boundaries may be lower to ensure fairness.
- If exams are easier, boundaries may rise, meaning students will need more marks for each grade.
2. Stability in Boundaries for Recent Years
- AQA and OCR have seen relatively consistent boundaries in recent years, with only small fluctuations year-on-year.
- AQA English Language 2024: Grade 4 required 73 marks (out of 160).
- OCR English Language 2024: Grade 4 required 71 marks (out of 160).
- We can expect similar thresholds for 2025, unless significant curriculum changes or exam difficulties arise.
3. The Impact of Student Performance
If more students perform well, boundaries could rise slightly for higher grades like 7, 8 and 9. However, if overall performance drops, boundaries may lower to compensate.
| Exam Board | Grade 9 | Grade 8 | Grade 7 | Grade 6 | Grade 5 | Grade 4 | Grade 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA (Predicted) | 122-124 | 112-114 | 103-105 | 92-94 | 82-84 | 72-74 | 53-55 |
| OCR (Predicted) | 133-136 | 120-123 | 107-110 | 94-97 | 82-85 | 70-73 | 55-58 |
What is the GCSE English exam structure?
Compared to older exam papers, there will be a greater focus on SPaG (Spelling, punctuation and Grammar). The new GCSE English 9-1 will have more marks than ever allocated for spelling, punctuation and grammar.
There are no longer modules, coursework or controlled assessments during the year. All exams will now be sat at the end of 2 years. More long essay-style questions and fewer short-answer questions are expected to be set in the paper.
The new GCSE English 9-1 exam places a significant emphasis on SPaG, with more marks allocated for spelling, punctuation, and grammar, and it now features end-of-year exams with long essay-style questions, foregoing coursework and controlled assessments.
Fortunately, since we now have a few years of this new format of GCSE English exam, there are a good number of past papers available to get comfortable with the exam format.
Learning for the GCSE English exam is much more likely to help you fall into one of the higher grade boundaries than knowing where they are, ultimately.
How to Prepare for the GCSE English Exam
The best way to ensure you achieve the English GCSE grades you want is to make sure you are properly prepared for anything the exam can throw at you!
There are many different ways of preparing for your GCSEs, some more effective than others, but there is one method that has become the undisputed king of producing results, that being private tutoring sessions.
A few sessions with a Superprof private tutor can dramatically increase your chances of performing well on your GCSE English exam, or any of your other core or mandatory subjects.
Check out our article for information on the latest GCSE maths grade boundaries for 2024.
With many tutors to choose from to fit your exact needs and learning styles with a variety of differing teaching styles, there is sure to be a tutor who is a good fit for you.
Additionally, with many of them offering their first lesson for free, finding a good GCSE English tutor has never been easier. So what are you waiting for? Get ready to ace those exams!
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