In the June 2026 GCSE Maths Foundation exams, you needed 154 out of 240 marks for AQA, 151 out of 240 for Edexcel, or 133 out of 300 for OCR to get a grade 4. These were the official grade 4 boundaries for that exam series.
Those marks are your total across all three papers. You do not need to reach a separate pass mark on every paper.
If you are preparing for November 2026 or summer 2027, your exact grade 4 boundary is not known yet. Boundaries are set after marking and published on results day. Use published boundaries to understand past results and plan revision, then aim above the minimum.
The useful question
Not just "How many marks do I need?" but also "Where can I gain the marks I am currently losing?"
GCSE Maths Foundation grade 4 boundaries: the latest marks
| Exam board | Qualification | June 2026 grade 4 boundary | Percentage needed | Average per paper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA | 8300 Foundation | 154/240 | 64.2% | 51.3/80 |
| Pearson Edexcel | 1MA1 Foundation | 151/240 | 62.9% | 50.3/80 |
| OCR | J560 Foundation | 133/300 | 44.3% | 44.3/100 |
The marks come from the official June 2026 boundary documents from AQA, Pearson Edexcel and OCR. Percentages and per-paper averages are calculated from those totals and rounded to one decimal place. You can see every grade, and older series, on Starley's boundary pages for AQA, Edexcel and OCR.
Key point
The average per paper is a planning guide, not a separate pass requirement.
Worked example
An AQA student in June 2026.
- Paper 1: 44/80
- Paper 2: 53/80
- Paper 3: 57/80
Total: 44 + 53 + 57 = 154 marks. That met the grade 4 boundary, even though their first paper was below the average shown in the table.
How much does the grade 4 boundary move?
Boundaries change from series to series. Here are the last three Foundation series for each board:
| Exam board (max) | June 2025 | November 2025 | June 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQA (240) | 160 | 158 | 154 |
| Pearson Edexcel (240) | 144 | 143 | 151 |
| OCR (300) | 134 | 140 | 133 |
Watch out
AQA's boundary fell over these series while Edexcel's rose. Movements in either direction are normal, which is why one past boundary should never be treated as a target for your exam.
For a grade 5, the highest Foundation grade, June 2026 required 187/240 (AQA), 181/240 (Edexcel) or 183/300 (OCR).
Does OCR's lower boundary mean it is easier to pass?
No. A lower percentage does not show that an exam board is easier.
Boards use different papers and mark schemes, so you cannot compare their raw percentages as though students answered identical questions. OCR's papers are also worth 100 marks each rather than 80.
Grade boundaries take account of differences in exam difficulty to keep standards comparable. A lower boundary may reflect a more demanding set of papers; it is not evidence of an easier qualification. For a fuller explanation, see GCSE grade boundaries explained and Edexcel vs AQA GCSE Maths.
Check
Always use the boundary for your exam board, your tier and the exam series you are practising.
What is a grade 4 in GCSE Maths?
A grade 4 is a standard pass. A grade 5 is a strong pass. The bottom of grade 4 is aligned with the bottom of the old grade C, although the old and new grading systems do not match grade for grade.
A grade 4 can satisfy a Maths requirement for further study or employment, but it does not automatically qualify you for every course. Check the actual entry requirements of your sixth form, college, apprenticeship or university course; some require a higher Maths grade. See what is a good GCSE grade?.
Important
Foundation Maths awards grades 1 to 5. If your next course needs a grade 6 or above, Foundation cannot provide it.
How are GCSE Maths Foundation marks added up?
| Exam board | Number of papers | Marks per paper | Total marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQA | 3 | 80 | 240 |
| Pearson Edexcel | 3 | 80 | 240 |
| OCR | 3 | 100 | 300 |
AQA's scheme of assessment confirms three 80-mark papers; Edexcel's overall boundary uses the combined 240-mark total for Papers 1F, 2F and 3F; OCR uses three 100-mark papers.
Your overall grade comes from your combined marks. You may see notional boundaries for individual papers. These are illustrative only, not separate grades you must achieve.
Remember
A disappointing first paper does not decide your final grade. Marks on the remaining papers still count towards the same total.
What percentage should you aim for to pass Foundation Maths?
There is no fixed percentage that guarantees a grade 4 every year. Separate these two ideas:
- Published boundary: the minimum mark that earned a grade in a particular past exam.
- Revision target: the score you aim for while preparing, ideally with room above that boundary.
The following practice targets would put you 20 marks above the June 2026 grade 4 boundaries:
| Exam board | Example practice target | Average per paper | Margin above June 2026 boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQA | 174/240 | 58/80 | 20 marks |
| Pearson Edexcel | 171/240 | 57/80 | 20 marks |
| OCR | 153/300 | 51/100 | 20 marks |
These are suggested practice targets, not official boundaries or predictions. Being above one past boundary does not guarantee a future result.
Tip
When practising an older paper set, compare your total with the boundary for that exact set. Then try to increase your margin over several unseen sets.
Is 50% enough for a grade 4?
It depends on your board and exam series. In June 2026:
| Exam board | What 50% meant | Was it enough for grade 4? |
|---|---|---|
| AQA | 120/240 | No: the boundary was 154 |
| Pearson Edexcel | 120/240 | No: the boundary was 151 |
| OCR | 150/300 | Yes: the boundary was 133 |
Watch out
This is why advice such as "you only need half marks to pass Foundation" can be misleading.
How to work out whether you are close to a grade 4
Use a complete past-paper set from the same board, tier and exam series.
- Sit all three papers with the correct time limits and calculator rules.
- Mark them using the official mark schemes.
- Add your three scores.
- Find the overall Foundation boundary for that series.
- Calculate your gap above or below the grade 4 boundary.
Worked example
An Edexcel student aiming for a grade 4, using the June 2026 papers.
| Paper | Score |
|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 42/80 |
| Paper 2 | 49/80 |
| Paper 3 | 47/80 |
| Total | 138/240 |
The grade 4 boundary was 151, so the gap is 151 − 138 = 13 marks across the whole qualification: roughly four or five more marks per paper. For the stronger practice target of 171, they would need another 33 marks.
The next step is to find where those marks could come from. Perhaps they repeatedly lose marks on ratio, misread graph scales or stop halfway through questions they could finish.
Your turn
An OCR Foundation student scores 41, 45 and 38 on the June 2026 papers. How far are they from the grade 4 boundary of 133?
AnswerShow answerHide answer
41 + 45 + 38 = 124/300, so they are 133 − 124 = 9 marks below grade 4: three more marks per paper would have been enough.
A specific gap gives you something to work on. "I need to recover marks on percentages and equations" is more useful than "I need to get better at maths."
Note
Do not combine papers from different years and assume one year's boundary gives an accurate grade. Mixed papers are useful practice, but they are not an official exam set. Starley's past papers are organised by board, tier and series so you can sit complete sets.
How to gain the marks you need for a grade 4
1. Find your repeat mistakes
Review your lost marks and identify the cause.
| What went wrong? | Example | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| You did not know the method | You could not share an amount in a ratio | Learn the method, then answer several new questions |
| You made a calculation error | You multiplied decimals incorrectly | Practise that calculation and check with an estimate |
| You misunderstood the question | You found the discount instead of the sale price | Identify exactly what the final answer must represent |
| You left out part of the answer | You missed a required reason or unit | Check the final instruction before moving on |
| You ran out of time | You spent too long on one difficult question | Practise moving on and returning later |
Choose two or three repeated problems first.
Tip
Avoid vague revision notes such as "bad at algebra". Write something you can act on: "I make sign errors when solving equations."
2. Secure the building blocks
Start with weaknesses in skills that support many other questions:
- Number: fractions, decimals, percentages and negative numbers.
- Ratio and proportion: sharing amounts, scaling and unit conversions.
- Algebra: substitution, simplifying expressions and solving equations.
- Graphs: reading coordinates, scales and information.
- Geometry: angles, perimeter, area and volume.
- Statistics and probability: averages and basic probability calculations.
These are starting points, not a replacement for covering your full specification. Our guides to GCSE Maths topics on Foundation and Higher and common GCSE Maths questions show how they are usually tested.
Practise applying the methods in unfamiliar questions too. Knowing how to calculate 15% is different from recognising that a word problem needs a percentage calculation.
3. Show working that an examiner can follow
Relevant correct steps can earn method marks even when the final answer is wrong, depending on the question's mark scheme.
Example
A £64 jacket is reduced by 15%. Find the sale price.
- Reduction: 0.15 × £64 = £9.60
- Sale price: £64 − £9.60 = £54.40
Writing both steps makes your method clear. If you make a later arithmetic error, the earlier correct step may still earn credit.
Watch out
Random calculations do not earn method marks. Write steps that help answer the question.
4. Redo questions without looking at the solution
After marking a question:
- Understand why your answer lost marks.
- Put the solution away and solve it again.
- Try a new question testing the same skill.
- Return to that skill a few days later.
Reading a solution and thinking "that makes sense" is only the beginning. You need to be able to produce the method on your own.
5. Check that improvement transfers to new papers
Repeating a familiar paper can raise your score because you remember the questions. Use unseen papers to check whether you can apply the methods yourself. Track:
- your total score;
- the grade 4 boundary for that paper set;
- your margin above or below it;
- the mistakes you still need to fix.
Key point
Improvement means handling new questions, not remembering old answers.
A manageable weekly revision routine
Try four focused sessions of around 25–35 minutes, adjusted to your workload.
| Session | Task |
|---|---|
| 1 | Learn or repair one weak method and answer several questions |
| 2 | Practise applying that skill in word problems |
| 3 | Complete a timed mixed-question section |
| 4 | Mark it, identify mistakes and redo selected questions |
As exams approach, add complete timed papers and review your full three-paper totals. Our guide to how many GCSE Maths past papers to do helps you plan them.
If a method still makes no sense, take the exact question and your attempted working to a teacher. "Why does this step work?" is easier to help with than "I don't understand maths."
Can you still pass after a bad first paper?
Yes. Your combined total determines your grade.
Example
Using the June 2026 AQA boundary, a student who scored 38/80 on Paper 1 would need 154 − 38 = 116 marks from Papers 2 and 3. That could be 58/80 on each, or any other combination totalling 116.
For a future exam, the boundary will not be known yet. Treat this as an illustration, then focus on preparing for the remaining papers. You do not need to abandon your grade 4 goal because one paper felt difficult.
Is it easier to get a grade 4 on Higher Maths?
A lower Higher-tier boundary does not automatically make Higher the better option. In June 2026, AQA's Higher grade 4 boundary was 63/240, but Higher papers assess more demanding content throughout, and students who narrowly miss a 4 on Higher can only receive an allowed grade 3.
The useful question is which tier lets you show your skills reliably. Discuss the decision with your teacher using recent timed scores, the topics you can answer on your own and the grade your next course requires.
Important
Do not choose a tier only by comparing boundary percentages.
What if you miss a grade 4 by one or two marks?
Speak to your teacher or exams officer promptly. They can help you check your marks, access your marked papers and decide whether there is evidence of a marking error.
A review of marking checks whether the original marking was correct; being close to a boundary does not itself entitle you to extra marks. After a review, marks and grades can go down, stay the same or go up. Ask about deadlines, fees and consent before going ahead.
You can also discuss a resit. November GCSE Maths entries have an age restriction: you must have been at least 16 on the preceding 31 August. Check eligibility and entry arrangements with your school, college or exam centre.
Remember
A resit involves the complete set of papers. You cannot keep your best two paper scores and retake only the weakest; AQA's rules require all papers in the same series. See our GCSE resits 2027 guide for dates and booking.
Frequently asked questions
Is 150 marks enough to pass GCSE Maths Foundation?
For June 2026, 150/240 was below the AQA boundary of 154 and the Edexcel boundary of 151. For OCR, 150/300 was above the boundary of 133. Always include your board, the total available marks and the exam series when checking a score.
Do I need 50 marks on every paper?
No. Your combined total determines the grade. For AQA and Edexcel in June 2026, 50 on each paper gave 150/240, which was below both grade 4 boundaries.
Can I get a grade 5 on Foundation Maths?
Yes. Grade 5 is the highest available Foundation grade. In June 2026 it needed 187/240 (AQA), 181/240 (Edexcel) or 183/300 (OCR).
Are the 2027 GCSE Maths grade boundaries available?
No. As of October 2026, the November 2026 and summer 2027 boundaries have not been set. They will be decided after marking and published on results day.
Will grade boundaries go up next year?
Nobody can reliably say. In recent series they have moved in both directions. Prepare using complete past-paper sets and build a margin above each set's published boundary.
What should I do first if I am currently getting a grade 3?
Mark a recent complete paper set, calculate your gap to that set's grade 4 boundary and identify three recurring causes of lost marks. Practise those skills, then test yourself with unfamiliar questions. For a fuller plan, see stuck at grade 4 in GCSE Maths.
Your first target
Solve one type of question that currently costs you marks. Repeat that process, and check the improvement in your next timed paper.