Your grade journey
AQA GCSE English Languagegrade boundaries
Explore official boundaries. See where your marks take you.
87005 official seriesMaximum mark 160
Exam series
Flight log / June 2026
Grade boundaries
OfficialAll papers · 1 / 2 · Out of 160
Grade 9
122
marks / 160
Grade 7
103
marks / 160
Grade 5
84
marks / 160
Grade 4
75
marks / 160
All grade thresholds
| Grade | Minimum mark | Mark range | % of maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 122 | 122–160 | 76% |
| 8 | 112 | 112–121 | 70% |
| 7 | 103 | 103–111 | 64% |
| 6 | 93 | 93–102 | 58% |
| 5 | 84 | 84–92 | 53% |
| 4 | 75 | 75–83 | 47% |
| 3 | 55 | 55–74 | 34% |
| 2 | 35 | 35–54 | 22% |
| 1 | 16 | 16–34 | 10% |
| U | Below 16 | ||
These boundaries apply to this exam series and route.
How these boundaries have changed
All papers, every official series. Boundaries move each year with how hard the papers were.
| Series | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 122+3 | 112+3 | 103+3 | 93+2 | 84+2 | 75+2 | 55+1 | 35 | 16 |
| November 2025 | 120-1 | 110-1 | 101-1 | 91 | 82+2 | 73+3 | 54+2 | 35+1 | 16 |
| June 2025 | 119-2 | 109-2 | 100-2 | 91-1 | 82 | 73 | 54 | 35 | 16 |
| November 2024 | 121 | 111 | 102 | 91 | 80 | 70 | 52 | 34 | 16 |
| June 2024 | 121 | 111 | 102 | 92 | 82 | 73 | 54 | 35 | 16 |
+ higher than the same series a year earlier (harder to reach) · − lower (easier to reach).
Grade calculator
June 2026 · All papers
Enter your mark for each paper to see your grade.
103 marks needed for Grade 7.
Frequently asked questions
What did you need for a grade 4 in English Language in June 2026?
In June 2026, grade 4 in AQA GCSE English Language (8700) needed 75 out of 160 on all papers.
What was the boundary for a grade 9 in June 2026?
122 out of 160 on all papers — the top grade for GCSE English Language in June 2026.
How is my grade worked out?
Your marks from each paper are added up (scaled by a weighting factor where papers count differently) to give your subject mark, which is then compared with the boundaries. Your grade comes from the total — not from each paper separately.
When will the next boundaries be published?
AQA publishes grade boundaries on results day for each series. Until then, any figures shown for a future series are Starley estimates, clearly labelled, based on recent years.