Your grade journey
AQA GCSE Musicgrade boundaries
Explore official boundaries. See where your marks take you.
82713 official seriesMaximum mark 240
Exam series
Flight log / June 2026
Grade boundaries
OfficialAll papers · C / P / W · Out of 240
Grade 9
198
marks / 240
Grade 7
173
marks / 240
Grade 5
144
marks / 240
Grade 4
130
marks / 240
All grade thresholds
| Grade | Minimum mark | Mark range | % of maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 198 | 198–240 | 83% |
| 8 | 185 | 185–197 | 77% |
| 7 | 173 | 173–184 | 72% |
| 6 | 158 | 158–172 | 66% |
| 5 | 144 | 144–157 | 60% |
| 4 | 130 | 130–143 | 54% |
| 3 | 102 | 102–129 | 43% |
| 2 | 74 | 74–101 | 31% |
| 1 | 46 | 46–73 | 19% |
| U | Below 46 | ||
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 | 198+1 | 185+1 | 173+2 | 158+2 | 144+2 | 130+2 | 102+2 | 74+1 | 46 |
| June 2025 | 197 | 184 | 171 | 156+1 | 142+2 | 128+3 | 100+2 | 73+2 | 46+1 |
| June 2024 | 197 | 184 | 171 | 155 | 140 | 125 | 98 | 71 | 45 |
+ 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.
173 marks needed for Grade 7.
Frequently asked questions
What did you need for a grade 4 in Music in June 2026?
In June 2026, grade 4 in AQA GCSE Music (8271) needed 130 out of 240 on all papers.
What was the boundary for a grade 9 in June 2026?
198 out of 240 on all papers — the top grade for GCSE Music 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.