Your grade journey
Cambridge IGCSE First Language English (9–1)grade boundaries
Explore official boundaries. See where your marks take you.
09905 official seriesMaximum mark 160
Exam series
Your papers
This subject has 16 paper routes with different boundaries. Pick each paper you sat.
Route: papers 03 · 11
Flight log / June 2026
Grade boundaries
OfficialPapers 03, 11 · Out of 160
Grade 9
125
marks / 160
Grade 7
107
marks / 160
Grade 5
88
marks / 160
Grade 4
79
marks / 160
All grade thresholds
| Grade | Minimum mark | Mark range | % of maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 125 | 125–160 | 78% |
| 8 | 116 | 116–124 | 73% |
| 7 | 107 | 107–115 | 67% |
| 6 | 97 | 97–106 | 61% |
| 5 | 88 | 88–96 | 55% |
| 4 | 79 | 79–87 | 49% |
| 3 | 62 | 62–78 | 39% |
| 2 | 45 | 45–61 | 28% |
| 1 | 29 | 29–44 | 18% |
| U | Below 29 | ||
These boundaries apply to this exam series and route.
How these boundaries have changed
Papers 03, 11, 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 | 125 | 116+1 | 107+1 | 97 | 88 | 79 | 62 | 45 | 29+1 |
| June 2025 | 125 | 115 | 106 | 97+1 | 88+2 | 79+2 | 62+1 | 45 | 28-1 |
| June 2024 | 125 | 115 | 106 | 96 | 86 | 77 | 61 | 45 | 29 |
+ higher than the same series a year earlier (harder to reach) · − lower (easier to reach).
Grade calculator
June 2026 · Papers 03, 11
Enter your mark for each paper to see your grade.
107 marks needed for Grade 7.
Frequently asked questions
What did you need for a grade 4 in First Language English (9–1) in June 2026?
In June 2026, grade 4 in Cambridge IGCSE First Language English (9–1) (0990) needed 79 out of 160 on papers 03, 11; 75 out of 160 on papers 03, 12; 78 out of 160 on papers 11, 21.
What was the boundary for a grade 9 in June 2026?
125 out of 160 on papers 03, 11; 120 out of 160 on papers 03, 12; 120 out of 160 on papers 11, 21 — the top grade for IGCSE First Language English (9–1) 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?
Cambridge 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.