Your grade journey
OCR GCSE Combined Science A (Gateway Science)grade boundaries
Explore official boundaries. See where your marks take you.
J2503 official seriesMaximum mark 360
Exam series
Tier / route
Flight log / June 2026
Grade boundaries
OfficialHigher tier · 07 / 08 / 09 / 10 / 11 / 12 · Out of 360
Grade 9–9
275
marks / 360
Grade 7–7
222
marks / 360
Grade 5–5
154
marks / 360
Grade 4–4
121
marks / 360
All grade thresholds
| Grade | Minimum mark | Mark range | % of maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9–9 | 275 | 275–360 | 76% |
| 9–8 | 261 | 261–274 | 73% |
| 8–8 | 248 | 248–260 | 69% |
| 8–7 | 235 | 235–247 | 65% |
| 7–7 | 222 | 222–234 | 62% |
| 7–6 | 205 | 205–221 | 57% |
| 6–6 | 188 | 188–204 | 52% |
| 6–5 | 171 | 171–187 | 48% |
| 5–5 | 154 | 154–170 | 43% |
| 5–4 | 137 | 137–153 | 38% |
| 4–4 | 121 | 121–136 | 34% |
| 4–3 | 113 | 113–120 | 31% |
| U | Below 113 | ||
These boundaries apply to this exam series and route.
How these boundaries have changed
Higher tier, every official series. Boundaries move each year with how hard the papers were.
| Series | 9–9 | 9–8 | 8–8 | 8–7 | 7–7 | 7–6 | 6–6 | 6–5 | 5–5 | 5–4 | 4–4 | 4–3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 275-5 | 261-5 | 248-4 | 235-4 | 222-4 | 205-4 | 188-4 | 171-4 | 154-4 | 137-5 | 121-5 | 113-5 |
| June 2025 | 280+7 | 266+6 | 252+4 | 239+3 | 226+2 | 209+1 | 192 | 175-1 | 158-2 | 142-2 | 126-3 | 118-3 |
| June 2024 | 273 | 260 | 248 | 236 | 224 | 208 | 192 | 176 | 160 | 144 | 129 | 121 |
+ higher than the same series a year earlier (harder to reach) · − lower (easier to reach).
Grade calculator
June 2026 · Higher tier
Enter your mark for each paper to see your grade.
261 marks needed for Grade 9–8.
Frequently asked questions
What did you need for a grade 4–4 in Combined Science A (Gateway Science) in June 2026?
In June 2026, grade 4–4 in OCR GCSE Combined Science A (Gateway Science) (J250) needed 174 out of 360 on foundation tier; 121 out of 360 on higher tier.
What was the boundary for a grade 9–9 in June 2026?
275 out of 360 on higher tier — the top grade for GCSE Combined Science A (Gateway Science) 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?
OCR 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.