Higher or Foundation?

The official facts first

1 to 5

Grades Foundation can award. A 6 or above needs Higher.

3 to 9

Grades Higher can award: 4 to 9, with a 3 allowed just below the grade 4 boundary. Below that is U.

151 / 240

Foundation grade 4 in June 2026. 136 to 151 across 9 standard series since 2018.

50 / 240

Higher grade 4 in June 2026. 42 to 53 across the same series, from harder questions.

1. Twelve quick questions, no calculator

On both tiers (grades 3 to 5)

Work out

35\%

260

without a calculator.

Solve

5x - 3 = 2x + 12

£84 is shared in the ratio

3 : 4

. How much is the larger share?

Expand and simplify

(x + 3)(x - 5)

Find an expression for the

n

th term of

7, 11, 15, 19, \dots

A right-angled triangle has shorter sides of

6

cm and

8

cm. How long is the longest side?

Higher tier only

Work out

27^{\frac{2}{3}}

Simplify

\sqrt{50}

Factorise

2x^2 + 7x + 3

Write

0.\dot{4}

, which is

0.444\dots

, as a fraction.

What is the gradient of a line perpendicular to

y = 4x - 1

The side of a square is

12

cm, correct to the nearest centimetre. What is the upper bound of its perimeter?

2. The grade you need

A recent full mock, if you have one (optional)

Try the course

Start the free lesson Practice with marked solutions

Questions students ask

What is the highest grade on Foundation?

Grade 5. However well you do on Foundation, you cannot get a 6 or above.

What is the lowest grade on Higher?

Higher awards grades 4 to 9, and a grade 3 is allowed a little below the grade 4 boundary. Below the grade 3 boundary, the result is U.

Is it easier to get a 4 on Higher or Foundation?

Neither in general. Higher's grade 4 boundary is lower, but the questions are harder: a grade 4 student on Higher meets fewer questions they can answer. Which is better for you depends on how secure your shared skills are.

Can you change tier?

Your school enters you for one tier for all three papers in a series, and entries have deadlines. Ask your maths teacher how and when your school decides.

Are the papers different lengths?

No. Both tiers sit three papers of 80 marks and 1 hour 30 minutes. Paper 1 is non-calculator on both.

How we work this out

What it does

Twelve quick questions on shared and Higher-only skills, your target grade and, if you have one, a recent full mock, read against Pearson's published boundaries. Your school makes the entry; this helps you have that conversation with evidence.

Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Mathematics (1MA1). Both tiers have three 80-mark papers of 1 hour 30 minutes; the tier changes the content and how hard the questions are, not the length.

Method

Shared skills: percentages, equations, ratio, expanding brackets, sequences and Pythagoras, at the level both tiers examine.
Higher-only skills: fractional indices, surds, harder factorising, recurring decimals, perpendicular gradients and bounds.
Your target grade: a 6 or above is only possible on Higher, because Foundation stops at 5.
A mock total out of 240, if you have one, is compared with every published boundary for that tier.

How sure is it?

A 12-question check cannot measure a 240-mark exam: treat the result as a starting point for a conversation.
Boundaries move between series: the Higher grade 4 boundary has been between 42 and 53 out of 240 in the standard series since 2018.

If your shared skills are secure and you already manage some Higher-only questions, Higher lets you show more. If shared skills are not yet secure, Foundation gives you more questions you can score on. It cannot see how you perform under exam time, how your school sets tier entries, or what grade you will get.