What do I need on my last GCSE paper?
Edexcel Maths Higher
Choose a target grade
Questions people ask
What do I need on Paper 3 for a grade 6 in Edexcel Maths?
It depends on your first two papers and the year's boundary. In June 2026 grade 6 Higher needed 114 of 240, so with 45 and 55 on Papers 1 and 2 you would need 14 of 80 on Paper 3. In 2024 and 2025 the boundary was different, so the tool shows those too.
Do all papers count equally?
For the qualifications here the board adds the raw marks with a weighting of one, so every mark counts the same. Paper maximums can differ: Pearson English Language has a 64-mark and a 96-mark paper.
Why not just add up the grades on each paper?
Grades are only given for the total. The boards' single-paper marks are a guide, and they need not add up: at AQA in June 2026 the three Maths Higher grade 8 paper marks added to 191, but grade 8 overall needed 192.
What will the 2027 grade 6 boundary be?
Nobody knows before results day. Our estimate repeats 2026 with a range from earlier years; for Edexcel Maths Higher that is shown on the boundary estimates page.
More free tools
Keep going
How we work this out
What it does
Enter the papers you have sat, leave the rest blank, and see the marks still needed for your target grade.
GCSE (9-1) Maths, English Language, English Literature, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Combined Science from AQA, Pearson Edexcel and OCR, in England. Paper structures are the June 2026 ones; a series with a different structure is not offered.
Method
- Add the marks on the papers you have sat. A blank paper counts as still to sit, never as zero.
- Marks still needed = the target boundary minus the marks you have, and never less than zero. We compare that with the marks left on the blank papers.
- For example, Pearson Edexcel Maths Higher in June 2026: 45 and 55 on the first two papers make 100. Grade 6 needed 114 of 240, so Paper 3 needs 14 of 80.
- For the 2027 estimate we repeat June 2026's boundary and show the range from earlier years' moves (see the boundary estimates tool).
Published figures
June 2026 GCSE grade boundaries, every subject here
The lowest total mark for each grade, from the boards’ own tables. Higher tier starts at grade 3; Foundation stops at 5.
| Subject and tier | Max | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA Maths Higher (8300) | 240 | 219 | 192 | 166 | 131 | 97 | 63 | 46 |
| AQA Maths Foundation (8300) | 240 | – | – | – | – | 187 | 154 | 115 |
| Edexcel Maths Higher (1MA1) | 240 | 208 | 177 | 146 | 114 | 82 | 50 | 34 |
| Edexcel Maths Foundation (1MA1) | 240 | – | – | – | – | 181 | 151 | 110 |
| OCR Maths Higher (J560) | 300 | 264 | 217 | 170 | 132 | 94 | 57 | 38 |
| OCR Maths Foundation (J560) | 300 | – | – | – | – | 183 | 133 | 96 |
| AQA English Language (8700) | 160 | 122 | 112 | 103 | 93 | 84 | 75 | 55 |
| Edexcel English Language (1EN0) | 160 | 132 | 123 | 115 | 105 | 96 | 87 | 67 |
| Edexcel English Language 2.0 (1EN2) | 160 | 137 | 127 | 117 | 106 | 95 | 85 | 64 |
| OCR English Language (J351) | 160 | 132 | 121 | 110 | 98 | 86 | 75 | 58 |
| AQA English Literature (8702) | 160 | 142 | 127 | 113 | 97 | 81 | 66 | 49 |
| Edexcel English Literature (1ET0) | 160 | 136 | 126 | 116 | 102 | 88 | 75 | 56 |
| OCR English Literature (J352) | 160 | 135 | 119 | 104 | 85 | 66 | 47 | 35 |
| AQA Biology Higher (8461) | 200 | 133 | 120 | 107 | 88 | 70 | 52 | 43 |
| AQA Biology Foundation (8461) | 200 | – | – | – | – | 144 | 127 | 91 |
| Edexcel Biology Higher (1BI0) | 200 | 170 | 158 | 147 | 126 | 105 | 84 | 73 |
| Edexcel Biology Foundation (1BI0) | 200 | – | – | – | – | 132 | 115 | 84 |
| OCR Biology A (Gateway) Higher (J247) | 180 | 141 | 131 | 121 | 103 | 86 | 69 | 60 |
| OCR Biology B (Twenty First Century) Higher (J257) | 180 | 138 | 124 | 110 | 91 | 72 | 53 | 43 |
| OCR Biology A (Gateway) Foundation (J247) | 180 | – | – | – | – | 112 | 93 | 68 |
| OCR Biology B (Twenty First Century) Foundation (J257) | 180 | – | – | – | – | 112 | 91 | 71 |
| AQA Chemistry Higher (8462) | 200 | 155 | 137 | 120 | 94 | 68 | 43 | 30 |
| AQA Chemistry Foundation (8462) | 200 | – | – | – | – | 132 | 110 | 81 |
| Edexcel Chemistry Higher (1CH0) | 200 | 165 | 146 | 127 | 103 | 79 | 55 | 43 |
| Edexcel Chemistry Foundation (1CH0) | 200 | – | – | – | – | 137 | 118 | 88 |
| OCR Chemistry A (Gateway) Higher (J248) | 180 | 163 | 151 | 139 | 118 | 97 | 76 | 65 |
| OCR Chemistry B (Twenty First Century) Higher (J258) | 180 | 138 | 124 | 111 | 93 | 75 | 57 | 48 |
| OCR Chemistry A (Gateway) Foundation (J248) | 180 | – | – | – | – | 120 | 100 | 76 |
| OCR Chemistry B (Twenty First Century) Foundation (J258) | 180 | – | – | – | – | 107 | 87 | 66 |
| AQA Physics Higher (8463) | 200 | 157 | 142 | 128 | 107 | 87 | 67 | 57 |
| AQA Physics Foundation (8463) | 200 | – | – | – | – | 141 | 126 | 92 |
| Edexcel Physics Higher (1PH0) | 200 | 163 | 148 | 134 | 113 | 92 | 71 | 60 |
| Edexcel Physics Foundation (1PH0) | 200 | – | – | – | – | 135 | 118 | 88 |
| OCR Physics A (Gateway) Higher (J249) | 180 | 152 | 141 | 131 | 114 | 97 | 80 | 71 |
| OCR Physics B (Twenty First Century) Higher (J259) | 180 | 141 | 130 | 119 | 103 | 87 | 71 | 63 |
| OCR Physics A (Gateway) Foundation (J249) | 180 | – | – | – | – | 123 | 108 | 80 |
| OCR Physics B (Twenty First Century) Foundation (J259) | 180 | – | – | – | – | 121 | 106 | 84 |