Grade boundaries are the raw marks you need for each grade. They are set after every exam series, once all the papers are marked, so that a grade means the same thing from one year to the next even though the papers are never equally difficult. If a paper is harder than usual, the boundaries come down; if it is more accessible, they go up. That is why last year's boundaries are a useful guide, but never a promise.
Use the calculator to mark a past paper honestly, enter your raw marks, and see the grade that would have given — and how many marks stood between you and the next grade up. The full boundary tables are underneath, straight from the AQA and OCR published documents.
Work out your grade
The full boundary tables
Every published AQA and OCR chemistry boundary, straight from the exam boards. Click a qualification to open its table; click again to close it.
AQA A-Level Chemistry (7405) grade boundaries
Overall qualification boundaries, out of 300 (Paper 1 and 2 are 105 marks each, Paper 3 is 90).
| Year | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 239 | 197 | 162 | 127 | 93 | 59 |
| 2024 | 239 | 198 | 162 | 126 | 90 | 55 |
| 2023 | 250 | 210 | 173 | 136 | 99 | 62 |
| 2022 | 237 | 196 | 158 | 121 | 84 | 47 |
| 2019 | 246 | 206 | 170 | 135 | 100 | 65 |
| 2018 | 241 | 198 | 163 | 128 | 94 | 60 |
| 2017 | 246 | 204 | 169 | 134 | 99 | 64 |
Source: AQA published grade boundaries (June 2017–2025). No exams were sat in 2020 and 2021.
OCR A-Level Chemistry A (H432) grade boundaries
Overall qualification boundaries, out of 270 (Paper 1 and 2 are 100 marks each, Paper 3 is 70).
| Year | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 243 | 213 | 175 | 137 | 99 | 61 |
| 2024 | 243 | 212 | 173 | 134 | 96 | 58 |
| 2023 | 234 | 198 | 158 | 118 | 79 | 40 |
| 2022 | 213 | 168 | 132 | 97 | 62 | 27 |
| 2019 | 230 | 196 | 161 | 126 | 91 | 56 |
| 2018 | 237 | 205 | 169 | 133 | 97 | 62 |
Source: OCR published grade boundaries (June 2018–2025). No exams were sat in 2020 and 2021.
AQA GCSE Chemistry (8462) grade boundaries — Higher tier
Separate (triple) Chemistry, out of 200 (two papers of 100 marks). Higher tier awards grades 9–4, with an allowed grade 3.
| Year | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 150 | 132 | 115 | 90 | 66 | 42 | 30 |
| 2024 | 149 | 130 | 112 | 90 | 68 | 46 | 35 |
| 2023 | 149 | 131 | 113 | 91 | 69 | 48 | 37 |
| 2022 | 144 | 123 | 103 | 80 | 58 | 36 | 25 |
| 2019 | 144 | 125 | 107 | 88 | 69 | 50 | 40 |
| 2018 | 150 | 131 | 112 | 92 | 72 | 52 | 32 |
Source: AQA published grade boundaries (June 2018–2025). First exams were 2018.
AQA GCSE Chemistry (8462) grade boundaries — Foundation tier
Foundation tier awards grades 5–1.
| Year | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 132 | 109 | 80 | 52 | 24 |
| 2024 | 133 | 112 | 82 | 53 | 24 |
| 2023 | 126 | 107 | 78 | 49 | 20 |
| 2022 | 126 | 104 | 76 | 48 | 20 |
| 2019 | 133 | 115 | 83 | 52 | 21 |
| 2018 | 127 | 109 | 80 | 52 | 24 |
Source: AQA published grade boundaries (June 2018–2025). First exams were 2018.
AQA GCSE Combined Science (8464) — chemistry, approximate
Combined Science awards a double grade based on all six science papers, so there is no official chemistry-only grade. These approximate boundaries add together AQA's two chemistry notional paper boundaries (each out of 70) as a chemistry-only guide, out of 140.
| Year | Tier | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Higher | 97 | 84 | 72 | 57 | 42 | 29 | 22 |
| 2024 | Higher | 94 | 80 | 67 | 52 | 39 | 26 | 19 |
| 2023 | Higher | 96 | 84 | 73 | 58 | 43 | 29 | 21 |
| 2022 | Higher | 90 | 76 | 64 | 52 | 40 | 26 | 18 |
Foundation-tier chemistry approximations (grades 5–1, out of 140): 2025 — 89, 75, 55, 36, 17; 2024 — 84, 69, 51, 33, 16; 2023 — 84, 70, 53, 37, 21; 2022 — 76, 62, 45, 29, 13. Source: AQA notional component boundaries, Chemistry papers, 8464 (June 2022–2025).
What the boundaries actually tell you
Grade boundaries are a good revision tool, if you use them the right way. Mark a past paper strictly against the mark scheme, find your grade here, and then look at where the lost marks came from rather than just the total. The marks you drop tend to cluster — command words you rushed, working you did not show, a required practical you half-remembered. Those are the cheapest marks to win back.
What boundaries cannot do is predict next year exactly. Treat a result near a boundary as "about this grade", and keep your target a clear margin above the line, not sitting on it.
Common questions
Why do chemistry grade boundaries change every year?
They are set after each series, once papers are marked, to keep the standard consistent when papers vary in difficulty. A harder paper means lower boundaries; an easier one means higher. Previous year's marks are a guide, not a guarantee.
Can I use these to predict my grade?
They are a strong benchmark for marking your own past papers, but next year's boundaries will not be identical. Read a result near a boundary as "around this grade" rather than a fixed prediction.
Why can't I get a Combined Science grade from my chemistry marks alone?
Combined Science is a double award graded across all six biology, chemistry and physics papers together, so chemistry marks on their own can only ever be an estimate. The calculator makes that clear when you choose Combined.