What grade is 49% in GCSE maths? Percentages by board and tier
Compare AQA, Edexcel and OCR boundaries for Higher and Foundation, and work out a mock target for a 4, 5 or 7.
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In June 2026, 49% on the Higher tier of GCSE maths was a grade 6 with Edexcel and OCR, and a grade 5 with AQA. On the Foundation tier, 49% was a grade 3 with AQA and Edexcel, and a grade 4 with OCR. The difference comes from where each exam board set its grade boundaries. Boundaries change every year, so use these figures as a guide, not a fixed rule. The tables below turn the June 2026 boundaries into percentages, so you can check any score, not just 49%.
What grade is 49% in GCSE maths in 2026?
Your grade comes from your total mark across all three papers. AQA and Edexcel papers are out of 80 marks each, so the total is 240. OCR papers are out of 100 each, so the total is 300. Here is what 49% of the total was worth in June 2026.
| Board | Total marks | 49% is about | Grade on Higher | Grade on Foundation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA | 240 | 118 marks | 5 | 3 |
| Pearson Edexcel | 240 | 118 marks | 6 | 3 |
| OCR | 300 | 147 marks | 6 | 4 |
Source: AQA grade boundaries, Pearson June 2026 boundaries, OCR grade boundaries. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. Last checked: 12 November 2026.
On Edexcel Higher, 49% only just cleared grade 6, which started at 114 marks (47.5%). On AQA Higher, the grade 6 boundary was 131 marks, so 118 marks was a solid grade 5 rather than a borderline 6.
AQA, Edexcel and OCR Higher tier grade boundaries for June 2026
The number in each cell is the lowest mark you needed for that grade, with the percentage in brackets.
| Grade | AQA (out of 240) | Edexcel (out of 240) | OCR (out of 300) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 219 (91%) | 208 (87%) | 264 (88%) |
| 8 | 192 (80%) | 177 (74%) | 217 (72%) |
| 7 | 166 (69%) | 146 (61%) | 170 (57%) |
| 6 | 131 (55%) | 114 (48%) | 132 (44%) |
| 5 | 97 (40%) | 82 (34%) | 94 (31%) |
| 4 | 63 (26%) | 50 (21%) | 57 (19%) |
| 3 (allowed) | 46 (19%) | 34 (14%) | 38 (13%) |
Source: AQA grade boundaries, Pearson June 2026 boundaries, OCR grade boundaries. Last checked: 12 November 2026.
Higher tier covers grades 9 to 4. Grade 3 is an "allowed" grade, a fallback for students who narrowly miss a 4. If you score below the grade 3 boundary on Higher, you get a U, so that fallback matters if you're aiming for a 4 on this tier.
The boundaries look low because Higher papers are hard all the way through. Getting half the marks on a Higher paper is a strong result. In June 2026 it was enough for a grade 6 with two of the three boards.
Foundation tier grade boundaries, and why 49% means something different there
Foundation papers have more accessible questions, so you need a bigger share of the marks for each grade. The top grade on this tier is a 5.
| Grade | AQA (out of 240) | Edexcel (out of 240) | OCR (out of 300) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 187 (78%) | 181 (75%) | 183 (61%) |
| 4 | 154 (64%) | 151 (63%) | 133 (44%) |
| 3 | 115 (48%) | 110 (46%) | 96 (32%) |
| 2 | 76 (32%) | 69 (29%) | 59 (20%) |
| 1 | 38 (16%) | 29 (12%) | 23 (8%) |
Source: AQA grade boundaries, Pearson June 2026 boundaries, OCR grade boundaries. Last checked: 12 November 2026.
So 49% on Foundation was a grade 3 with AQA and Edexcel: 3 marks over the grade 3 line on AQA and 8 marks over on Edexcel. With OCR it was a grade 4, because OCR's Foundation boundaries sat lower as a percentage in 2026.
That gap is a good reminder to compare scores only within your own board. Each board writes different papers, so a percentage on one board's paper doesn't carry over to another. Check which board you're sitting before you use any table.
Why do GCSE maths grade boundaries change every year?
Exam boards decide the boundaries once marking is finished, not in advance. Senior examiners look at real students' scripts alongside statistics on how the year group has done in the past. The aim is that a grade 4 this year means roughly what a grade 4 meant last year. A tougher paper leads to lower boundaries, and an easier one pushes them up.
Ofqual, the exams regulator in England, oversees this. It also uses the National Reference Test, which a sample of Year 11 students sits each spring, to check whether standards in maths and English are shifting over time.
In 2026 that test showed a small rise in maths attainment at grade 7. Ofqual explained that it asked exam boards to take this into account. That made the boundaries for the upper grades in maths slightly lower than they would otherwise have been.
For you, the practical point is simple. The 2027 boundaries will be different from the ones above, and you won't see them until results day. Treat the 2026 figures as a guide, and leave yourself some room.
What score should you aim for in your mocks to get a 4, 5 or 7?
Start with the June 2026 boundary for your board and tier, then add a buffer of 5 to 10 percentage points. That covers a harder paper, a bad day, or a boundary that moves up.
| Target grade | Tier | AQA 2026 | Edexcel 2026 | OCR 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Foundation | 64% | 63% | 44% |
| 4 | Higher | 26% | 21% | 19% |
| 5 | Foundation | 78% | 75% | 61% |
| 5 | Higher | 40% | 34% | 31% |
| 7 | Higher | 69% | 61% | 57% |
Source: AQA grade boundaries, Pearson June 2026 boundaries, OCR grade boundaries. Last checked: 12 November 2026.
So if you're on AQA Higher and want a 7, aim for around 75% to 80% in your mocks. If you're on Edexcel Foundation and want a 5, aim for about 80% or more.
A few things are worth checking when your mock result comes back:
- Ask which boundaries your school used. Many schools mark mocks against a previous year's boundaries, and some adjust them.
- Look at your total across all three papers, not one paper on its own. A weaker paper can be balanced out by a stronger one.
- Work out how many marks you are from the next grade, then split that across three papers. It's usually smaller than it feels.
Mocks are there to show you where to focus while there's still time to improve. Our guide on whether Year 11 mocks matter covers how schools use them for predicted grades and sixth form offers.
How to pick up the marks between grades
The gap between two grades is often smaller than it looks. Say you scored 118 out of 240 on AQA Higher. The grade 6 boundary in 2026 was 131, which is 13 marks more, or about 4 or 5 marks per paper. On OCR Higher, 147 marks was a grade 6 and the grade 7 line was 170: 23 more marks, or about 8 per paper.
Those marks usually come from two places. One is the topics you keep dropping marks on. The other is method marks on longer questions, where writing down each step can earn credit even if the final answer is wrong.
Past papers help most when you mark them against the mark scheme and then redo the questions you got wrong. If you're on Higher, our walkthrough of the hardest GCSE maths questions works through the question types that tend to separate a 6 from an 8.
To see where your marks are going, you can practise exam-style questions for AQA, Edexcel or OCR on Medly for free. Each answer gets marked, and the AI tutor talks you through the step you missed. The free plan includes 5 marked questions, 20 AI tutor messages and 1 uploaded paper a day, with no card needed. If you have a short time before your mocks, the 2-week revision plan shows how to fit this in.
Frequently asked questions
Is 49% a pass in GCSE maths?
A grade 4 is a standard pass and a grade 5 is a strong pass. On the Higher tier, 49% was a pass with every board in June 2026: a grade 5 or 6. On Foundation, it was a grade 4 (a standard pass) with OCR but a grade 3 with AQA and Edexcel.
What percentage is a grade 4 in GCSE maths?
It depends on your board and tier. In June 2026, a grade 4 needed 19% to 26% on Higher and 44% to 64% on Foundation.
What percentage is a grade 7 in GCSE maths?
In June 2026, a grade 7 on Higher needed 69% with AQA, 61% with Edexcel and 57% with OCR. You can't get a grade 7 on Foundation.
Can you get a grade 6 on the Foundation tier?
No. Foundation tops out at a grade 5. If you're aiming for a 6 or above, you need to sit Higher.
Do you have to pass each maths paper separately?
No. Your three paper scores are combined into one total, and that total decides your grade.
Will the 2027 GCSE maths grade boundaries be the same as 2026?
No, they will almost certainly change. The new boundaries come out on GCSE results day in August 2027, after the papers have been marked.