How AQA turns raw marks into a grade
- Each paper is marked against a detailed mark scheme. Paper 1 (85) + Paper 2 (85) + Paper 3 (80) = 250 raw marks. The papers aren’t rescaled: the 34% / 34% / 32% weightings come straight from the mark totals.
- After marking, senior examiners set the A and E boundaries using candidates’ scripts and statistical evidence, so that a grade represents the same standard as in previous years. B, C and D are then spaced evenly between A and E, and A* is set separately above A.
- Each Paper 3 option is a separate route, so the boundaries differ slightly by option.
AQA 7408 boundaries, June 2026
| Grade | Raw mark /250 (range across options) | % of raw |
|---|---|---|
| A* | 186–191 | 74–76% |
| A | 157–162 | 63–65% |
| B | 132–136 | 53–54% |
| C | 107–111 | 43–44% |
| D | 82–86 | 33–34% |
| E | 57–61 | 23–24% |
Medical physics had the lowest A* boundary (186) and Astrophysics the highest (191). The gap from A to A* was about 29 marks, and each grade below A spans about 25 marks.
AQA also publishes notional paper boundaries: in June 2026 the A* mark was 64/85 on Paper 1, 64/85 on Paper 2 and 34/45 on Paper 3 Section A. These are guidance only. A 60 on Paper 1 does not stop an A* if Papers 2 and 3 make up the total.
Why Courselo targets 80%
200/250 is 9–14 marks above the June 2026 A* boundary: roughly one weak 6-mark answer plus a handful of slips. Boundaries also move by a few percentage points from year to year. Aiming at 75% makes the A* a coin toss; aiming at 80% makes it secure.
Other boards
| Board | Papers | Raw total | How the grade is decided |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edexcel 9PH0 | 90 + 90 + 120 | 300 | Raw total (weights match the marks) |
| OCR A H556 | 100 + 100 + 70 | 270 | Raw total |
| OCR B H557 | 110 + 100 + 60 | 270 | Raw total; final series Summer 2028 |
| Eduqas A420QS | 100 + 100 + 120 | 320 | Raw total |
| WJEC, CCEA | AS and A2 units | — | Unit marks converted to uniform marks (UMS), then added |
| Edexcel IAL | Six units | — | Uniform marks, so units can be banked and resat |
| Cambridge 9702 | Papers 1–5 | — | Papers scaled to fixed weightings (Paper 4 is 38.5%) |
Courselo hasn’t verified recent non-AQA boundaries. A* thresholds have typically fallen between the high 60s and high 70s in percentage terms, so 80% is a safe standard on every board. At AS level (Cambridge AS, WJEC and CCEA AS units) there is no A*.
How marks are awarded inside a question
| Mark | Meaning | What it rewards |
|---|---|---|
| M | Method | A correct equation or approach, usually shown by a correct substitution |
| A | Accuracy | A correct answer that depends on the M mark being earned |
| B | Independent | A stand-alone point: a fact, a definition, a unit or a reading |
| C | Compensatory | Earned by working, or implied by a correct final answer |
Error carried forward (ecf). If part (b) asks for the current when 6.0 V is applied, the candidate who got 4.0 Ω and writes earns full marks for (b). A mistake is penalised once, as long as the later working is visible. The correct answer is 0.38 A.
Show-that questions are the exception to “a correct answer earns full marks”. Every step must be shown, and the final value must be given to at least one more significant figure than the value quoted. If asked to show that is about 2.4 m s⁻¹, write 2.43 m s⁻¹, not 2.4.
Significant figures. Give final answers to the same number of significant figures as the least precise data, usually 2 or 3. One extra figure is normally accepted. Two or more extra, or a single figure where 3 are justified, can lose a mark where the scheme says so. “Estimate” questions accept 1–2 significant figures.
Units. Where a separate unit mark exists, a missing unit or a wrong prefix (mA for A, μF for mF) loses it even when the number is right.
6-mark extended responses
These are marked by levels, not point by point. The examiner first decides the level from how many strands of the indicative content you cover and how well you link them. Then they choose the higher or lower mark in that level from the quality of your reasoning.
| Level | Marks | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 5–6 | All strands covered, one logical chain of reasoning, precise terms |
| 2 | 3–4 | Two strands done well, or all three with gaps; some steps asserted, not explained |
| 1 | 1–2 | Isolated relevant points with little structure |
| 0 | 0 | Nothing creditworthy |
A correct but unlinked list is capped at Level 2. A statement that contradicts the physics pulls the mark down within the level, so don’t pad an answer with half-remembered extras.
Multiple choice and the practical endorsement
MCQs are worth 1 mark each, with no negative marking, so never leave one blank. In England, the teacher-assessed practical endorsement is reported separately as Pass or Not Classified and doesn’t affect your grade, though many universities require a Pass.
How Courselo scores your mocks
Each paper is marked against its scheme and converted to a percentage. The percentages are combined using the official weightings (AQA 34/34/32) to give a 0–100 score. Grades are read from thresholds that match the June 2026 AQA boundaries: A* 75, A 64, B 54, C 44, D 34, E 24. For other boards, the same thresholds are an approximation.
Quick recap
- The grade comes from the raw total. AQA’s A* was 186–191/250 (about 75%) in June 2026.
- Notional paper boundaries are guidance. Only the total counts.
- M marks reward the method, A marks the answer, and ecf means one error costs you once.
- Show-that questions need every step and one extra significant figure.
- 6-mark answers are marked by level, and linking the strands is what reaches Level 3.