Understanding A-level maths grade boundaries: insights and tools

Mar 2025 Longer Read: 6 Min

Having access to as much information as possible can only be a good thing for maths students as they prepare to sit their exams. That includes being aware of A-level maths grade boundaries.

In this blog, we take a detailed look at:

The A-level mathematics grading system
How exam boards set grade boundaries
Significant recent trends and changes in this area

We also discuss some tools and resources that can help you revise, prepare and feel ready to head into your exams with confidence.

An introduction to A-level maths grade boundaries

Grade boundaries determine the number of marks a student needs to achieve in an exam in order to get a particular grade. Exam board grade thresholds can change every year, based on a range of factors (more on this below).

There are various places online that show A-level maths grade boundaries for the latest round of exams and previous years.

On Maths Genie, for example, you can see that students sitting Pearson Edexcel papers in 2024 needed to get at least 205 marks out of 300 (68%) to get an A grade, and 251 out of 300 (84%) for an A*.

Last year’s AQA papers had slightly higher thresholds, with 222 marks out of 300 (74%) the minimum requirement for an A, and 259 marks (86%) needed to get an A*.

If you’re interested in finding out more, you can take a look at all of the latest A-level grade boundaries on the main exam boards’ websites:

How exam boards determine grade boundaries

A-level maths grade boundaries are determined by a group of senior examiners and subject experts representing the different exam boards. This is overseen by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) – the government’s exams watchdog.

Various factors are taken into account to make the exam board grade thresholds as fair as possible and to ensure exam results give a reliable indication of student ability over time.

Student data: Examiners will look at available assessment data to build a picture of a specific cohort. When it comes to setting A-level maths grade boundaries, they will use GCSE results as an indication of the current student group’s ability levels.

Exam scripts: The exam boards will also analyse examination scripts, comparing the current series of assessments with those from preceding years. This is to maintain consistency over time and ensure that the standard of work needed to get a grade A, for example, is comparable to that required in previous exams.

Examiner reports: Feedback from examiners can be another significant element in the setting of grade boundaries. If there is evidence of many students struggling and dropping marks on particular types of questions, for example, this could be reflected in the thresholds that must be met to warrant particular grades.

Recent trends in A-level maths grade boundaries

Comparing exam board grade thresholds from recent years shows that the number of marks required to achieve particular grades has been steadily increasing.

The numbers were skewed by Covid in 2020 and 2021, with exam boards lowering grade boundaries to reflect the impact of the pandemic on students’ education.

Since 2022, however, there has been a clear upward trend in the thresholds.

For example, here are the minimum marks needed to achieve a grade A in AQA A-level maths papers from the past three years:

2022: 171 out of 300 (57%)
2023: 201 out of 300 (67%)
2024: 222 out of 300 (74%)

This is a topic that has been explored by maths teacher Seb Bicen on his YouTube channel, Bicen Maths.

In this video, Seb talks about how “the rules of the game have changed” in both A-level maths and further maths in recent years. He notes that grade boundaries have “shot up”, and while papers may appear to have become slightly less demanding, students need to get more marks to achieve the grade they’re hoping for.

This could have an impact on exam strategy for some students. Seb points out in his video that the higher thresholds could make it more important to check your work and focus on the finer details.

“Things like silly mistakes – of course, they had an impact in the past, but they’re having an even bigger impact, as we’re now focusing a lot more on accuracy being one of the key things that can drive you to getting that next grade,” Seb adds.

You can find many other videos across Seb’s channel that relate specifically to exam performance and preparation. They cover topics including:

Using educational tools to prepare for exams

Regardless of the latest trends and shifts in A-level maths grade boundaries, it will always be important to have access to reliable tools and resources to get ready for your exams.

Casio calculators can be particularly useful for learning, revision and working efficiently, as long as you’ve had lots of practice and can use them confidently.

If you’re comfortable with a graphic calculator, for example, you can use your device to:

Verify your solutions to equations with tools such as SolveN
Produce graphs of functions for deeper investigation and analysis
Calculate probability distributions and graph them in Distribution mode
Explore and check numerical methods of solving equations
Graph lines, planes and shapes in 3D

We’ll be hosting some events during exam season specifically for students, where Casio experts will explore how you can use your calculator to revise and answer exam questions.

More information and sign-up forms for the following sessions are available on our webinar page:

Further maths student revision webinar (May 6th)
A-level (pure) student revision webinar (May 29th)
A-level (applied) student revision webinar (June 16th)

More help to navigate A-level maths exams with confidence

There are many other tools and sources of support that can help you go into your A-level maths exams feeling fully prepared.

The aforementioned Bicen Maths YouTube channel already features plenty of useful content and Seb will be adding more in the coming weeks and months. Some videos focus specifically on exam preparation and techniques, but there are many more that concentrate on certain topics, problems and question types.

For example, you can find summary videos to help you brush up on: