GCSE Maths Edexcel vs OCR Grade Boundaries
GCSE maths Edexcel vs OCR grade boundaries compared with 2025 data, fair percentages, tier guidance and clear advice for GCSE results day 2026.
Opening a results envelope can make several months of work feel compressed into one number. Yet that number only makes sense beside the boundary used by your exam board. For GCSE maths Edexcel vs OCR grade boundaries, the crucial fact is simple: raw marks cannot be compared directly because Edexcel totals 240240240 marks while OCR totals 300300300.
The fairest comparison uses percentages. Based on the latest complete summer series, June 2025, Edexcel required higher percentages than OCR at every listed grade. That does not mean OCR was easier: boundaries respond to the demands of each board's papers and the evidence from that examination series.
Grade boundary checklist
Before comparing results, check:
- your exam board: Pearson Edexcel or OCR;
- your tier: foundation or higher;
- the correct examination series;
- your total mark across all three papers;
- the official boundary for that board, tier and series.
You can find historical figures on MathsGenie's Edexcel GCSE grade boundaries and OCR GCSE grade boundaries pages.
A student compares Edexcel and OCR using different rulers
Edexcel vs OCR higher grade boundaries
The table compares official June 2025 qualification boundaries. Percentages are calculated from each board's different maximum mark:
Percentage boundary=boundary markmaximum mark×100\text{Percentage boundary}=\frac{\text{boundary mark}}{\text{maximum mark}}\times 100Percentage boundary=maximum markboundary mark×100| Grade | Edexcel mark out of 240240240 | Edexcel percentage | OCR mark out of 300300300 | OCR percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 999 | 217217217 | 90.4%90.4\%90.4% | 258258258 | 86.0%86.0\%86.0% |
| 888 | 186186186 | 77.5%77.5\%77.5% | 212212212 | 70.7%70.7\%70.7% |
| 777 | 156156156 | 65.0%65.0\%65.0% | 166166166 | 55.3%55.3\%55.3% |
| 666 | 121121121 | 50.4%50.4\%50.4% | 126126126 | 42.0%42.0\%42.0% |
| 555 | 878787 | 36.3%36.3\%36.3% | 868686 | 28.7%28.7\%28.7% |
| 444 | 535353 | 22.1%22.1\%22.1% | 474747 | 15.7%15.7\%15.7% |
| 333 | 363636 | 15.0%15.0\%15.0% | 272727 | 9.0%9.0\%9.0% |
Both higher tiers are principally designed for grades 444 to 999, with a limited grade 333 safety net. A lower percentage boundary does not make one qualification less valuable. Students receive the same GCSE grade, and awarding seeks to maintain comparable standards even though papers and raw-mark scales differ.
For board-matched preparation, use the Edexcel GCSE Maths revision hub or the OCR GCSE Maths revision hub.
Edexcel vs OCR foundation grade boundaries
Foundation tier offers grades 111 to 555. Here is the corresponding June 2025 comparison.
| Grade | Edexcel mark out of 240240240 | Edexcel percentage | OCR mark out of 300300300 | OCR percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 555 | 175175175 | 72.9%72.9\%72.9% | 182182182 | 60.7%60.7\%60.7% |
| 444 | 144144144 | 60.0%60.0\%60.0% | 134134134 | 44.7%44.7\%44.7% |
| 333 | 105105105 | 43.8%43.8\%43.8% | 959595 | 31.7%31.7\%31.7% |
| 222 | 676767 | 27.9%27.9\%27.9% | 565656 | 18.7%18.7\%18.7% |
| 111 | 292929 | 12.1%12.1\%12.1% | 171717 | 5.7%5.7\%5.7% |
Again, the percentages describe different papers. They do not prove that OCR students had an easier route to a grade 555, or that Edexcel students were held to a higher overall mathematical standard.
Boundaries also move between examination series. Use the complete MathsGenie grade boundary archive rather than treating one year's figure as a permanent pass mark.
Two exam papers argue while standing on different scales
What happens on GCSE maths results day?
For the June 2026 series, GCSE results may be released to candidates from 08:0008{:}0008:00 on Thursday 20 August 2026. Your school or college decides its collection arrangements, so follow the instructions it provides.
The June 2026 Edexcel and OCR grade boundaries are not known in advance. OCR states that its GCSE boundaries will be published at 08:0008{:}0008:00 on results day. Until the boards publish their figures, any precise boundary circulating online is only a prediction.
When you receive your result:
- check the grade, board and tier;
- ask for your total paper mark if it is not shown;
- compare it with the boundary for the correct series;
- speak to your school if you are close to an entry requirement or believe a review should be considered.
Do not assume that being one mark below the next boundary automatically means a review will raise your grade. A review can leave marks unchanged, increase them or reduce them.
Using boundaries during revision
Grade boundaries are useful for interpreting a completed paper, not predicting the future with certainty. Sit the correct board and tier paper, mark it strictly, then compare the total with several historical series rather than one convenient year.
MathsGenie's OCR GCSE Maths past papers include mark schemes and solutions. The wider GCSE Maths revision area brings together board-specific lessons, questions and papers, while GCSE predicted papers provide an additional exam-style rehearsal near the end of revision.
Common mistakes when comparing boundaries
Comparing raw marks alone
An OCR total out of 300300300 cannot be placed directly beside an Edexcel total out of 240240240. Convert both to percentages first.
Mixing foundation and higher figures
The tiers have different papers and grade ranges. A foundation grade 444 boundary should never be compared with a higher grade 444 as though they were the same test.
Adding notional paper boundaries
GCSE Maths is awarded at qualification level using the combined mark. Notional component boundaries show how performance on an individual paper might look; they are not separate grades that you add together.
Treating last year's boundary as a promise
Paper demand changes, so boundaries can move. Historical data is a revision guide, not an advance guarantee.
The comparison that matters
In June 2025, Edexcel boundaries were higher as percentages than OCR boundaries across both tiers. The useful conclusion is not that one board was easier. It is that every score must be read in the context of its board, tier, paper set and examination series.
Start with your board-specific MathsGenie grade boundary page. Then turn the number into action through free revision lessons, practice questions, mini tests, past papers, predicted papers, mark schemes and video solutions. A boundary tells you where the line was. Careful revision helps you move beyond it.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is GCSE maths results day in 2026?
GCSE results may be released to candidates from 08:0008{:}0008:00 on Thursday 20 August 2026. Check your school or college's collection arrangements.
Are Edexcel and OCR GCSE Maths raw marks directly comparable?
No. Edexcel GCSE Maths totals 240240240 marks, while OCR totals 300300300. Convert boundaries into percentages and compare the same tier and examination series.
Were Edexcel grade boundaries higher than OCR in 2025?
As percentages, the June 2025 Edexcel Maths boundaries were higher at every listed grade on both tiers. This does not establish that OCR was easier because the papers differed.
Can I find out the 2026 grade boundaries before results day?
No exact June 2026 boundaries are available in advance. Treat figures shared before the exam boards publish their official boundaries as predictions only.
What GCSE Maths grades are available on each tier?
Foundation tier offers grades 111 to 555. Higher tier is designed for grades 444 to 999, with a limited grade 333 safety net for students just below the grade 444 boundary.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is GCSE maths results day in 2026?
GCSE results may be released to candidates from 08:0008{:}0008:00 on Thursday 20 August 2026. Check your school or college's collection arrangements.
Are Edexcel and OCR GCSE Maths raw marks directly comparable?
No. Edexcel GCSE Maths totals 240240240 marks, while OCR totals 300300300. Convert boundaries into percentages and compare the same tier and examination series.
Were Edexcel grade boundaries higher than OCR in 2025?
As percentages, the June 2025 Edexcel Maths boundaries were higher at every listed grade on both tiers. This does not establish that OCR was easier because the papers differed.
Can I find out the 2026 grade boundaries before results day?
No exact June 2026 boundaries are available in advance. Treat figures shared before the exam boards publish their official boundaries as predictions only.
What GCSE Maths grades are available on each tier?
Foundation tier offers grades 111 to 555. Higher tier is designed for grades 444 to 999, with a limited grade 333 safety net for students just below the grade 444 boundary.
