GCSE Maths Results Day: Edexcel vs WJEC Boundaries
GCSE maths Edexcel vs WJEC grade boundaries compared for results day, including 2025 raw marks, tier differences and how to check your grade correctly.
Results day can turn one mark into a very large feeling. Yet a GCSE maths Edexcel vs WJEC grade boundaries comparison is not as simple as placing two totals beside each other. Edexcel uses grades 999--111 and totals marks across three papers. WJEC GCSE Mathematics in Wales used letter grades and different maximum marks in the June 2025 series.
The short answer is this: check the boundary for your exact board, tier and exam series. Do not assume that a lower raw boundary makes one board easier. Boundaries compensate for differences in papers and are confirmed only after marking is nearly complete.
Results day checklist
- Confirm whether your board is Pearson Edexcel, WJEC or Eduqas. WJEC and WJEC Eduqas are not interchangeable qualifications.
- Check your tier: foundation, intermediate or higher, as applicable.
- Use the overall qualification boundary, not a notional paper boundary.
- Match the figures to the correct exam series.
- Remember that the June 2026 boundaries are not known in advance.
GCSE results day for the June 2026 series is Thursday 20 August 2026. Your school or exam centre will explain when and how to collect your results.
Two exam boards point in different directions while a teacher reminds students to compare standards rather than totals
Edexcel vs WJEC at a glance
The comparison below describes the qualifications represented by the published June 2025 boundaries. It is especially important for teachers or families comparing results across England and Wales.
| Feature | Pearson Edexcel GCSE Maths | WJEC GCSE Mathematics |
|---|---|---|
| Grading scale | Grades 999--111 | Grades A*--G |
| Tiers | Foundation and higher | Foundation, intermediate and higher |
| June 2025 maximum mark | 240240240 on either tier | 130130130 foundation; 160160160 intermediate or higher |
| Paper structure | Three papers worth 808080 marks each | Two units worth 656565 each on foundation or 808080 each on intermediate and higher |
| Overall result | Combined qualification mark | Combined qualification mark |
For full historical figures, use MathsGenie's dedicated Edexcel GCSE Maths grade boundaries and WJEC GCSE Maths grade boundaries pages.
June 2025 Edexcel grade boundaries
These are the official overall boundaries for the latest completed summer series before GCSE results day 2026.
| Grade | Edexcel higher out of 240240240 | Edexcel foundation out of 240240240 |
|---|---|---|
| 999 | 217217217 | Not available |
| 888 | 186186186 | Not available |
| 777 | 156156156 | Not available |
| 666 | 121121121 | Not available |
| 555 | 878787 | 175175175 |
| 444 | 535353 | 144144144 |
| 333 | 363636 | 105105105 |
| 222 | Not available | 676767 |
| 111 | Not available | 292929 |
Edexcel adds the three paper marks to produce a total out of 240240240. The published qualification boundary applies to that total rather than separately to Paper 111, Paper 222 and Paper 333.
Students can explore the Edexcel GCSE Maths revision hub or enter practice-paper marks into the Edexcel predicted grade calculator. A calculated grade is useful for revision planning, but it cannot predict a future boundary.
June 2025 WJEC grade boundaries
WJEC's June 2025 qualification used letter grades and three tiers. Dashes mean that a grade was not available on that tier.
| Grade | Higher out of 160160160 | Intermediate out of 160160160 | Foundation out of 130130130 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A* | 122122122 | -- | -- |
| A | 929292 | -- | -- |
| B | 606060 | 106106106 | -- |
| C | 292929 | 696969 | -- |
| D | -- | 424242 | 656565 |
| E | -- | 212121 | 484848 |
| F | -- | -- | 323232 |
| G | -- | -- | 161616 |
This is WJEC GCSE Mathematics, not Eduqas GCSE Mathematics. Always use the specification and entry details shown on your results information. The WJEC GCSE Maths revision page keeps board-specific lessons and questions together, while WJEC GCSE Maths past papers provide the correct paper format and mark schemes.
Students compare a teacup with a bucket until someone suggests using the same units
Why the raw boundaries look so different
A WJEC higher-tier C boundary of 292929 out of 160160160 and an Edexcel higher-tier grade 444 boundary of 535353 out of 240240240 may look dramatically different. They should not be treated as directly equivalent measurements.
The boards used different grading scales, paper designs, tier arrangements and total marks. More importantly, Ofqual's grading guidance explains that boundaries are set after students have taken the papers and marking is nearly complete. If a paper proves more demanding, its boundary may be lower; if it proves less demanding, the boundary may be higher.
A higher boundary therefore does not automatically mean that a qualification was harder to pass. The purpose of awarding is to maintain comparable standards, not to make every board use the same raw mark.
Common mistakes when comparing boundaries
Comparing percentages without comparing specifications
Converting every boundary into a percentage does not remove differences in assessment design. Percentages can describe the raw mark, but they cannot prove that one board is easier.
Using one paper as the final grade
Overall grades normally depend on the combined qualification mark. Component boundaries may be described as notional, meaning they support analysis rather than award separate official grades.
Mixing WJEC with Eduqas
WJEC qualifications in Wales and Eduqas qualifications offered in England can have different specifications, grading systems and boundaries. Check the full board name before using a table.
Treating old boundaries as predictions
Previous boundaries provide context, not certainty. June 2026 figures will be confirmed on results day, after evidence from that series has been considered.
The takeaway for students and teachers
The fairest GCSE maths results day comparison is not “Which board needed fewer marks?” It is “What grade did this student's performance earn under the correct specification?”
Use old boundaries to set broad practice targets, then concentrate on gaining marks rather than guessing this summer's threshold. MathsGenie's GCSE Maths revision hub brings together free revision lessons, practice questions, past papers, predicted papers, mini tests, mark schemes and video solutions. For results-day checking across subjects and years, visit the complete GCSE grade boundaries collection.
Choose your board, check your tier and practise in the format you will actually sit. That quiet attention to detail is often more valuable than any prediction.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the 2026 GCSE maths grade boundaries released?
The June 2026 boundaries are confirmed for GCSE results day on Thursday 20 August 2026. They cannot be known accurately before marking and awarding are completed.
Are WJEC and Eduqas grade boundaries the same?
Not necessarily. WJEC qualifications in Wales and Eduqas qualifications offered in England may use different specifications, grading scales and assessments. Check the exact awarding organisation and qualification on your entry or results information.
Does a lower grade boundary mean that WJEC is easier than Edexcel?
No. Raw boundaries reflect the demands of a particular assessment and its mark total. Different boards can have different boundaries while maintaining comparable standards.
Should I add all my GCSE Maths paper marks together?
Use the method specified by your qualification. For Edexcel GCSE Maths, the three marks are combined into a total out of 240240240. For WJEC's June 2025 qualification, the two unit marks produced the overall tier total.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the 2026 GCSE maths grade boundaries released?
The June 2026 boundaries are confirmed for GCSE results day on Thursday 20 August 2026. They cannot be known accurately before marking and awarding are completed.
Are WJEC and Eduqas grade boundaries the same?
Not necessarily. WJEC qualifications in Wales and Eduqas qualifications offered in England may use different specifications, grading scales and assessments. Check the exact awarding organisation and qualification on your entry or results information.
Does a lower grade boundary mean that WJEC is easier than Edexcel?
No. Raw boundaries reflect the demands of a particular assessment and its mark total. Different boards can have different boundaries while maintaining comparable standards.
Should I add all my GCSE Maths paper marks together?
Use the method specified by your qualification. For Edexcel GCSE Maths, the three marks are combined into a total out of 240240240. For WJEC's June 2025 qualification, the two unit marks produced the overall tier total.
