Format of the AQA GCSE 9-1 Exams

Both the Foundation and Higher tier AQA GCSE Maths exams follow the same format: students sit three papers in total: one non-calculator and two calculator papers. Each paper is 1 hour and 30 minutes long, worth 80 marks, and tests content from the full specification. Foundation tier is graded from 1 to 5, while Higher tier covers grades 4 to 9.

Each paper includes a mix of question types, from single-mark questions to multi-step problems. The difficulty increases throughout the paper.

What topics are in the exam?

The AQA GCSE Maths exam covers six main categories:

  1. Number

  2. Algebra

  3. Ratio, Proportion & Rates of Change

  4. Geometry & Measures

  5. Probability

  6. Statistics

How much of each topic comes up?

This table shows the typical percentage of marks each topic covers in Foundation and Higher tier exams. The ranges come from the official AQA specification.

TopicFoundation PapersHigher Papers
Number25%15%
Algebra20%30%
Ratio, Proportion & Rates25%20%
Geometry & Measures15%20%
Statistics & Probability15%15%

Grade Boundaries

Grade boundaries show the minimum total mark needed to achieve each grade. For Edexcel GCSE Maths, your final result is based on your combined score from all three papers, with a total of 240 marks available (80 marks per paper). The tables below show the raw marks required in the June exams from the past five years.

Foundation Grade Boundaries

YearGrade 5Grade 4Grade 3Grade 2Grade 1U (Fail)
202417514210365270
202317814511174340
202217514010671330
201916713210165290
20181581259562280

Higher Grade Boundaries

Year Grade 9Grade 8Grade 7 Grade 6Grade 5Grade 4Grade 3 U (Fail)
20241971671371057342260
20232031711401087644260
20221981681381067542240
20191941631331047339210
20181891591291017137220