GCSE maths · Years 10 and 11

GCSE maths: Foundation or Higher tier?

Which grades each tier can give, who decides, the marks needed in June 2026, and what the papers look like for AQA, Edexcel and OCR.

By The Tutors Room · Updated 3 October 2026 · 5 min read

In short

GCSE maths has two tiers. Foundation awards grades 1 to 5 and Higher awards grades 4 to 9, so a grade 4 or 5 can be reached on either. The school decides which tier to enter a student for, and all three papers are sat at the same tier. A Higher student who falls just short of grade 4 can still be given a grade 3. Below that, the result is ungraded.

What each tier can give

What each tier can give
Foundation tierOfqual: GCSE subject level conditions for mathematicsGrades 1 to 5
Higher tierOfqual: GCSE subject level conditions for mathematicsGrades 4 to 9
Higher tier, a small number of marks below grade 4AQA: GCSE Mathematics 8300 specificationAn allowed grade 3
Higher tier, below the allowed grade 3AQA: GCSE Mathematics 8300 specificationU (ungraded)

Grade 7 and above can only be reached on Higher. Grades 1 and 2 can only be reached on Foundation.

Who decides, and when

Marks needed in June 2026

Grade boundaries are set after each exam series and change every year. These are the total marks needed across all three papers in June 2026.

Marks needed in June 2026
AQA Foundation, out of 240AQA: GCSE grade boundaries, June 2026Grade 4: 154 · Grade 5: 187
AQA Higher, out of 240AQA: GCSE grade boundaries, June 2026Grade 4: 63 · Grade 5: 97 · Grade 7: 166
Edexcel Foundation, out of 240Pearson Edexcel: GCSE grade boundaries, June 2026Grade 4: 151 · Grade 5: 181
Edexcel Higher, out of 240Pearson Edexcel: GCSE grade boundaries, June 2026Grade 4: 50 · Grade 5: 82 · Grade 7: 146
OCR Foundation, out of 300OCR: GCSE grade boundaries, June 2026Grade 4: 133 · Grade 5: 183
OCR Higher, out of 300OCR: GCSE grade boundaries, June 2026Grade 4: 57 · Grade 5: 94 · Grade 7: 170

On AQA in June 2026 a grade 5 took 187 of 240 marks on Foundation (78%) and 97 of 240 on Higher (40%). The Higher papers are harder, so the two percentages are not a like-for-like comparison.

The papers

The papers
AQA (8300). Paper 1 is non-calculatorAQA: GCSE Mathematics 8300 at a glance3 papers · 1 hour 30 minutes · 80 marks each
Pearson Edexcel (1MA1). Paper 1 is non-calculatorPearson Edexcel: GCSE Mathematics 1MA1 specification3 papers · 1 hour 30 minutes · 80 marks each
OCR (J560). Non-calculator is Paper 2 on Foundation and Paper 5 on HigherOCR: GCSE Mathematics J560 specification3 papers · 1 hour 30 minutes · 100 marks each

Formulae sheets

What counts as a pass

Beyond grade 9: AQA Level 2 Further Maths

We teach it alongside GCSE: thetutorsroom.com/services/gcse/aqa-further-maths

Sources

  1. Ofqual: GCSE subject level conditions for mathematics
  2. AQA: GCSE Mathematics 8300 specification
  3. Ofqual blog: GCSE maths, choosing the right tier
  4. AQA: GCSE Mathematics 8300 at a glance
  5. JCQ: key dates, June 2027
  6. AQA: entry fees and other charges, summer 2027
  7. AQA: GCSE grade boundaries, June 2026
  8. Pearson Edexcel: GCSE grade boundaries, June 2026
  9. OCR: GCSE grade boundaries, June 2026
  10. Pearson Edexcel: GCSE Mathematics 1MA1 specification
  11. OCR: GCSE Mathematics J560 specification
  12. Ofqual: formulae sheets in 2025, 2026 and 2027
  13. Ofqual: formulae sheets from 2028
  14. Department for Education: GCSE factsheet for parents
  15. Department for Education: GCSE factsheet for employers and colleges
  16. JCQ: GCSE results 2026, table 2
  17. JCQ: GCSE results 2026, table 1
  18. AQA: Level 2 Certificate in Further Mathematics 8365 at a glance

Applies to GCSEs in England. Checked on 3 October 2026. Grade boundaries are for the June 2026 series.

FAQ

Questions parents ask

Anything else, email info@thetutorsroom.com.

What grades can you get on Foundation tier GCSE maths?

Grades 1 to 5. Grade 5 is the highest grade available on Foundation, so a student aiming for 6 or above has to sit Higher.

Can you get a grade 4 or 5 on Higher tier?

Yes. Higher awards grades 4 to 9, and a student who falls a small number of marks below grade 4 can be given an allowed grade 3.

What happens if you fail the Higher paper?

A Higher student who does not reach the allowed grade 3 is recorded as U, which is ungraded. That is the risk of entering Higher when grade 4 is not secure.

Who decides whether my child sits Foundation or Higher?

The school. According to Ofqual staff there is nothing in law on it, and the Department for Education expects the school to decide in consultation with the student. Entries for summer 2027 are due by 21 February 2027.

How many marks do you need for a grade 4 in GCSE maths?

In June 2026 it was 154 of 240 on AQA Foundation and 63 of 240 on AQA Higher. On Edexcel it was 151 and 50 of 240, and on OCR 133 and 57 of 300. Boundaries change every year.

Do you get a formula sheet in GCSE maths?

Yes. Ofqual decided that formulae sheets are given in the 2025, 2026 and 2027 exams, and has since extended that for the remaining lifetime of the current specifications.

Not sure which tier is right?

On a free 30-minute call a qualified maths teacher will look at where your child is and what the school has said. GCSE lessons are £40 for 60 minutes, one-to-one online.

Book a free callSee prices