Combined Science · June 2026
Which subjects had
the highest boundaries?
Compare the percentage needed for the same grade across subjects and exam boards.
Qualification-level thresholds. Each row is a subject, board and entry option. High percentages don’t rank subject difficulty.
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| Rank | Subject / entry | Grade 9-9 | Change | Check / compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Combined SciencePearson Edexcel · 1SC0 · Higher tier | 78.3%282 / 360 marks | -0.6 pp | Source for Combined Science · Higher tier ↗ |
| 2 | Combined Science A: GatewayOCR · J250 · Higher tier | 76.4%275 / 360 marks | -1.4 pp | Source for Combined Science A: Gateway · Higher tier ↗ |
| 3 | Combined Science: TrilogyAQA · 8464 · Higher tier | 71.0%298 / 420 marks | -0.2 pp | Source for Combined Science: Trilogy · Higher tier ↗ |
A dash means there is no comparable previous-year value in this dataset. Separate entry options may share identical boundaries. Percentages are rounded for display; ranks use the unrounded figures. Coverage varies by year.
Does a higher boundary mean a harder subject?
A boundary tells you how many marks reached a grade on that particular assessment. Papers, mark schemes, coursework and the students taking each subject all differ. A lower percentage can accompany a paper where marks are harder to earn.
These rankings compare published thresholds. They cannot rank your ability, the work a course takes, or how fairly a board grades. Read the explanation and Ofqual evidence →