Edexcel GCSE History Summer 2026 grade boundaries
This update provides further information to Edexcel GCSE History teachers on Summer 2026 grade boundaries.
Improving the student experience
Following this summer’s exam series, we invited Edexcel GCSE History teachers and students to share feedback through our surveys. We'd like to thank everyone who took the time to provide their views and insights. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us ensure that our qualifications continue to support teachers and enable students to succeed. We will be sharing more details from these surveys, together with in depth analysis on question performance in our Summer 2026 exam insights event this Autumn:
GCSE History: Exam Insights Summer 2026 - 13 October 2026 at 16:00 - 17:30 GMT
How to find Summer 2026 grade boundaries
Summer 2026 grade boundaries are available on our website from results day. In addition to the official grade boundaries that are produced at subject level, we also provide notional grade boundaries at paper level.
This table summarises the two different types of grade boundaries documents:
| Subject level boundaries | Subject level boundaries are the official grade boundaries for the overall subject. There is one set of boundaries for each possible route through the specification. Because each option is awarded separately, the overall subject boundaries may differ depending on which topics students have been entered for. |
| Notional paper boundaries | The notional grade boundaries document contains component boundaries at paper level for all GCSE papers to help you mark and grade mocks in future series. These grades are not displayed on official/formal results documentation. Because the GCSE 9-1 History specifications are linear, students are not given grades for each paper they sit. Notional grade boundaries do not always add up to the overall subject level boundaries because some are set arithmetically and have to be rounded to whole numbers. |
Paper 2 paper codes
The Paper 2 notional boundaries are provided for each combination of period study and British depth study. The paper codes for each set of notional boundaries are as follows:
| Paper 2 paper code | Period study | British depth study |
| 2A | P1: Spain and the New World | B1: Anglo-Saxon and Norman England |
| 2B | P1: Spain and the New World | B2: King Richard I and King John |
| 2C | P1: Spain and the New World | B3: Henry VIII and his Ministers |
| 2D | P1: Spain and the New World | B4: Early Elizabethan England |
| 2E | P2: British America | B1: Anglo-Saxon and Norman England |
| 2F | P2: British America | B2: King Richard I and King John |
| 2G | P2: British America | B3: Henry VIII and his Ministers |
| 2H | P2: British America | B4: Early Elizabethan England |
| 2J | P3: The American West | B1: Anglo-Saxon and Norman England |
| 2K | P3: The American West | B2: King Richard I and King John |
| 2L | P3: The American West | B3: Henry VIII and his Ministers |
| 2M | P3: The American West | B4: Early Elizabethan England |
| 2N | P4: Superpower Relations | B1: Anglo-Saxon and Norman England |
| 2P | P4: Superpower Relations | B2: King Richard I and King John |
| 2Q | P4: Superpower Relations | B3: Henry VIII and his Ministers |
| 2R | P4: Superpower Relations | B4: Early Elizabethan England |
| 2T | P5: Conflict in the Middle East | B1: Anglo-Saxon and Norman England |
| 2U | P5: Conflict in the Middle East | B2: King Richard I and King John |
| 2V | P5: Conflict in the Middle East | B3: Henry VIII and his Ministers |
| 2W | P5: Conflict in the Middle East | B4: Early Elizabethan England |
The Paper 1 and 3 codes match the specification (papers 10-13 for Paper 1 and 30-33 for Paper 3).
Paper 2 notional grade boundaries
The notional grade boundaries for Paper 2 cover both the Period study and British depth study so we don’t provide official separate notional boundaries for each Paper 2 topic eg Superpower Relations. However, we are able to provide 'unofficial' individual topic-specific notional grade boundaries for Paper 2 topics to help explain how each paper performed. The following boundaries are estimates based on the professional judgment of our senior examining team and are not displayed on official/formal results documentation.
Paper 2B British Depth Study estimated boundaries
| Grade | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Option B1 | 28 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 5 |
| Option B2 | 30 | 27 | 25 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 5 |
| Option B3 | 29 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| Option B4 | 30 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
Paper 2P Period Study estimated boundaries
| Grade | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Option P1 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 3 |
| Option P2 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 3 |
| Option P3 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 3 |
| Option P4 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 21 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 3 |
| Option P5 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 4 |
Please remember that these are estimated boundaries and as with any notional grade boundaries, they do not always add up to the overall subject level boundaries because some are set arithmetically and have to be rounded to whole numbers. In addition, grade 9 boundaries are set at qualification level based on the proportion of students achieving grade 7 so these boundaries should also be treated with some caution. We are simply providing them to help you to understand how individual papers have performed and to help you mark and grade future mocks.
How do the GCSE History papers add up to make a total subject mark?
- GCSE History Paper 1 has a total raw mark of 52 and is weighted at precisely 30.9524% of the qualification.
- GCSE History Paper 2 has a total raw mark of 64 and is weighted at precisely 38.0952% of the qualification.
- GCSE History Paper 3 has a total raw mark of 52 and is weighted at precisely 30.9524% of the qualification.
- The total GCSE raw mark is therefore a mark of 168.
- Your students’ marks on GCSE Papers 1, 2 and 3 are simply added together to give the total subject mark out of 168.
The overall grade boundaries are presented as marks out of 168 and the notional boundaries are presented as marks out of 52 (Papers 1 and 3) and 64 (Paper 2).
Summer 2026 grade statistics
In addition to grade boundaries you can also download provisional statistics showing the percentage outcomes at qualification level from our website:
More detailed global statistical data can be found using ResultsPlus and we will make this available on our website in early September.
Find further results day support and guidance
Access key information and guidance for the Summer 2026 results period for GCSE, International GCSE and A level History, including key dates, details of post-results services and grade boundaries.
Thank you for your support
On behalf of the Pearson Edexcel History team, we would like to thank everyone in schools and colleges for their dedication and commitment to supporting students throughout the year and helping them achieve the grades they deserve. We hope that you and your students have enjoyed a well-deserved summer break, and we look forward to continuing to work together in the year ahead.
Subject advisor
Mark Battye
History
