Grades & grade boundaries
What is a grade 6 at GCSE, and is it good?
A grade 6 at GCSE is a good grade. It sits in the top third of the 9 to 1 scale, equivalent to a high B under the old letters: above the grade 5 strong pass and one step below the grade 7 that matches an old A. In tiered subjects such as maths and the sciences a 6 can only be awarded on the higher tier, because foundation papers stop at 5. Many sixth forms ask for a 6 in a subject you want to carry on to A-level.
Last updated 8 September 2026 · Written and fact-checked by the GCSEwiz team
Where a 6 sits on the scale
The number grades replaced letters in England from 2017, and the two scales do not line up one for one. Ofqual fixed three anchor points: the bottom of a 7 matches the bottom of an old A, the bottom of a 4 matches the bottom of a C, and the bottom of a 1 matches the bottom of a G. A 6 therefore covers the upper part of the old B. Anyone who last dealt with GCSEs in letters can read a 6 as "a good B, not quite an A".
| Number grade | Old letter | What it is called |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Above A* | The top grade, awarded to a few per cent of entries |
| 8 | A* / high A | |
| 7 | A | Old A-grade territory begins here |
| 6 | High B | The grade this page is about |
| 5 | Low B / high C | Strong pass |
| 4 | C | Standard pass |
| 3 and below | D to G | Below a pass |
Is a grade 6 good?
Yes, and the results data says so plainly. In summer 2025 about 22% of GCSE grades were a 7 or above and about 67% were a 4 or above, so a 6 lands well inside the top half of all results, above the strong pass and close to the old A boundary. The Student Room asks "is a 6 good or bad?" every August, and the honest answer is that anyone calling a 6 a bad grade is measuring against a 9, not against the country.
Whether it is the grade you need is a different question, and that one depends entirely on what you want to do next.
Can you get a grade 6 on foundation tier?
No. In every tiered GCSE (maths, biology, chemistry, physics, Combined Science and the modern languages) the foundation papers award grades 1 to 5 and nothing higher, however many marks you score. A 6 needs the higher tier, which awards 4 to 9 with a 3 available as a narrow safety net. Combined Science works the same way on its double scale: foundation tops out at 5-5.
If a sixth form has asked you for a 6 and you are entered for foundation, the conversation with your teacher wants to happen while there is still teaching time, because higher papers assume the foundation content and then add to it. Schools can usually amend tier entries until the spring of Year 11. Our tier guide covers how that decision is made and when it can move.
What does a 6 get you?
A 6 is the grade that appears most often on sixth-form entry requirements for the subjects you want to continue. The exact number is set by each sixth form and each course, so their published requirements beat any general rule, but the usual shape is this:
| Next step | What a 6 typically does |
|---|---|
| General sixth-form entry | Comfortably clears it. Most ask for a set of 4s and 5s across the certificate |
| A-level biology, chemistry or physics | Usually the grade asked for in the matching science, or 6-6 in Combined Science |
| A-level English literature or language | Usually the grade asked for in the matching English GCSE |
| A-level maths | Sometimes accepted, but most sixth forms ask for a 7; a 6 is worth a conversation, not an assumption |
| A-level in a subject you did not take at GCSE | Often a 6 in a related subject, such as a 6 in English for psychology or sociology |
| Apprenticeships and jobs | More than enough. The line most ask for is a 4 in English and maths |
How many marks is a grade 6?
There is no fixed percentage. Boundaries are set after marking each summer so that a 6 means the same standard whether the paper ran easy or hard, which is why the same grade takes a different share of the marks on different boards and in different subjects. These are the raw marks the boards actually awarded a 6 for in June 2025, from their published boundary tables:
- Next year's boundaries will differ. Use these as the shape of the target, not the target itself; the grade calculator below holds every subject and board we have transcribed.
| Subject and tier | Board | Marks for a 6 (June 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Maths, higher | AQA | 130 out of 240 (54%) |
| Maths, higher | Edexcel | 121 out of 240 (50%) |
| Maths, higher | OCR | 126 out of 300 (42%) |
| Biology, higher | AQA | 94 out of 200 (47%) |
| Biology, higher | Edexcel | 124 out of 200 (62%) |
| Biology, higher | OCR | 99 out of 180 (55%) |
| English language | AQA | 91 out of 160 (57%) |
| English language | Edexcel | 105 out of 160 (66%) |
| English language | OCR | 94 out of 160 (59%) |
| English language | Eduqas | 113 out of 200 (57%) |
A grade 6 is not a Grade 6 music exam
Two different things share the name, and search engines mix them up. A GCSE grade 6 is one step on the 9 to 1 scale for a school subject. A Grade 6 in music (ABRSM, Trinity, Rock School and the others) is a graded instrument or singing exam, on a scale that runs from Grade 1 to Grade 8, and Grades 6 to 8 are Level 3 qualifications that carry UCAS points in their own right. A music Grade 6 is not "equivalent to a GCSE grade 6" and the two are never converted into each other. If a sixth form asks for a 6 in music, it means the GCSE.
From a 5 to a 6
The gap between a 5 and a 6 is usually the questions you start and do not finish: the two-step problems, the explain questions that need one more linked point, the topics you can do slowly but not under time. Marked papers show exactly which those are. Our maths page on getting a 6 and the guide on moving from a 4 to a 6 both set out the plan; the short version is fluency first, then the band of questions you are currently almost getting.