Edexcel GCSE Physics Grade Boundaries 2026
Edexcel GCSE Physics grade boundaries for 2026 will be published on results day, 20 August 2026. Until then, the most useful tool any parent has is historical data from the 2023 and 2024 Pearson boundary documents, which show exactly how many marks students needed for each grade on the two Higher tier papers.
One thing I noticed repeatedly when talking to parents of Year 11 students: many assumed that Triple Science physics would have lower boundaries than Combined Science, as though opting for separate sciences somehow made it easier to score well. The opposite is true. Triple Science attracts a narrower, higher-achieving cohort, and that cohort performance pushes boundaries upward.
This guide explains how Edexcel GCSE physics grade boundaries 2026 work, what the two papers contain, and what historical data tells us about the marks your child needs for each grade.
What Are Edexcel GCSE Physics Grade Boundaries 2026?
A grade boundary is the minimum raw mark a student needs across both papers to achieve a particular grade. Edexcel sets these boundaries after all 1PH0 scripts are marked each summer, using a senior examiner panel that reviews student performance at each grade threshold. The 2026 boundaries will reflect paper difficulty in that year's June series.
Because boundaries depend on how difficult the papers turned out to be, nobody can publish them before results day. What we can do is look at the established pattern from 2023 and 2024 to understand the typical range. According to Pearson's official grade boundaries archive, the Higher tier total (out of 200) has been consistent enough to give a reliable guide.
Why 2026 Boundaries Cannot Be Published Yet
Boundaries are set post-marking, not pre-set by the exam board. Pearson's awarding committee reviews the difficulty of the 2026 papers against prior years and adjusts boundaries so that a grade 7 in 2026 represents the same standard as a grade 7 in 2024. Ofqual monitors this process across all exam boards to maintain comparability.
Edexcel GCSE physics grade boundaries 2026 will be published on 20 August 2026 at qualifications.pearson.com. There is no official advance publication. Any site claiming to show the 2026 boundaries before that date is guessing.
How the Two-Paper Structure Works
Edexcel GCSE Physics (1PH0) is assessed across exactly two written papers, each lasting 1 hour 45 minutes and worth 100 marks. Your child's final grade is based on the combined total of both papers out of 200. There are no internally assessed components and no coursework: everything depends on exam performance across these two papers.
Paper 1: Forces, Energy, and Waves
Paper 1 (code 1PH0/1H for Higher tier, 1PH0/1F for Foundation) covers the first seven topic areas of the Edexcel Physics specification. These are key concepts of physics, motion and forces, conservation of energy, waves, light and the electromagnetic spectrum, radioactivity, and astronomy. Question types include multiple-choice, short answer, calculations, and extended open-response questions.
Paper 2: Electricity, Magnetism, and Particle Physics
Paper 2 (code 1PH0/2H or 2F) covers the remaining topics: energy and forces doing work, forces and their effects, electricity and circuits, static electricity, magnetism and the motor effect, electromagnetic induction, particle model, and forces and matter. The same question types appear across both papers. Topic 1 (key concepts of physics) can be tested in either paper, since it underpins the whole specification.
Historical Edexcel Physics Grade Boundaries
The most reliable guide to what marks are needed in 2026 comes from Pearson's published boundaries for the last two full exam series. These figures come directly from the Pearson grade boundaries documents for June 2023 and June 2024.
Higher Tier Boundaries: 2023 and 2024
On Higher tier, the total out of 200 marks has been consistent across recent series. The grade 9 boundary was 163 in 2023 and 161 in 2024. The grade 7 boundary held at 131 marks in both years, while grade 4 fell in the 70 to 80 mark range. The table below shows the full picture:
| Grade | June 2024 (out of 200) | June 2023 (out of 200) | Approx % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 161 | 163 | ~80-82% |
| 8 | ~145 | ~148 | ~72-74% |
| 7 | 131 | 131 | ~65-66% |
| 6 | ~107 | ~110 | ~53-55% |
| 5 | ~83 | ~86 | ~41-43% |
| 4 (minimum pass) | ~70 | ~72 | ~35-36% |
Source: Pearson Edexcel grade boundary documents, June 2023 and June 2024. Grades marked ~ are estimated from the confirmed grade 9 and grade 7 anchor points using the typical spacing pattern.
Grades 8, 6, 5, and 4 in the table above are estimated based on the confirmed grade 9 and grade 7 boundaries and the typical spacing pattern across years. Only grades 9 and 7 are confirmed directly from published Pearson documents. Always check the official published document for the full breakdown once results day arrives.
Foundation Tier Boundaries
Foundation tier papers (1PH0/1F and 2F) cover grades 1 to 5. The maximum grade achievable on Foundation is grade 5. Historically, a grade 5 on Foundation tier has required roughly 55 to 65 percent of the 200 total marks, and a grade 4 (standard pass) has needed around 40 to 50 percent. A grade 4 on Foundation is safer to target than grade 4 on Higher, because there is no risk of a U grade if your child performs below expectation.
Foundation Tier (1PH0/1F + 2F)
- •Grades available: 1 to 5
- •Maximum grade: 5
- •Grade 5 requires roughly 55-65% (110-130 marks)
- •Grade 4 requires roughly 40-50% (80-100 marks)
- •No risk of U grade for grades 1-5
Higher Tier (1PH0/1H + 2H)
- •Grades available: 4 to 9
- •Grade 9 requires roughly 80-82% (160-163 marks)
- •Grade 7 requires roughly 65-66% (130-131 marks)
- •Grade 4 requires roughly 35-36% (70-72 marks)
- •Below grade 4 boundary = U (ungraded)
Why Triple Science Physics Boundaries Behave Differently
Triple Science physics (1PH0) and Combined Science physics are distinct qualifications with different student cohorts, and this matters more than most parents realise. According to Ofqual's 2025 GCSE results overview, fewer students sit triple science than combined science, and the 2025 series saw that gap widen slightly as combined science entries increased.
The Self-Selection Effect
Schools generally reserve Triple Science for their strongest science students. The result is a cohort that skews toward higher grades: a larger proportion of triple science students score grade 7, 8, and 9 compared to the combined science cohort. When the top-performing students are concentrated in Triple Science, the grade 9 boundary is pulled upward, because Pearson sets it to capture roughly the top 3 to 4 percent of entries in that qualification.
This does not mean Triple Science is harder to pass at grade 4. The grade 4 boundary sits at a similar percentage of total marks (around 35 to 36 percent) in both Triple and Combined. The difference appears at the top end: getting grade 9 in Triple Physics requires competing against a narrower, higher-achieving peer group. For context on how Triple and Combined Science compare more broadly, see our guide on GCSE Combined Science vs Triple Science.
If your child is taking Triple Science, do not be discouraged by the higher raw marks at grade 9. Those boundaries reflect a selective cohort, not harder papers. The papers cover different content but are calibrated to the same grade standard as combined science papers. A grade 7 in Triple Physics is recognised by universities and sixth forms as equivalent in standard to a grade 7 in combined science physics.
What Edexcel Grade 9 Physics Actually Requires
Scoring 161 to 163 marks out of 200 means averaging 80 to 82 marks per paper, out of 100. That leaves almost no margin. On Higher tier papers, which include extended open-response questions worth 6 marks each, dropping marks on the longer calculation or explanation questions costs quickly.
From looking at the examiner reports for 1PH0 papers, the marks most commonly lost at the grade 8 to 9 boundary fall into three patterns: failing to show full working on multi-step calculations, giving incomplete explanations on 4- to 6-mark questions, and misapplying equations when variables are given in non-standard forms. Students who reach grade 9 consistently show their method even when they know the answer, because method marks exist independently of the final answer.
How to Use Historical Boundaries for Revision
Historical boundaries are most useful after your child sits mock exams. A raw score on a real Edexcel 1PH0 past paper can be compared against the boundary from that paper series to give a rough grade estimate. That estimate is imprecise (the 2026 papers will differ), but it shows whether your child is comfortably inside a grade band or sitting close to the line. For a broader explanation of how the grading system works, our guide on GCSE grade boundaries explained covers the mechanics in detail.
Interpreting Mock Results Against Past Data
Confirm the paper used
Ask the school which Edexcel 1PH0 past paper series they used for the mock. For example, June 2024 Paper 1 Higher (1PH0/1H) has its own mark scheme and boundaries. Using the matching boundary document gives the most accurate comparison.
Add Paper 1 and Paper 2 scores together
If your child sat both papers, add the total raw marks. Compare against the combined subject boundary (the figures shown in the table above). If only one paper was sat, double the score as a rough guide, though this overestimates if performance differs between papers.
Check the gap to the next boundary
If your child is 10 or more marks clear of a grade boundary, they are reasonably secure for that grade. Within 5 to 8 marks either side, the 2026 boundary could go either way. Use the gap to set a focused revision priority, not a target mark to memorise.
Identify which topics lost the most marks
Mark the past paper against the official Edexcel mark scheme (freely available at qualifications.pearson.com) and list the topics that dropped marks. Physics papers always have multi-step calculation questions: these typically drop more marks per question than short-answer items.
Avoid comparing your child's 1PH0 mock score against combined science physics boundaries. The two qualifications have different total marks and different cohorts, so the comparison is meaningless. For combined science boundaries, see our guide on Edexcel GCSE Combined Science grade boundaries 2026.
Understanding how Edexcel boundaries relate to those set by other boards can also help set expectations. Our post on GCSE science grade boundaries covers AQA, OCR, and Edexcel in one place, while AQA GCSE physics grade boundaries 2026 gives a direct comparison for the other major board sitting Triple Physics.
Where to Find Official Edexcel Physics Boundaries
Pearson publishes all historical grade boundaries free of charge. There is no need to pay any third party for this information. On results day, 20 August 2026, the 2026 boundaries for 1PH0 will appear in the same location as previous years' documents. Note that some parents search for Edexcel 9PH0 grade boundaries by mistake: 9PH0 is the A-level Physics code, not the GCSE. The GCSE qualification you want is 1PH0.
| Resource | What It Contains | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Pearson grade boundaries page | All series boundaries, downloadable PDFs | qualifications.pearson.com |
| JCQ exam results data | National entry numbers and grade distributions by subject | jcq.org.uk/exam-results-data |
| Ofqual outcomes tool | Interactive grade distribution data across all boards | analytics.ofqual.gov.uk |
Official sources for Edexcel GCSE Physics grade boundary data. All are free to access.
For a full picture of how 2026 grade boundaries are expected to work across all GCSE subjects, including changes Ofqual has signalled for the 2026 series, our guide on GCSE grade boundaries 2026 pulls together the key information. You can also check the complete guide to GCSE Physics topics to see exactly what content your child needs to master for both papers. National entry and grade distribution data across all subjects is published at no cost on the JCQ exam results pages each August.
Do not let grade boundaries drive day-to-day revision. Check them after mocks to understand where your child stands, then forget about the numbers until results day. The most productive preparation focuses on understanding the physics topics, practising past paper questions, and building confidence with multi-step calculations under timed conditions.
Key Takeaways
- Edexcel GCSE Physics (1PH0) has two papers, each worth 100 marks, for a total of 200 marks. Both papers are examined at Foundation (grades 1-5) and Higher (grades 4-9) tier.
- The 2024 Higher tier grade 9 boundary was 161 marks out of 200 (80.5%), and grade 7 was 131 marks (65.5%). These figures come directly from Pearson's published boundary documents and represent the most recent confirmed data.
- Edexcel GCSE physics grade boundaries 2026 will be published on 20 August 2026 at qualifications.pearson.com. No official advance data exists before that date.
- Triple Science physics boundaries sit higher in percentage terms than combined science because the triple cohort is self-selected: schools typically reserve 1PH0 for their stronger science students.
- The gap between grade 7 and grade 9 is roughly 30 marks across both papers combined, or about 15 marks per paper. Students aiming for grade 9 need to minimise errors on multi-step calculation and extended explanation questions.
- Use historical boundaries to interpret mock results, not to predict 2026 grades. Paper difficulty changes every year, and the boundaries will move accordingly.
- Mark schemes are available free at qualifications.pearson.com. Marking your child's past papers against the official scheme reveals exactly which topics and question types are losing marks.
