A-Level Economics Cambridge International Grade Boundaries

Grade thresholds are the minimum weighted marks you need for each letter grade in Cambridge International A-Level Economics (syllabus 9708). Cambridge calls them 'thresholds' rather than 'boundaries', but the idea is the same: they mark the cut-off for each grade after weighting. Cambridge sets them once marking is complete for the whole cohort: senior examiners review evidence from the exam series, compare performance with previous years, and recommend where each threshold should sit.

The thresholds move a little from year to year, because every paper is a slightly different test. If a paper turns out more difficult than usual, the thresholds come down. If it's more accessible, they nudge up.

Note: Cambridge changed the weighted-mark total for Economics 9708 from Jun 2023 onwards. Jun 2022 boundaries were out of 200 marks; from Jun 2023 the qualification is weighted out of 180. The Max column in the table above reflects the correct total for each series.

Cambridge lets candidates sit different combinations of components (called 'options') for A-Level Economics, so each combination has its own set of grade thresholds. The three main A-Level combinations differ by which specific variant of each component your centre entered you for.

Check which components your centre entered you for on your statement of entry, then use the matching tab above. If you're not sure, ask your teacher: the combination is set by your school, not by you individually.

Cambridge International normally publishes grade threshold tables per syllabus within a few days of the A-Level results release each August. They land on Cambridge's grade threshold tables page as one PDF per syllabus (Economics 9708 has its own document each series).

We update this page shortly after Cambridge releases the tables, so you can look up your total against the fresh thresholds and see what grade it would have earned. Cambridge also runs November and March series for some regions: those thresholds publish on their own timelines, separate from the main June release.

There are two ways worth building into your routine.

Score your past papers realistically. Sit a paper timed, mark it against the official mark scheme, and if you've completed a full set of components for your option, add up your marks with the correct weighting and compare the total against that year's threshold in the table above. That's the grade it would have earned in that series, and exactly how many marks you were short of the next one. Our past papers by year tab has every component and mark scheme in one place, so you can pick a series and get straight into it.

Set your target using an average. A practical target is to aim around the average of the last few years' thresholds for your option and the grade you're going for. That's more realistic than aiming at the highest recent year, in case the next paper is more difficult, and more ambitious than aiming at the lowest, in case it's more accessible.

Once you know where you're losing marks, our Cambridge International A-Level Economics course covers the whole syllabus with revision notes, quizzes and flashcards organised by topic.