Question 1

What are AQA A-Level History grade boundaries?

Accepted Answer

Grade boundaries are the minimum raw marks you need for each letter grade in AQA A-Level History (specification 7042). AQA 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 boundary should sit. They're then normally published on A-Level results day, alongside the grades themselves.

AQA A-Level History has more than 30 topic option combinations (labelled 7042AA through 7042DO). Boundaries do vary slightly between options because each combination is a different set of papers. The table above shows boundaries for one representative option; the full option-by-option table is available in AQA's grade boundaries PDF, and we're working on adding a per-option tab layout to this page.

Question 2

Why do the AQA A-Level History boundaries change every year?

Accepted Answer

Because every paper is a slightly different test. Once marking is complete, senior examiners review evidence from the exam series, compare performance with previous years, and recommend where the boundaries should sit for each grade. If the paper turned out more difficult than usual, the boundaries come down. If it was more accessible, they nudge up.

The point of that adjustment is fairness across cohorts: a grade should mean the same thing whichever year you sat it. That's also why comparing raw marks across years can be misleading, since the same total might have been a C in one series and a B in another.

Question 3

When are the AQA A-Level History grade boundaries published?

Accepted Answer

AQA normally publishes A-Level grade boundaries at 8am on A-Level results day, alongside the grades themselves. They land on AQA's grade boundaries page and cover every A-Level specification in a single document, with each History option listed on its own row.

We update this page the same morning with the new row, so you can look up your total against the fresh boundaries and see what grade it would have earned.

Question 4

What mark do I need for an A* in AQA A-Level History?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the option you sat and the year. Across recent series, the A* boundary for AQA A-Level History options has sat in the region of 150 to 170 marks out of 200 (roughly 75 to 85 percent). The exact figures per series are in the table above.

A sensible working target through your revision is to aim comfortably above the highest recent boundary in past-paper practice, which gives you some headroom for the exam room. Whether that translates to an A* in your specific series will depend on how the cohort performs overall and how the papers land.

Question 5

How should I use these boundaries when I'm revising?

Accepted Answer

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 papers, compare your total against that year's overall boundary 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.

**Set your target using an average.** A practical target is to aim around the average of the last few years' boundaries for 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 [A-Level History (AQA) course](https://cognito.org/courses/alevel/history/aqa) covers the whole spec with topic-by-topic revision notes, quizzes and flashcards, and [past papers by year](https://cognito.org/courses/alevel/history/aqa/past-papers/by-year) with the official mark schemes.

Question 6

Can I use Cognito for AQA A-Level History exam practice?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Our full [A-Level History (AQA) course](https://cognito.org/courses/alevel/history/aqa) is free and covers the whole 7042 specification. You'll find revision notes written to the spec, self-marking quizzes and flashcards, and [past papers by year](https://cognito.org/courses/alevel/history/aqa/past-papers/by-year) with the official mark schemes alongside.

A sensible order once you're deep into revision: work through a topic in the notes, test yourself with the quiz and flashcards, then move to past-paper practice under timed conditions in the final weeks before your exam.

Series	Max	Grade A*	Grade A	Grade B	Grade C	Grade D	Grade E
Jun 2025 (Option AA)Latest	200	157	135	111	88	65	42
Jun 2025 (Option AB)	200	159	137	113	89	66	43
Jun 2025 (Option AD)	200	158	136	112	88	64	41
Jun 2025 (Option AE)	200	159	137	114	91	68	46
Jun 2025 (Option AM)	200	150	128	106	85	64	43
Jun 2025 (Option AS)	200	157	135	111	87	64	41
Jun 2025 (Option BB)	200	164	142	118	94	70	46
Jun 2025 (Option BD)	200	163	141	116	92	68	44
Jun 2025 (Option BE)	200	164	142	118	95	72	49
Jun 2025 (Option BM)	200	155	133	111	89	67	46
Jun 2025 (Option BS)	200	162	140	116	92	68	44
Jun 2025 (Option CF)	200	162	140	117	94	71	49
Jun 2025 (Option CG)	200	160	138	115	92	70	48
Jun 2025 (Option CH)	200	155	133	111	89	67	46
Jun 2025 (Option CJ)	200	161	139	117	95	73	52
Jun 2025 (Option CK)	200	157	135	112	89	66	44
Jun 2025 (Option CL)	200	158	136	113	90	68	46
Jun 2025 (Option CN)	200	156	135	113	91	69	48
Jun 2025 (Option CO)	200	160	139	117	95	73	52
Jun 2025 (Option CP)	200	160	138	116	94	73	52
Jun 2025 (Option CQ)	200	160	138	116	94	72	50
Jun 2025 (Option CR)	200	162	140	117	94	72	50
Jun 2025 (Option CT)	200	160	138	116	94	73	52
Jun 2025 (Option DG)	200	165	143	119	96	73	50
Jun 2025 (Option DH)	200	160	138	115	92	70	48
Jun 2025 (Option DJ)	200	166	144	121	98	76	54
Jun 2025 (Option DK)	200	162	140	116	92	69	46
Jun 2025 (Option DL)	200	163	141	117	94	71	48
Jun 2025 (Option DN)	200	162	140	117	94	72	50
Jun 2025 (Option DO)	200	166	144	121	98	76	54
Jun 2025 (Option DP)	200	165	143	120	98	76	54
Jun 2025 (Option DQ)	200	165	143	120	97	74	52
Jun 2025 (Option DR)	200	167	145	121	98	75	52
Jun 2025 (Option EA)	200	155	133	112	91	70	50
Jun 2025 (Option EE)	200	157	135	114	94	74	54
Jun 2025 (Option EM)	200	148	126	107	88	69	51
Jun 2025 (Option ES)	200	155	133	112	91	70	49
Jun 2025 (Option FC)	200	160	138	115	92	69	46
Jun 2025 (Option FF)	200	163	141	117	94	71	48
Jun 2025 (Option FG)	200	161	139	116	93	70	47
Jun 2025 (Option FH)	200	156	134	111	89	67	45
Jun 2025 (Option FJ)	200	162	140	117	95	73	51
Jun 2025 (Option FL)	200	159	137	114	91	68	45
Jun 2025 (Option FN)	200	158	136	113	91	69	47
Jun 2025 (Option FO)	200	162	140	117	95	73	51
Jun 2025 (Option FP)	200	161	139	117	95	73	51
Jun 2025 (Option FQ)	200	161	139	116	93	71	49
Jun 2025 (Option FR)	200	163	141	118	95	72	49
Jun 2025 (Option FT)	200	161	139	117	95	73	51
Jun 2025 (Option GF)	200	159	137	114	91	69	47
Jun 2025 (Option GG)	200	157	135	112	90	68	46
Jun 2025 (Option GH)	200	152	130	108	86	65	44
Jun 2025 (Option GK)	200	154	132	109	86	64	42
Jun 2025 (Option GL)	200	155	133	110	88	66	44
Jun 2025 (Option GN)	200	154	132	110	88	67	46
Jun 2025 (Option GO)	200	158	136	114	92	71	50
Jun 2025 (Option GP)	200	157	135	113	92	71	50
Jun 2025 (Option GQ)	200	157	135	113	91	69	48
Jun 2025 (Option GR)	200	159	137	114	92	70	48
Jun 2025 (Option HA)	200	154	132	110	88	66	45
Jun 2025 (Option HB)	200	156	134	112	90	68	46
Jun 2025 (Option HD)	200	155	133	110	88	66	44
Jun 2025 (Option HE)	200	156	134	112	91	70	49
Jun 2025 (Option HM)	200	147	125	105	85	65	46
Jun 2025 (Option HS)	200	159	132	110	88	66	44
Jun 2025 (Option JF)	200	158	136	113	90	67	45
Jun 2025 (Option JG)	200	156	134	111	88	66	44
Jun 2025 (Option JH)	200	151	129	107	85	63	42
Jun 2025 (Option JJ)	200	157	135	113	91	69	48
Jun 2025 (Option JL)	200	154	132	109	86	64	42
Jun 2025 (Option JN)	200	153	131	109	87	65	44
Jun 2025 (Option JO)	200	157	135	113	91	69	48
Jun 2025 (Option JP)	200	156	134	112	90	69	48
Jun 2025 (Option JQ)	200	156	134	112	90	68	46
Jun 2025 (Option JR)	200	158	136	113	90	68	46
Jun 2025 (Option JT)	200	156	134	112	90	69	48
Jun 2025 (Option KA)	200	159	137	114	92	70	48
Jun 2025 (Option KB)	200	161	139	116	93	71	49
Jun 2025 (Option KD)	200	160	138	115	92	69	47
Jun 2025 (Option KE)	200	161	139	117	95	73	52
Jun 2025 (Option KM)	200	152	130	109	89	69	49
Jun 2025 (Option KS)	200	159	137	114	91	69	47
Jun 2025 (Option LA)	200	157	135	112	90	68	46
Jun 2025 (Option LB)	200	159	137	114	91	69	47
Jun 2025 (Option LD)	200	158	136	113	90	67	45
Jun 2025 (Option LE)	200	159	137	115	93	71	50
Jun 2025 (Option LM)	200	150	128	107	87	67	47
Jun 2025 (Option LS)	200	156	135	112	89	67	45
Jun 2024 (Option AA)	200	160	136	113	90	67	45
Jun 2024 (Option AB)	200	160	136	113	90	67	45
Jun 2024 (Option BB)	200	163	139	115	91	68	45
Jun 2023 (Option AA)	200	163	140	116	93	70	47
Jun 2023 (Option AB)	200	168	145	121	97	73	50
Jun 2023 (Option BB)	200	167	144	120	96	73	50
Jun 2022 (Option AA)	200	147	125	104	83	62	42
Jun 2022 (Option AB)	200	154	132	109	86	63	40
Jun 2022 (Option BB)	200	156	134	110	86	62	38

A-Level History AQA Grade Boundaries

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Every series since 2022

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