Question 1

What are OCR 21st Century B GCSE Combined Science grade boundaries?

Accepted Answer

Grade boundaries are the minimum raw marks you need for each grade pair in OCR 21st Century B GCSE Combined Science (specification J260). Combined Science is a double-award qualification, so you get two grades (a pair like 7-6 or 5-5) rather than one. OCR 21st Century B sets the boundaries once marking is complete for the whole cohort, based on how the papers scored and how past cohorts performed.

Question 2

Why is Combined Science graded as a pair (e.g. 7-6, 5-5)?

Accepted Answer

Combined Science counts as two GCSEs' worth of study but you sit fewer papers than a triple science student. To reflect the double weighting, OCR 21st Century B awards you a pair of grades that can be adjacent (like 7-6) or equal (like 5-5). The pair is decided by your total combined mark across all Combined Science papers.

Question 3

How do I know if I sat Higher or Foundation Combined Science?

Accepted Answer

Your school decides which tier to enter you for. Higher tier papers target grade pairs 9-9 down to 4-3 (with 3-3 as a safety net if you fall just short). Foundation tier targets 5-5 down to 1-1. If you're not sure which tier you sat, check your statement of entry or ask your teacher, since the paper's tier is printed on the front.

Question 4

When are OCR 21st Century B GCSE Combined Science boundaries published?

Accepted Answer

OCR 21st Century B normally publishes GCSE grade boundaries at 8am on GCSE results day, alongside the grades themselves. They land as one large PDF covering every GCSE subject that series.

We update this page shortly after OCR 21st Century B releases the boundaries.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

Score your past papers realistically. Sit a Combined Science paper timed, mark it against the official mark scheme, and total your marks across all the papers your specification uses. Compare that total to the boundary for the grade pair you're targeting. A [Combined Science (OCR 21st Century B) revision course](https://cognito.org/courses/gcse/combined-science/ocr-b) can help you plug specific topic gaps.

Question 6

Can I use Cognito for OCR 21st Century B GCSE Combined Science practice?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our [GCSE Combined Science (OCR 21st Century B) course](https://cognito.org/courses/gcse/combined-science/ocr-b) covers all three sciences at combined-award depth with notes, quizzes and past papers. You can score your paper attempts against the mark scheme and cross-reference your totals to the boundaries on this page.

If you're closer to results day, our [past-papers library](https://cognito.org/past-papers) has the full set of OCR 21st Century B Combined Science papers.

Series	Max	Grade 9-9	Grade 9-8	Grade 8-8	Grade 8-7	Grade 7-7	Grade 7-6	Grade 6-6	Grade 6-5	Grade 5-5	Grade 5-4	Grade 4-4	Grade 4-3
Jun 2025Latest	360	259	244	230	216	202	186	170	154	138	122	106	98
Jun 2024	360	256	242	228	214	201	185	169	153	138	123	108	100
Jun 2023	360	255	243	231	219	207	192	178	164	150	136	122	115
Jun 2022	360	237	223	209	195	181	166	152	138	124	110	96	89

GCSE Combined Science OCR 21st Century (B) Grade Boundaries

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