GCSE History Edexcel (Pearson) Grade Boundaries

Q: What are Edexcel GCSE History grade boundaries?

Grade boundaries are the minimum raw marks you need for each grade in Edexcel GCSE History (specification 1HI0). Edexcel 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 grade boundary should sit. The boundaries move a little from year to year, because every paper is a slightly different test. If a paper is harder than usual, the boundaries come down. If it's more accessible, they nudge up. The aim is that a grade represents the same standard whichever year you happened to sit the exam, even though the raw mark needed will vary between series.

Q: Why do the Edexcel History boundaries change every year?

Because every paper is a slightly different test. Once marking is complete, senior examiners at Edexcel look at how the cohort performed against previous cohorts and evidence from senior marking, then set boundaries so that a grade means roughly the same standard year on year. A boundary shifting down doesn't mean the subject got easier or the cohort got weaker; it usually means the paper was slightly harder to score marks on than the previous year, and the boundary moved to compensate. This is why you shouldn't fix a specific mark in your head as 'the 9': aim for the top end of the range and you'll comfortably clear whichever boundary lands.

Q: When are the Edexcel GCSE History grade boundaries published?

Edexcel 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 Edexcel releases the boundaries, so you can look up your total against the fresh boundaries and see what grade it would have earned.

Q: What mark do I need for a grade 9 in Edexcel GCSE History?

It depends on the year, because Edexcel sets the boundaries once the cohort has been marked. In recent series, the grade 9 boundary for Edexcel GCSE History has typically landed around 70-75% of the maximum marks, but the exact percentage varies year to year. For revision, aim to comfortably clear the top-end of that range on past papers rather than fixing a specific mark. That way you're insulated against a year when boundaries shift up.

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

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, then check your total against the boundary for that year. That gives you a much clearer sense of where you really are than a rough self-estimate. **Focus your revision on weaker topics.** If you're consistently landing 5-10 marks short of your target grade, work out which topics those marks are being dropped on. A [Edexcel History revision course](https://cognito.org/courses/gcse/history/edexcel) can help you plug the specific gaps rather than re-revising what you already know.

Q: Can I use Cognito for Edexcel GCSE History exam practice?

Yes. Our [GCSE History (Edexcel) course](https://cognito.org/courses/gcse/history/edexcel) covers the whole specification with concise notes, quizzes and full past papers. You can score your 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 Edexcel papers so you can time yourself against the real thing.

Q: Why do some option combinations not appear in every year?

Edexcel GCSE History (1HI0) is entered as a combination of three papers: Paper 1 (Thematic study and historic environment, options 10-13), Paper 2 (Period study and British depth study, options 2A-2W), and Paper 3 (Modern depth study, options 30-33). That gives well over 300 possible route combinations, of which Edexcel publishes boundaries only for the pairings enough candidates sat in a given series. We include every combination Edexcel has published across the series shown, and populate only the years each one exists. If your route shows a gap for one series, that just means Edexcel didn't set a boundary for it that year (usually because too few candidates took it). You can still use the surrounding years as a guide. You may also see codes that look different in earlier years. Edexcel restructured the Paper 2 codes for summer 2019: before that, Paper 2 options used numeric codes (20-29); from 2019 onwards they use letter codes (2A-2W) that make the split between period study (P1-P5) and British depth study (B1-B4) explicit. The 2018 rows here use the original numeric codes as Edexcel published them. June 2022 isn't shown because 1HI0 didn't run that summer. The COVID-era contingency specification 1HIA was used instead, which is a different qualification and isn't included on this page.

GCSE History (Edexcel (Pearson))

Tier:

Marks:

Type a mark to see your grade in every year, and choose how boundaries appear in the table below.

Show in table:

Raw marksPercentagesBoth

Series	Max	Grade 9	Grade 8	Grade 7	Grade 6	Grade 5	Grade 4	Grade 3	Grade 2	Grade 1
Jun 2018Latest	168	142	128	115	100	86	72	52	32	12

undefined tier. All marks out of 168. Source: Edexcel (Pearson).

Every series since 2018

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GCSE History (Edexcel (Pearson))

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Where to next

What are Edexcel GCSE History grade boundaries?

Why do the Edexcel History boundaries change every year?

When are the Edexcel GCSE History grade boundaries published?

What mark do I need for a grade 9 in Edexcel GCSE History?

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

Can I use Cognito for Edexcel GCSE History exam practice?

Why do some option combinations not appear in every year?

GCSE History Edexcel (Pearson) Grade Boundaries

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