GCSE History OCR A Grade Boundaries

Q: What are OCR GCSE History A grade boundaries?

Grade boundaries are the minimum raw marks you need for each grade in OCR GCSE History A (specification J410, Explaining the Modern World / Historical Investigations). OCR sets them once marking is complete for the whole cohort, based on how the papers scored and how past cohorts performed.

Q: Why are there so many option rows per year?

OCR GCSE History A lets your school pick a combination of a Paper 1 world period study, a Paper 2 British thematic study, and a Paper 3 British depth study. Every combination candidates entered for gets its own boundary row because the papers have slightly different difficulty profiles. Check your statement of entry for your two-letter option code, then find the matching row for the year you sat.

Q: When are the boundaries published?

OCR publishes GCSE grade boundaries at 8am on 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 releases the boundaries.

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

Sit past papers timed, mark against the official mark scheme, and compare your total to the boundary for the option code you sat. If you're consistently short of your target, use a [Cognito History past-papers library](https://cognito.org/past-papers) to work through more practice questions.

Q: Can I use Cognito for OCR GCSE History A practice?

Yes. We host OCR GCSE History A past papers on our [past-papers library](https://cognito.org/past-papers). Filter by your option code and sit the papers timed. Score against the official mark scheme, then check your total on this page against the boundary for your option.

Q: Which series does this page cover?

We include every June series OCR has published for J410 from 2018 to 2025, plus the November 2020 and November 2021 autumn adapted series (which were published as a single 'All options' boundary for the whole cohort). June 2020 and June 2021 were cancelled during COVID, so there are no boundaries for those series. June 2022 used a transitional scheme with a coursework paper (component 14), which is why the option codes and max mark (160) differ from the main scheme (210).

GCSE History (OCR A)

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	210	172	156	140	124	108	92	66	40	15
Jun 2019	210	171	154	137	119	102	85	60	35	11
Jun 2023	210	168	152	136	119	102	85	60	35	11
Jun 2024	210	170	155	140	123	106	90	64	38	13
Jun 2025	210	167	152	138	122	106	91	65	40	15

undefined tier. All marks out of 210. Source: OCR A.

Every series since 2018

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GCSE History (OCR A)

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Where to next

What are OCR GCSE History A grade boundaries?

Why are there so many option rows per year?

When are the boundaries published?

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

Can I use Cognito for OCR GCSE History A practice?

Which series does this page cover?

GCSE History OCR A Grade Boundaries

Frequently asked questions

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