Question 1

What are AQA GCSE Physical Education grade boundaries?

Accepted Answer

Grade boundaries are the minimum raw marks you need for each grade in AQA GCSE Physical Education (specification 8582). 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 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.

Question 2

Why do the AQA Physical Education boundaries change every year?

Accepted Answer

Because every paper is a slightly different test. Once marking is complete, senior examiners at AQA 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.

Question 3

When are the AQA GCSE Physical Education grade boundaries published?

Accepted Answer

AQA 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 AQA releases the boundaries, 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 a grade 9 in AQA GCSE Physical Education?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the year, because AQA sets the boundaries once the cohort has been marked. In recent series, the grade 9 boundary for AQA GCSE Physical Education 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.

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, 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 [AQA Physical Education revision course](https://cognito.org/courses/gcse/physical-education/aqa) can help you plug the specific gaps rather than re-revising what you already know.

Question 6

Can I use Cognito for AQA GCSE Physical Education exam practice?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our [GCSE Physical Education (AQA) course](https://cognito.org/courses/gcse/physical-education/aqa) 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 AQA papers so you can time yourself against the real thing.

Series	Max	Grade 9	Grade 8	Grade 7	Grade 6	Grade 5	Grade 4	Grade 3	Grade 2	Grade 1
Jun 2025Latest	260	215	202	190	174	158	142	107	73	39
Jun 2024	260	206	192	178	160	143	126	95	64	34
Jun 2023	260	207	194	181	163	145	127	96	65	34
Jun 2022	260	204	191	178	160	143	126	96	67	38
Jun 2019	260	199	187	175	159	144	129	97	65	34
Jun 2018	260	197	184	171	155	139	124	93	62	31

GCSE Physical Education AQA Grade Boundaries

Frequently asked questions

Push it up a grade

Every series since 2018

Where to next

Frequently asked questions

Push it up a grade