Question 1

What are AQA GCSE Spanish grade boundaries?

Accepted Answer

Grade boundaries are the minimum raw marks you need for each grade in AQA GCSE Spanish (specification 8698). AQA sets them once marking is complete for the whole cohort, based on how the four papers (listening, speaking, reading, writing) scored and how past cohorts performed.

Question 2

What's the difference between Higher and Foundation tier Spanish?

Accepted Answer

Higher-tier papers target grades 9-4 (with grade 3 as a safety net), and Foundation-tier papers target grades 5-1. Your school enters you for one tier based on how you are performing in class. The papers are different, so the boundaries are published separately per tier.

Question 3

When are the boundaries published?

Accepted Answer

AQA 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.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

Add up your marks across the four skill papers (listening, speaking, reading, writing) after sitting past papers timed, and compare your total to the boundary for your target grade. Speaking is marked in class, so score realistically against the mark scheme. A [Cognito Spanish course](https://cognito.org/courses/gcse/spanish/aqa) can help you work through vocabulary + grammar systematically.

Question 5

Can I use Cognito for AQA GCSE Spanish practice?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our [GCSE Spanish (AQA) course](https://cognito.org/courses/gcse/spanish/aqa) covers vocabulary, grammar and past papers. Use the [past-papers library](https://cognito.org/past-papers) to time yourself on the reading and listening papers, then check your total on this page against the boundaries.

Series	Max	Grade 9	Grade 8	Grade 7	Grade 6	Grade 5	Grade 4	Grade 3
Jun 2025Latest	240	203	179	155	139	124	109	101
Jun 2024	240	195	170	145	130	116	102	95
Jun 2023	240	202	178	154	137	120	103	94
Jun 2022	240	192	166	140	123	106	89	80

GCSE Spanish AQA Grade Boundaries

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