New linear qualifications (AS, A-level and GCSE) - A guide to notional component grade boundaries

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Aria

This guide explains how grade boundaries work in linear qualifications, where students receive a single overall subject grade rather than official component grades. It clarifies that “notional grade boundaries” for individual components are illustrative only and may not sum to the subject-level boundaries. Worked examples show how awarding rules for setting B, C and D based on A and E can produce discrepancies across separate papers, emphasizing that a candidate’s linear exam result depends on total subject marks.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Notional component grade boundaries in linear qualifications

Component examples and mark interval rules

Why notional boundaries may not add up to subject boundaries

Statistical setting for A-level A* and GCSE grade 9/8

How to interpret notional component grades

| New linear qualifications (AS, A-level and GCSE)
A guide to notional component grade boundaries | | --- | | In modular qualifications, components can be taken at different times during the course, and grade boundaries are set for each component separately. In linear qualifications, students are given a single overall grade for the subject. However, we are able to provide‘notional grade boundaries’ for individual components in linear qualifications, for illustrative purposes only. | Although there are no official grades for individual components in linear qualifications, it can be useful for students and teachers to see how the overall subject grade was achieved. The grade boundaries given for each component are known as ‘notional grade boundaries’, as they are for illustrative purposes only. The notional component boundaries do not always add up to the subject grade boundaries. The example below explains why this might happen. Sample subject and notional component grade boundaries in a linear AS qualification | Subject | Max mark | A | B | C | D | E | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | 100 | 80 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 40 | | Paper 1 | 50 | 45 | 38 | 32 | 26 | 20 | | Paper 2 | 50 | 35 | 31 | 27 | 23 | 20 | In this example, the subject boundary mark for a grade B is 70 (out of 100) . The notional component boundary marks for a grade B are 38 out of 50 on Paper 1, and 31 out of 50 on Paper 2. These add up to 69, not 70. Why is this? The reason is that there are rules that all awarding bodies must follow for setting the subject boundary marks for B, C and D, based on the A and E subject boundaries. Grades A and E are known as ‘judgemental’ grades, and the awarding committee for each subject sets these by looking at students’work. The B, C and D boundaries are then set arithmetically so that they fall as evenly as possible between A and E. In this example, there are 40 marks between the subject boundary for grade A (80) , and the subject boundary for grade E (40) . The B, C and D boundaries are set at 10 mark intervals, because 40 ÷ 4 = 10. If the difference between the A and the E boundaries is not exactly divisible by four, the remainder of the marks are allocated to each of the intervals between A and B, B and C, and C and D – in that order. AQA Education (AQA) is a registered charity (number 1073334) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (number 3644723). Our registered address is AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX. So, let’s apply this to Paper 1 in the example above. 1. The difference between the A boundary and the E boundary is 45-20 = 25. 2. 25 ÷ 4 = 6, with a remainder of 1. 3. This remainder is allocated to the interval between A and B, so the B boundary is set 7 marks (6 + 1) below the A boundary, [i.e. at 45-7 = 38 marks](i.e. at 45-7 = 38 marks). 4. There are no more remainder marks to use up, so the C boundary is set 6 marks below grade B, [i.e. at 38-6 = 32 marks](i.e. at 38-6 = 32 marks). 5. The D boundary is set 6 marks below grade C, [i.e. at 32-6 = 26 marks](i.e. at 32-6 = 26 marks). As shown here, applying the rules that are used to calculate subject grades B, C and D to each separate paper can lead to a situation where it is possible to get, for example, a notional ‘B’ on both papers (38/50 and 31/50), but a subject grade of C (69/100) . The reason this happens is that the mark intervals between A and E on the separate papers may divide more or less evenly than the mark intervals between A and E on the subject overall. Although this example is for AS, the principle is the same for A-level and GCSE. The ‘judgemental’grades for A-level are A and E; for GCSE they are 7, 4 and 1. For A-level, grade A* is also available and this subject boundary mark is determined statistically by carrying forward the standard from the previous specification. This means there are no simple arithmetic rules for setting this subject boundary mark-and so n

FAQs

What are notional component grade boundaries in linear qualifications?

They are illustrative thresholds for individual components in linear qualifications where official component grades are not awarded. They help show how the overall subject grade could be achieved.

Why might notional component boundaries not add up to the subject grade boundary?

Because the rules for setting subject boundaries (for B, C and D based on A and E) may produce different mark-interval spacing across separate papers than it does for the subject overall.

On a linear exam, what determines a candidate’s final grade?

The candidate’s total subject mark. The final grade is not calculated by combining the notional grades from individual components.

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Aria