How AQA REALLY Marks GCSE History (From an Examiner’s View)

Many GCSE History students worry about grade boundaries, especially when papers feel harder or easier than expected. The key thing to understand is this:

Your grade depends on how well you performed, not just on how hard the exam felt.

This article explains how AQA marks exams, how grade boundaries are set, and why they change each year, so you can better understand your results.

Stage 1: Examining – How your History paper is marked

Once you finish your GCSE History exam, the marking process begins.

1. Your paper is scanned and marked online

After the exam, your completed answer booklet (called a script) is scanned and sent electronically to an examiner. This allows secure, on-screen marking.

2. Examiners are trained History specialists

AQA examiners are usually qualified teachers with experience teaching GCSE History. Before marking real student work, they are trained using a mark scheme that includes example answers for every question.

This ensures:

• Everyone is marked to the same standard

• Marks are awarded fairly and consistently

  
  

3. Marking is checked continuously

The marking period lasts around 12 weeks. During this time:

• Examiner marking is monitored using software

• Senior examiners regularly check a sample of each examiner’s marking

This prevents unfair or inconsistent marking.

4. Senior examiners oversee quality

Highly experienced senior examiners review marking and give feedback.If an examiner is not applying the mark scheme correctly:

• They are stopped from marking

• Their scripts are reallocated to another examiner

Only once all scripts are accurately marked does AQA move on to grade boundaries.

Stage 2: Awarding – How grade boundaries are set

Setting grade boundaries is called awarding, and its main aim is fairness.

1. Grade boundaries are set after marking

Grade boundaries are decided only after all exams are marked. They are set separately for each paper combination.

2. The aim: consistent standards every year

Awarding ensures that:

A student who performs at the same level gets the same grade every year, even if the paper was harder or easier.

This protects the value of GCSE grades.

3. Decisions are made by experts

Awarding is carried out by senior examiners, who are subject specialists.The process is overseen by Ofqual, the national qualifications regulator.

4. Scripts are compared across years

Senior examiners:

• Look at scripts that were on the grade boundary last year

• Compare them to scripts from this year

This helps decide what mark represents the same standard.

5. Comparable outcomes

AQA follows the principle of comparable outcomes. This means:

• If you sat last year’s paper and this year’s paper and performed equally well, you should get the same grade.

  
  

6. Statistics are used to support judgement

Awarding does not rely on opinion alone. Examiners also use data such as:

• Key Stage 2 results (for GCSEs)

• How students performed in earlier assessments

If the cohort is slightly stronger, there may be slightly more high grades, and vice versa.

7. Final grade boundaries are confirmed

After reviewing scripts and statistics, senior examiners decide:

• The minimum mark needed for each grade (9–1)

This ensures grades are fair, reliable, and trusted by colleges and employers.

GCSE History AQA Grade Boundaries (2025)

On results day, AQA publishes grade boundaries for each specification code.

Specification	Grade 9	Grade 8	Grade 7	Grade 6	Grade 5	Grade 4	Grade 3
History AA	115	105	95	83	71	59	42
History AB	119	108	96	84	72	61	44
History BA	117	106	94	82	70	58	41
History BC	114	103	92	80	69	57	41
History FA	114	102	91	80	70	60	43
History GA	118	106	94	83	72	61	44

How to read this table

• These are total marks across all papers

• You only compare yourself to your specification code

• A Grade 4 represents a standard pass

  
  

Why exam questions really matter

Grade boundaries shift because exam difficulty changes. If a paper is harder:

• Grade boundaries tend to be lowerIf a paper is easier:

• Grade boundaries tend to be higher

This means:

You are never penalised for a difficult paper.

What matters most is how well you:

• Answer the question

• Use precise knowledge

• Apply the mark scheme skills (especially explanation and judgement)

Final takeaway for GCSE History students

• Grade boundaries are set after marking, not before

• They exist to make exams fair across years

• AQA uses expert judgement and statistics

• Your grade reflects your performance, not exam difficulty

  
  

Understanding this should reassure you: If you produce answers that meet the standard, the system is designed to reward you fairly.