Cambridge IGCSE History Boundaries Are Out for June 2026… Here’s What You Needed for an A/A*

The Cambridge IGCSE History (0470) grade thresholds for June 2026 have now been released. They show the minimum marks candidates needed to achieve each grade across the different papers, variants and assessment routes.

For the most common examined route—Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 4—students generally needed:

• 96–98 weighted marks out of 150 for an A*

• 81–83 weighted marks out of 150 for an A

  
  

That means the overall A* boundary was approximately 64–65%, while the A boundary was approximately 54–55%. However, the exact mark depended on the combination of papers taken. It is also important to understand that Cambridge calculates the final grade using weighted marks, so candidates should not simply add their raw paper marks together.

June 2026 Cambridge IGCSE History boundaries at a glance

For candidates taking Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 4, the overall boundaries were:

Paper combination	Maximum weighted mark	A*	A	A* percentage	A percentage
11, 21 and 41	150	96	82	64.0%	54.7%
12, 22 and 42	150	98	83	65.3%	55.3%
13, 23 and 43	150	96	81	64.0%	54.0%

Therefore, candidates on the standard examined route needed between 96 and 98 weighted marks for an A*, depending on their paper variant. For an A, candidates needed between 81 and 83 weighted marks.

What was the A* boundary for Cambridge IGCSE History in June 2026?

There was no single A* boundary that applied to every candidate. The precise requirement depended on the candidate’s combination of components.

The lowest overall A* boundary was:

96 out of 150 weighted marks

This applied to the following combinations:

• Components 11, 21 and 41

• Components 13, 23 and 43

For candidates taking Components 12, 22 and 42, the A* boundary was slightly higher:

98 out of 150 weighted marks

As a percentage, the A* boundary for the standard Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 4 route was therefore between 64.0% and 65.3%.

What was the A boundary?

The overall A boundaries for the same routes were:

• 82 out of 150 for Components 11, 21 and 41

• 83 out of 150 for Components 12, 22 and 42

• 81 out of 150 for Components 13, 23 and 43

This placed the A boundary between approximately 54.0% and 55.3% of the maximum weighted mark.

Full syllabus grade thresholds for Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 4

The complete grade thresholds for the standard examined routes were:

Components	Maximum weighted mark	A*	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
11, 21, 41	150	96	82	68	54	47	41	34	27
12, 22, 42	150	98	83	68	53	47	41	34	27
13, 23, 43	150	96	81	66	52	46	41	34	27

These figures are the minimum weighted marks required. For example, a candidate taking Components 13, 23 and 43 needed at least:

• 96 marks for an A*

• 81 marks for an A

• 66 marks for a B

• 52 marks for a C

  
  

Individual component grade thresholds

Cambridge also published separate thresholds for each component. These show the minimum raw mark required to reach grades A to G on each individual paper.

An important point is that A* is not awarded at component level. A* is only calculated for the qualification as a whole.

Component	Maximum raw mark	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
03	40	34	31	28	25	22	19	16
11	60	30	26	21	19	17	14	12
12	60	33	29	23	20	17	14	12
13	60	31	27	22	19	17	14	12
21	40	26	22	18	16	13	11	9
22	40	24	20	16	15	13	11	9
23	40	24	20	16	15	13	11	9
41	40	20	15	11	9	8	7	6
42	40	20	15	11	9	8	7	6
43	40	20	15	11	9	8	7	6
50	90	65	58	51	45	39	33	27

Paper 1 grade thresholds

Paper 1 had a maximum raw mark of 60.

Paper 1 component	A	B	C
Component 11	30/60	26/60	21/60
Component 12	33/60	29/60	23/60
Component 13	31/60	27/60	22/60

To achieve an A-level performance on Paper 1, candidates needed:

• 30 marks on Component 11

• 33 marks on Component 12

• 31 marks on Component 13

The Component 12 boundary was the highest, requiring 55% for an A. Components 11 and 13 required 50% and approximately 51.7% respectively.

Paper 2 grade thresholds

Paper 2 had a maximum raw mark of 40.

Paper 2 component	A	B	C
Component 21	26/40	22/40	18/40
Component 22	24/40	20/40	16/40
Component 23	24/40	20/40	16/40

The A threshold was:

• 26 out of 40 for Component 21

• 24 out of 40 for Component 22

• 24 out of 40 for Component 23

This means candidates needed between 60% and 65% for an A-level performance on Paper 2. Paper 2 therefore had a noticeably higher A boundary, as a percentage of the available raw marks, than Papers 1 and 4.

Paper 4 grade thresholds

Paper 4 also had a maximum raw mark of 40.

The thresholds were identical across all three variants:

Paper 4 component	A	B	C
Component 41	20/40	15/40	11/40
Component 42	20/40	15/40	11/40
Component 43	20/40	15/40	11/40

Candidates needed:

• 20 out of 40 for an A

• 15 out of 40 for a B

• 11 out of 40 for a C

Therefore, an A-level performance on Paper 4 required 50% of the available raw marks.

Coursework route grade thresholds

Candidates completing Component 03 alongside Papers 1 and 2 had the following overall thresholds:

Components	Maximum weighted mark	A*	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
03, 11, 21	150	111	98	85	73	64	56	48	40
03, 12, 22	150	111	98	85	73	64	56	48	40
03, 13, 23	150	108	96	84	72	64	56	48	40

For these routes, candidates needed:

• 108–111 weighted marks for an A*

• 96–98 weighted marks for an A

The A* boundary was therefore approximately 72–74%, while the A boundary was approximately 64–65%.

The individual A threshold for Component 03 was 34 out of 40, equivalent to 85%.

Component 83 and 93 routes

Cambridge also published thresholds for combinations involving Components 83 and 93:

Components	Maximum weighted mark	A*	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
11, 21, 83	150	109	97	85	73	65	57	47	37
11, 21, 93	150	109	97	85	73	65	57	47	37
12, 22, 83	150	111	98	85	73	65	57	47	37
12, 22, 93	150	111	98	85	73	65	57	47	37
13, 23, 83	150	108	96	84	72	64	57	47	37
13, 23, 93	150	108	96	84	72	64	57	47	37

Across these combinations, candidates needed:

• 108–111 weighted marks for an A*

• 96–98 weighted marks for an A

Component 50 thresholds

For candidates entered through Component 50, the maximum available mark was 90.

Component	Maximum mark	A*	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
50	90	72	65	58	51	45	39	33	27

Candidates therefore needed:

• 72 out of 90 for an A*

• 65 out of 90 for an A

• 58 out of 90 for a B

• 51 out of 90 for a C

Why can an A* be awarded at around 64%?

At first glance, an A* boundary of approximately 64–65% may appear surprisingly low. However, this does not mean that the examination was easy or that candidates could lose large numbers of marks without consequence.

Cambridge sets grade thresholds after reviewing the difficulty of the papers and the overall standard of candidates’ work. If a paper is particularly demanding, the threshold may be lower to ensure that students are not disadvantaged.

History marking is also based on the quality of the candidate’s response, not simply the amount written. High-level answers must demonstrate:

• Accurate and relevant historical knowledge

• Developed explanations rather than basic descriptions

• Focus on the exact wording of the question

• Effective analysis of historical sources

• Balanced arguments

• Supported judgements

• Consistent evaluation throughout an essay

A mark of 20 out of 40 on Paper 4, for example, does not necessarily represent weak historical knowledge. Extended History responses are assessed using demanding level-based mark schemes, and the highest marks require sustained analysis and well-supported judgement.

You did not need an A on every paper to receive an A overall

The individual component thresholds should be treated as indicators of performance—not as separate requirements that every candidate had to meet.

A candidate did not necessarily need to reach the A threshold on every component to receive an A overall. Strong performance on one paper could compensate for a weaker result on another because the final syllabus grade was based on the candidate’s combined weighted mark.

For example, a candidate who performed exceptionally well on Paper 1 and Paper 4 could still achieve an A overall even if their Paper 2 mark fell slightly below its individual A threshold.

The reverse was also true: reaching the individual A threshold on one component did not automatically guarantee an A for the complete qualification.

Raw marks and weighted marks are not the same

The individual paper thresholds are shown as raw marks. However, the syllabus thresholds are calculated using weighted marks.

This distinction matters because the raw marks from Components 11, 21 and 41, for example, total 140 marks:

• Paper 1: 60 raw marks

• Paper 2: 40 raw marks

• Paper 4: 40 raw marks

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However, Cambridge reports the overall grade threshold out of 150 weighted marks.

Candidates should therefore not simply add their raw paper marks and compare the total directly with the syllabus boundary. The appropriate weighting must be applied before the combined result can be compared with the overall threshold.

Percentage uniform marks are not raw percentages

Candidates in some regions receive a Percentage Uniform Mark, commonly known as a PUM, on their Statement of Results.

A PUM is not the same as:

• The candidate’s raw mark

• The percentage of questions answered correctly

• The weighted mark used in the threshold table

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For example, a PUM of 85 does not necessarily mean that the candidate scored exactly 85% of the available raw marks. It indicates where the candidate’s performance sits within the grade range determined by Cambridge.

PUMs should therefore not be compared directly with the raw or weighted grade thresholds.

Were the June 2026 boundaries high or low?

For the standard Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 4 route, the overall thresholds were relatively accessible in percentage terms:

Grade	Required weighted percentage
A*	Approximately 64–65%
A	Approximately 54–55%
B	Approximately 44–45%
C	Approximately 35–36%

However, these percentages must be interpreted carefully. Cambridge IGCSE History rewards developed explanation, source evaluation and sustained judgement. It is therefore considerably more difficult to earn each mark than it may appear from the numerical boundary alone.

Paper 2 had the most demanding individual A threshold in percentage terms, requiring between 60% and 65%. Paper 1 and Paper 4 had A thresholds closer to 50–55%.

Final summary

The June 2026 Cambridge IGCSE History boundaries show that candidates taking the standard Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 4 route needed:

• 96–98 weighted marks out of 150 for an A*

• 81–83 weighted marks out of 150 for an A

• 66–68 weighted marks out of 150 for a B

• 52–54 weighted marks out of 150 for a C

The precise threshold depended on the candidate’s component combination.

Most importantly, these are weighted syllabus marks, not simple raw-mark totals. A* also exists only at syllabus level—not for an individual paper.

Students preparing for future Cambridge IGCSE History examinations should use these boundaries as a useful reference, but they should not treat them as fixed targets. Grade thresholds can rise or fall in every examination series depending on the difficulty of the papers and the quality of candidates’ responses.