A Level Geography Grade Boundaries

Which paper to prioritise

The written papers are consistently harder than the coursework/fieldwork component on both boards. On AQA, Papers 1 and 2 (Physical and Human Geography) sit around 78–79% for an A*, while the NEA sits at 87–88%. Students consistently score higher on their independent investigation than on the exam papers. Edexcel shows the same shape: Papers 1 and 2 need 70–73% for an A*, while Papers 3 and 4 (including the NEA) sit at 81–87%. The practical takeaway: don’t under-revise for Papers 1/2 because coursework “counts too” – the exam papers are where the real grade risk is.

Did it get harder or easier?

Both boards were remarkably stable year on year. AQA’s overall A* boundary held flat at 80%, and Edexcel only moved from 76% to 77%. Geography is the most predictable of the six subjects for boundary movement, so past years’ figures are a reasonably safe guide for target-setting here, more so than for Economics or Politics.

About A Level Geography Grade Boundaries

It’s important to remember that A Level Geography grade boundaries fluctuate every year, and there is no defined percentage for each grade. As we are now past pandemic-level boundaries, they are likely to rise slightly against 2024 levels this year, and the A Level Geography grade boundaries should generally remain at a similar place. Where there are more tough papers, grade boundaries may be lowered, and they may be raised where a cohort finds a particular paper easier.

Useful Links

AQA Grade Boundaries Archive
Edexcel Grade Boundaries Archive
OCR Grade Boundaries Archive
A Level Geography Past Papers
A Level Geography Revision Tools