What are the AQA GCSE Grade Boundaries in 2021 and Why They Matter

What is the best way to prepare for your GCSE AQA exam?

The best way to prepare for your AQA GCSE exam is to start your revision early. Begin with a list of topics for all your GCSE courses and highlight the ones you are the most unsure about. Create a revision timetable with short periods of focus, giving the most time to these topics.

Ideally, you will want to revise all the topics for each subject, but often there just isn’t time. Prioritising topics will help you make the best use of the time you do have, and will give you the biggest increase in marks for your GCSE exams.

Use revision notes to revise AQA GCSE content. Flashcards are a great tool to practice recall, reinforce key concepts and boost memory retention. Then use exam questions to test your understanding and identify any areas that you are still unsure of.

It is also super helpful to use 2021 AQA GCSE past exam papers to practice your exam technique. Set a timer for the amount of time allowed for your AQA GCSE exam, and sit the paper under exam conditions. This will help you to manage your time more effectively. It will also help increase your exam stamina! It is difficult to concentrate and to write for extended periods, so you need to practice this before the big day.

How to interpret 2021 grade boundaries for AQA GCSE exams

Grade boundaries are established by exam boards such as AQA to reflect student performance in any given year. It is important to understand that the GCSE grade boundaries are set after the GCSE exams have been marked.

A variety of methods are used to ensure the grade boundaries are set fairly. Statistical analysis and examiner judgement are used to ensure the grade boundaries are fair and consistent with previous years.

Each GCSE exam paper is different, so the level of difficulty of the paper as a whole can fluctuate slightly from year to year. For example, if an entire cohort of students finds an exam paper particularly difficult, the grade boundary is lowered slightly so that students are not unfairly penalised.

Looking at the AQA GCSE grade boundaries for previous years can help you get an idea of the marks you need in 2021 to achieve the grade you want. With this information and your AQA GCSE past paper scores, you can get an idea of the grade you are currently working at. You will be able to see how many marks you would have needed to get the higher grade. Armed with this information and an effective revision process, you can successfully work to increase your grade.

A word of caution. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the AQA GCSE grade boundaries were lowered to minimise the disadvantage faced by students who missed school due to lockdowns. Therefore, the grade boundaries for the AQA GCSE years 2020 to 2022 will not be representative of other years.