What Are Cambridge Grade Thresholds?
A grade threshold is the minimum mark you need to get a particular grade. Cambridge publishes them for every exam series, and they are the most accurate way to turn a past paper score into a grade.
Why thresholds change every series
Thresholds are not fixed percentages. Cambridge sets them after each exam, once it has looked at how hard the paper was and how students performed. If a paper was harder than usual, the marks needed for each grade are lower. If it was easier, they are higher. This keeps a grade worth the same from one series to the next.
This is why a score of 70 percent might be an A in one series and a B in another.
How to read a threshold table
- Each row shows a paper, or component, and the marks needed for each grade.
- A separate overall row or option shows the marks needed across all the papers you sat.
- Option codes show the different combinations of papers students can take in a subject.
- Some subjects weight papers differently, so your overall total may not be a simple sum of your marks.
How to estimate your grade
Find the thresholds for the same series and variant as the paper you practised. Compare your mark with the overall row if you have marks for every paper, or with the component row if you only did one paper. Our grade calculator does this for you and is quicker than reading the PDF.
Remember that a threshold from a past series is a guide. The thresholds for your own exam will only be set after you sit it.
Which grades can you get?
- Cambridge O Level: A* to E.
- Cambridge IGCSE: A* to G, or 9 to 1 for syllabuses graded on the number scale.
- Cambridge International AS Level: a to e.
- Cambridge International A Level: A* to E.