AQA A Level Religious Studies Grade Boundaries (2017-2026)
Grade boundaries matter. They're the scores you need to hit each grade in your Religious Studies exam, and understanding them can help with your revision strategy.
Every exam board — AQA, Edexcel, and OCR, for example — sets their own boundaries based on how difficult each paper is. That means the number you need for a top grade isn't always the same from year to year.
Below, you'll find the latest grade boundaries for AQA A Level Religious Studies, plus some practical revision tools to help you hit the grade you're aiming for.
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Grade Boundaries by Year
Source: AQA · 2017–2026
| Subject | Year | Max | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Religious Studies Adv Option A | 2026 | 200 | 170 | 144 | 118 | 92 | 66 | 40 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option A | 2025 | 200 | 173 | 148 | 122 | 96 | 71 | 46 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option A | 2024 | 200 | 169 | 141 | 113 | 85 | 57 | 30 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option A | 2023 | 200 | 167 | 143 | 115 | 87 | 59 | 31 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option A | 2022 | 200 | 165 | 143 | 116 | 89 | 63 | 37 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option A | 2020 | 200 | 166 | 138 | 109 | 80 | 52 | 24 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option A | 2019 | 200 | 181 | 157 | 128 | 99 | 70 | 42 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option A | 2018 | 200 | 168 | 140 | 114 | 88 | 62 | 36 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option B | 2026 | 200 | 170 | 144 | 118 | 92 | 66 | 40 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option B | 2025 | 200 | 173 | 148 | 122 | 96 | 71 | 46 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option B | 2024 | 200 | 170 | 142 | 114 | 87 | 60 | 33 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option B | 2023 | 200 | 174 | 150 | 121 | 93 | 65 | 37 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option B | 2022 | 200 | 165 | 143 | 116 | 89 | 63 | 37 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option B | 2020 | 200 | 168 | 140 | 111 | 82 | 53 | 25 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option B | 2019 | 200 | 183 | 159 | 130 | 101 | 72 | 43 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option B | 2018 | 200 | 168 | 140 | 114 | 88 | 62 | 36 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option C | 2026 | 200 | 170 | 144 | 118 | 92 | 66 | 40 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option C | 2025 | 200 | 173 | 148 | 122 | 96 | 71 | 46 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option C | 2024 | 200 | 169 | 141 | 113 | 85 | 57 | 30 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option C | 2023 | 200 | 167 | 143 | 114 | 86 | 58 | 30 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option C | 2022 | 200 | 165 | 143 | 116 | 89 | 63 | 37 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option C | 2020 | 200 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Religious Studies Adv Option C | 2019 | 200 | 182 | 158 | 129 | 100 | 71 | 42 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option C | 2018 | 200 | 168 | 140 | 114 | 88 | 62 | 36 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option D | 2026 | 200 | 170 | 144 | 118 | 92 | 66 | 40 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option D | 2025 | 200 | 173 | 148 | 122 | 96 | 71 | 46 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option D | 2024 | 200 | 169 | 141 | 113 | 85 | 57 | 30 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option D | 2023 | 200 | 167 | 143 | 114 | 86 | 58 | 30 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option D | 2022 | 200 | 165 | 143 | 116 | 89 | 63 | 37 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option D | 2020 | 200 | 167 | 139 | 110 | 81 | 52 | 23 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option D | 2019 | 200 | 182 | 158 | 128 | 99 | 70 | 41 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option D | 2018 | 200 | 168 | 140 | 114 | 88 | 62 | 36 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option E | 2026 | 200 | 170 | 144 | 118 | 92 | 66 | 40 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option E | 2025 | 200 | 173 | 148 | 122 | 96 | 71 | 46 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option E | 2024 | 200 | 170 | 142 | 114 | 86 | 58 | 30 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option E | 2023 | 200 | 167 | 143 | 114 | 86 | 58 | 30 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option E | 2022 | 200 | 165 | 143 | 116 | 89 | 63 | 37 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option E | 2020 | 200 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Religious Studies Adv Option E | 2019 | 200 | 182 | 158 | 129 | 100 | 71 | 42 |
| Religious Studies Adv Option E | 2018 | 200 | 168 | 140 | 114 | 88 | 62 | 36 |
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Understanding A Level Grade Boundaries for AQA Religious Studies
Grade boundaries tell you the minimum marks needed for each grade. Here's what you need to know:
Why grade boundaries exist
Grade boundaries create a fair system across different exam sessions. AQA uses them to make sure students all get graded fairly.
They change every year
Grade boundaries aren't fixed. They can shift every year based on overall student performance and exam difficulty.
For example, if one year's AQA A Level Religious Studies exam is particularly tough, the boundaries might drop to reflect that. This protects you from being penalised for a difficult paper.
Raw marks vs scaled marks
Your raw mark is your actual score. Scaled marks adjust for difficulty differences between papers. This means getting a certain grade always represents the same level of understanding, no matter which exam version you sat.
Different across boards and subjects
AQA doesn't use identical boundaries across all subjects. Each subject tests different skills, so Religious Studies boundaries will be tailored to what that exam actually demands.
And, just because multiple boards might deliver the same subject doesn't mean that their grade boundaries will be the same. This allows AQA to set boundaries according to the specific requirements of each Religious Studies exam. This means the assessment is fair.
How are the AQA A Level grade boundaries worked out?
Setting grade boundaries is a complicated process undertaken by AQA. The process involves a few things:
Statistical Analysis: AQA will analyse statistical data on student performance. This includes comparing current results with previous years to maintain consistency in grading standards.
Moderation: To keep things fair for everyone, AQA examiners double-check the marking. They may re-mark (or moderate) A Level Religious Studies papers to make sure the marks are consistent for all students.
Examiner Judgments: Experienced examiners review a sample of AQA A Level Religious Studies papers to work out overall performance levels and set appropriate boundaries.
What are weighted boundaries?
Some subjects have more than one exam paper or component, and they don't all contribute the same amount to your final grade. Exam boards assign each paper a weighting factor.
Working out your weighted grade
Here's a simple step-by-step guide to how it happens:
- You get a raw mark for each paper (this is just the mark the examiner gives you).
- Each paper gets multiplied by a weighting factor, which turns it into a weighted mark.
- All your weighted marks are added up to give you your total course mark.
- This total gets compared with the grade-threshold table for your exam session to decide your final grade.
A quick example
Let's say you're sitting two papers:
- Paper 1:
- You score 64 out of 80.
- The weighting is 1.25.
- So your weighted mark is 64 × 1.25 = 80.
- Paper 2:
- You score 70 out of 100.
- The weighting is 1.
- So your weighted mark is 70 × 1 = 70.
- Your total:
- 150 weighted marks.
Remember, grade boundaries change each exam series. This means the same total mark might lead to a different grade in another year. Don't be tempted to compare your marks with your friend who sat the exam last year — the boundaries could be completely different!
Check with AQA to see if A Level Religious Studies uses weighted scores.
How should you prepare for your AQA Religious Studies exam?
Getting ready for your A Level exam is easier when you've got the right tools. At Save My Exams, our teacher-written resources pinpoint exactly what to revise, help you identify your weak points, and show you how to improve. Our tools include:
Exam Questions: Target your weak spots by practising AQA A Level Religious Studies exam questions on topics you find tricky. The more you practise, the better your raw marks will be on exam day.
Past Papers: Work through AQA A Level Religious Studies past papers to get familiar with question styles and timings. You'll also start to see patterns in how grade boundaries apply to real exams.
Flashcards: Use AQA A Level Religious Studies flashcards to memorise key terms, formulas, and concepts. They're brilliant for quick revision sessions and help information stick in your memory when you need it most.
Revision Notes: Break down complicated topics with AQA A Level Religious Studies revision notes. They turn dense textbook content into clear, manageable summaries that cover everything you need.
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Where can I find past AQA Religious Studies exam papers?
Past papers are vital for preparing for your exam. You can familiarise yourself with the structure and timings of the paper, the types of questions asked and the knowledge and skills needed to ace your exam. Explore our bank of AQA A Level Religious Studies past papers and get practising.
What should I do if I need to catch up in Religious Studies revision?
If you're feeling behind in Religious Studies, don't worry! Your revision should focus on key concepts and topics that are likely to appear on the exam. You can use past exam papers to get a better idea of what these might be in the future. Create a structured revision timetable that dedicates extra time to key concepts and topics, ensuring the efficient use of your study time.
Looking for grade boundaries for another AQA A Level subject?
AQA A Level grade boundaries from other years
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