Edexcel (Pearson) IGCSE English Literature Grade Boundaries (2020-2025)

Grade boundaries matter. They're the scores you need to hit each grade in your English Literature 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 Edexcel (Pearson) IGCSE English Literature, plus some practical revision tools to help you hit the grade you're aiming for.

SubjectYearMonthMaximum MarkGrade 9Grade 8Grade 7Grade 6Grade 5Grade 4Grade 3Grade 2Grade 1
English Literature2022January1501029283716049362310
English Literature2022January15011210190786655412713
English Literature2022January1501029283716049362310
English Literature2022January15011210190786655412713
English Literature2022January15011210190786655412713
English Literature Paper(s) 01 022024November150118110103917967503418
English Literature Paper(s) 01 022024June150118110103917967503418
English Literature Paper(s) 01 022023November15011710899877563483318
English Literature Paper(s) 01 022023June15011710899877563483318
English Literature Paper(s) 01 022023January15010910092817161473319
English Literature Paper(s) 01 022022June15011310495847363483319
English Literature Paper(s) 01 022021November1501029283716049362310
English Literature Paper(s) 01 032024November150124115106948271543721
English Literature Paper(s) 01 032024June150124115106948271543721
English Literature Paper(s) 01 032023November150123113104928170533721
English Literature Paper(s) 01 032023June150123113104928170533721
English Literature Paper(s) 01 032023January15011710899887766513621
English Literature Paper(s) 01 032022June150122112102907968523621
English Literature Paper(s) 01 032021November15011210190786655412713
English Literature Paper(s) 01 03T2024November150124115106948271543721
English Literature Paper(s) 01 03T2024June150124115106948271543721
English Literature Paper(s) 01 03T2023November150123113104928170533721
English Literature Paper(s) 01 03T2023January15011710899887766513621
English Literature Paper(s) 01 2C2024June150118110103917967503418
English Literature Paper(s) 01R 02R2024June150122112102918069523518
English Literature Paper(s) 01R 02R2023June150118109100897868523621
English Literature Paper(s) 01R 02R2023January15010910092817161473319
English Literature Paper(s) 01R 02R2022June15011510697887971553923
English Literature Paper(s) 01R 032024June150125116107958473553821
English Literature Paper(s) 01R 032023June150124114105948372553822
English Literature Paper(s) 01R 032023January15011710899887766513621
English Literature Paper(s) 01R 032022June150122112103938374574024
English Literature Paper(s) 01R 03T2024June150125116107958473553821
English Literature Paper(s) 01R 03T2023June150123113104928170533721
English Literature Paper(s) 01R 03T2022June150122112103938374574024
English Literature Paper(s) 01R 2CR2024June150122112102918069523518
English Literature Paper(s) 02 1C2024November150118110103917967503418
English Literature Paper(s) 02 1C2024June150118110103917967503418
English Literature Paper(s) 02 1C2023June15011710899877563483318
English Literature Paper(s) 03 1C2024June150124115106948271543721
English Literature Paper(s) 03 1C2023June150123113104928170533721
English Literature Paper(s) 03 1CR2024June150125116107958473553821
English Literature Paper(s) 03 1CR2023June150124114105948372553822
English Literature Paper(s) 03T 1C2024June150124115106948271543721
English Literature Paper(s) 1C 2C2024November150118110103917967503418
English Literature Paper(s) 1C 2C2024June150118110103917967503418
English Literature Paper(s) 1C 2C2023June15011710899877563483318
English Literature Paper(s) 1CR 2CR2024June150122112102918069523518
English Literature Papers 01 & 022020November1501079685726048352210
English Literature Papers 01 & 022020January15011410494837363463014
English Literature Papers 01 & 032020November15011510392796654402613
English Literature Papers 01 & 032020January15012010998877767503317
English Literature Papers 01 & 03T2020November15011510392796654402613
English Literature Papers 01 & 03T2020January15012010998877767503317
English Literature Papers 01R & 02R2020November1501069483715947342210
English Literature Papers 01R & 02R2020January15011410494837363463014
English Literature Papers 01R & 032020November15011410393816958432814
English Literature Papers 01R & 032020January15012010998877767503317
English Literature Paper(s) 01 022025June150120112105938169523620
English Literature Paper(s) 01 032025June150125116107958372553822
English Literature Paper(s) 01r 02r2025June150119111104928068513519
English Literature Paper(s) 01r 032025June150125116107958372553822
English Literature Paper(s) 01 03t2025June150125116107958372553822
English Literature Paper(s) 01r 03t2025June150125116107958372553822
English Literature Paper(s) 1c 2c2025June150120112105938169523620
English Literature Paper(s) 02 1c2025June150120112105938169523620
English Literature Paper(s) 03 1c2025June150125116107958372553822
English Literature Paper(s) 1cr 2cr2025June150119111104928068513519
English Literature Paper(s) 03 1cr2025June150125116107958372553822

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Understanding IGCSE Grade Boundaries for Edexcel (Pearson) English Literature

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. Edexcel (Pearson) 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 Edexcel (Pearson) IGCSE English Literature 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

Edexcel (Pearson) doesn't use identical boundaries across all subjects. Each subject tests different skills, so English Literature 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 Edexcel (Pearson) to set boundaries according to the specific requirements of each English Literature exam. This means the assessment is fair.

How are the Edexcel (Pearson) IGCSE grade boundaries worked out?

Setting grade boundaries is a complicated process undertaken by Edexcel (Pearson). The process involves a few things:

  • Statistical Analysis: Edexcel (Pearson) 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, Edexcel (Pearson) examiners double-check the marking. They may re-mark (or moderate) IGCSE English Literature papers to make sure the marks are consistent for all students.

  • Examiner Judgments: Experienced examiners review a sample of Edexcel (Pearson) IGCSE English Literature 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:

  1. You get a raw mark for each paper (this is just the mark the examiner gives you).
  2. Each paper gets multiplied by a weighting factor, which turns it into a weighted mark.
  3. All your weighted marks are added up to give you your total course mark.
  4. 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 Edexcel (Pearson) to see if IGCSE English Literature uses weighted scores.

How should you prepare for your Edexcel (Pearson) English Literature exam?

Getting ready for your IGCSE 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:

Got questions?
We’ve got answers

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 Edexcel (Pearson) IGCSE English Literature past papers and get practising.

If you're feeling behind in English Literature, 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.

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