How are IGCSE grade thresholds set?

Q: Is there an A\* threshold for individual Cambridge IGCSE papers?

No. Cambridge does not award A at component level. The A threshold exists only for the overall syllabus, and Cambridge calculates it from the A and B thresholds and the maximum mark.

By The Learning Mate team · Updated 9 November 2026 · 10 min read

Cambridge and Pearson both set grade thresholds after each exam has been sat and marked, using a mix of statistical evidence and examiner judgement, so that each grade is no easier and no harder to achieve than in previous series. Cambridge sets a threshold for every component (including every paper variant) and then combines them, weighted, into syllabus thresholds. Pearson publishes overall subject boundaries for its 9–1 International GCSEs, plus "notional" component boundaries that are a guide only.

That is why the same raw mark can earn different grades in different years, and even on different variants in the same month. This guide explains the process using the boards' own documents and their June 2026 tables.

Why do IGCSE grade thresholds change every series?

Because papers vary slightly in difficulty, and the boards move the thresholds to keep the standard of each grade constant. A fixed percentage for each grade would make it easier to get an A in a year with an easy paper.

Cambridge's grade threshold page says the aim is for each grade to be "no more difficult and no less difficult" to obtain than the year before. If questions turn out harder than last time, thresholds go down. If they turn out easier, thresholds go up.

Pearson says the same thing in its own words: it sets new grade boundaries each time an exam or assessment is completed, so that learners of the same ability get the same grade whenever they sat the exam.

How does Cambridge decide where a threshold goes?

Cambridge combines statistical and judgemental evidence, and people, not software, make the final decision. Its "Our awarding standards" page describes the evidence:

Statistical evidence, such as how comparable groups of candidates performed in this series and in a previous one, usually the same series a year earlier.
Judgemental evidence, such as the principal examiner's view of how difficult each question paper was.
Forecast grades. The Cambridge Handbook 2026 lists deciding syllabus grade thresholds as one of the uses of the forecast grades schools submit. That is a good reason to take the forecast grades deadline seriously.

Cambridge says the balance of evidence varies, because papers test different skills and have different entry sizes. Experts document and justify each decision. A second expert team then reviews it, and finally Cambridge's most senior staff.

Cambridge also checks its IGCSE standards against GCSE. On the same page it says its statistical experts compare outcomes for candidates who took both, and that it makes fine adjustments if standards diverge.

Why are thresholds different for each paper variant?

Each variant is a different paper, so each gets its own thresholds. Cambridge allocates every school to one of six administrative zones, partly for exam security. The second digit of a component code shows the variant: Papers 21, 22 and 23 are all "Paper 2", but different question papers.

The June 2026 table for IGCSE Mathematics 0580 shows how far apart variants can be:

June 2026, 0580	Variant 1	Variant 2	Variant 3
Paper 2 (Extended), grade C, out of 100	40	41	47
Overall Extended grade A*, out of 200	162	177	177
Overall Extended grade A, out of 200	138	154	154
Overall Extended grade C, out of 200	90	87	94

Overall rows are for components 21 + 41, 22 + 42 and 23 + 43. A total of 140/200 was an A on variant 1 but not on variants 2 or 3. This is the strongest argument for converting a mock with the thresholds for the exact series and variant you used. Our mock grade boundaries guide walks through that method.

Pearson works in a similar way. Centres in countries Pearson specifies, including China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore and the UAE, sit regional "R" papers in the June series. These have their own boundaries. In June 2026, Mathematics A Higher tier (4MA1) needed 111/200 for a 7 on Papers 1H and 2H, but 119/200 on Papers 1HR and 2HR.

How do component thresholds become a syllabus threshold?

Cambridge adds the component thresholds together, after applying any weighting factor, to get the threshold for each combination of components. A candidate's grade comes from comparing their weighted total with that combination's thresholds.

Where every paper's raw mark already matches its weighting, as in 0580, no scaling is needed. Where it doesn't, Cambridge multiplies by a weighting factor, published each series in its Syllabus component weighting factors document. Biology 0610 in June 2026 is a good example:

0610 component (Extended)	Raw mark	Weighting factor	Maximum weighted mark
Paper 2 (multiple choice)	40	1.5	60
Paper 4 (theory)	80	1.25	100
Paper 6 (alternative to practical)	40	1	40
Total	160		200

You can check the arithmetic against the June 2026 table. The component A thresholds for 21, 41 and 61 were 31, 48 and 31. Weighted, that is 46.5 + 60 + 31 = 137.5, and the published syllabus A threshold for 21, 41, 61 is 138. Cambridge's conversion guide says to round totals ending in .5 up.

Two consequences matter for teachers:

Component grades don't decide the syllabus grade. Cambridge's conversion guide says a candidate with component grades A, A and B might get an A, a B, or even an A*. It depends on where they sat within each grade band.
Different options have different thresholds. A Core and an Extended candidate, or candidates with different practical papers, can have the same total but different grades.

Is there an A* on individual Cambridge papers?

No. Cambridge's grade threshold page says A* does not exist as a component grade, and the June 2026 tables for 0580 and 0610 repeat it under the component thresholds. A* only exists for the overall syllabus result.

Cambridge calculates the syllabus A* threshold from the A and B thresholds for that combination and the maximum mark. You can see the effect in 0580. For 21 + 41, A* (162) sits 24 marks above A, the same as the gap between A and B. For 22 + 42 and 23 + 43, A* (177) sits 23 marks above A, exactly halfway from A (154) to the maximum (200).

So if you set a single past paper as a test, report "grade A standard on this paper", not A*.

How does Pearson set International GCSE grade boundaries?

Pearson's awarding committees also balance statistics against judgement, then publish overall subject boundaries. Pearson's "Understanding marks and grades" page, written with its UK GCSEs mainly in mind, lists the evidence:

the grade each question was targeted at when the paper was written
statistics on how each question and paper performed
recommendations from the principal examiner or moderator
previous years' boundaries and outcomes
review of real student work around the likely boundaries, compared with work at last year's boundaries

Pearson's International GCSEs have been graded 9–1 since August 2019, according to its guidance for universities. The 4MA1 specification says individual components "are not graded". The boundaries document gives only the subject maximum and boundaries in raw marks.

Pearson also publishes notional component grade boundaries. It says senior examiners use them when recommending subject boundaries. For teachers, they can indicate grade performance when a paper is reused as a mock. They are not certificated grades. For grading differences between the two boards, see our guide to IGCSE 9–1 vs A*–G.

Cambridge vs Pearson at a glance

Question	Cambridge IGCSE	Pearson Edexcel International GCSE
What is it called?	Grade threshold	Grade boundary
Evidence used	Statistical and judgemental	Statistical and judgemental
Thresholds per paper?	Yes, for every component and variant	Notional only, as a guide
Overall thresholds	One row per combination of components	One row per entry option (e.g. 1H + 2H)
Weighting	Weighting factors published every series	Weighting factor applied where raw marks don't match the contribution
Top grade on a single paper	No A* at component level	Notional boundaries include grade 9
Grading scale	A*–G, with 9–1 versions of some syllabuses	9–1

When are grade thresholds published?

Pearson says it posts grade boundaries on results day. Cambridge publishes threshold tables after each exam series.

Pearson's Key Dates 2026–2027 lists the results dates and says it will post grade boundaries on its website "on these dates". For International GCSE:

Pearson series	Restricted release to centres	Release to candidates
November 2026	20 January 2027	21 January 2027
June 2027	18 August 2027	19 August 2027

Cambridge's grade threshold page says, "We publish grade thresholds after each exam series." It doesn't give a separate date. When we checked in October 2026, the Cambridge IGCSE pages listed threshold tables from March 2022 to June 2026. Registered schools can also download threshold documents from the School Support Hub. If you are preparing for the November 2026 results, our results day checklist covers the dates and enquiry deadlines.

What this means for teachers

Never reuse one year's thresholds for another year's paper. Match series and variant every time.
Report mock grades as estimates. Thresholds are set after the live cohort has sat the paper, so a mock can only approximate them.
Mark to the mark scheme, then apply thresholds. Thresholds come after marking, at the board and in your department.
Don't build an enquiry on threshold placement alone. The Cambridge Handbook 2026 says disagreeing with its threshold judgements is not, on its own, a reason for an appeal. Pearson says notional component boundaries are not relevant when deciding on a post-results service.
Submit careful forecast grades. Cambridge uses them in setting thresholds.

FAQ

Who sets IGCSE grade thresholds?

The exam board sets them after the exam has been marked. At Cambridge, subject experts use statistical and judgemental evidence, and a second team and senior staff review the decisions. At Pearson, awarding committees use statistics, principal examiner recommendations and inspection of student work.

Why are IGCSE grade thresholds different for each variant?

Each variant is a different question paper sat in different administrative zones, so each is graded on its own. In June 2026, the 0580 Paper 2 grade C threshold was 40, 41 and 47 for variants 21, 22 and 23.

Is there an A* threshold for individual Cambridge IGCSE papers?

No. Cambridge does not award A* at component level. The A* threshold exists only for the overall syllabus, and Cambridge calculates it from the A and B thresholds and the maximum mark.

When are IGCSE grade boundaries published?

Pearson posts International GCSE grade boundaries on results day, for example 20 and 21 January 2027 for the November 2026 series. Cambridge publishes grade threshold tables on its website after each exam series, and registered schools can also find them on the School Support Hub.

What is a component weighting factor?

It is a multiplier Cambridge applies to a component's raw mark so the paper counts for the right share of the syllabus. In June 2026, Biology 0610 Paper 2 was multiplied by 1.5 and Paper 4 by 1.25.