A-Levels are graded on a six-point scale from A* (highest) to E (minimum pass), with U (ungraded) below that. Grades are awarded by the relevant exam board based on written exams sat in May and June of Year 13, with some subjects including a small element of coursework or practical assessment that contributes to the final grade.
What grades are available at A-Level?
The full A-Level grading scale has six passing grades and one failing grade:
- A* — outstanding performance (introduced in 2010)
- A — excellent performance
- B — very good performance
- C — good performance
- D — satisfactory performance
- E — minimum pass standard
- U — ungraded (below the pass threshold; does not count toward qualifications)
There is no numerical grade at A-Level equivalent to the 9–1 scale used at GCSE. The A* grade was introduced specifically to help universities differentiate among the highest-achieving candidates — particularly at Russell Group and Oxbridge institutions, which may set conditional offers requiring one or two A* grades.
How do A-Level grades convert to UCAS Tariff points?
UCAS Tariff points allow universities to compare qualifications from different awarding bodies on a single numerical scale. A-Level grades map to UCAS points as follows:
| A-Level Grade | UCAS Tariff Points |
|---|---|
| A* | 56 |
| A | 48 |
| B | 40 |
| C | 32 |
| D | 24 |
| E | 16 |
| U | 0 |
A student taking three A-Levels and achieving ABB would therefore accumulate 48 + 40 + 40 = 128 UCAS Tariff points. Many university courses specify a minimum points total (for example, "128 points from three A-Levels") rather than — or in addition to — specific grade requirements. Points from AS-Levels, BTECs, EPQ and other qualifications can also contribute to a UCAS total.
How are A-Levels assessed?
The current A-Level system (linear A-Levels, introduced from 2015 onwards) assesses students entirely at the end of the two-year course, rather than spreading marks across Year 12 and Year 13. Key features:
- Written examinations — typically two or three papers per subject, each lasting between 1.5 and 3 hours, sat in May and June of Year 13
- Non-exam assessment (NEA) — coursework, practical work, or portfolio components in some subjects (for example, Art and Design, Music, Geography fieldwork, and some sciences)
- Science practical endorsement — in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, students complete a series of required practicals throughout the course and receive a separate "Pass/Fail" endorsement on their certificate (this does not contribute numerically to the grade)
AS-Levels (the first-year qualification) are now entirely decoupled from A-Levels and do not contribute to the final A-Level grade, though some students sit them for UCAS Tariff points.
What is the grade boundary and how is it set?
A grade boundary is the minimum mark a student must achieve to be awarded each grade. Boundaries are not fixed in advance; they are set by the exam boards — AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel, WJEC Eduqas, and CCEA — after each examination series, using a process called awarding. Awarding committees review student scripts and statistical data to ensure that grade standards remain consistent from year to year, regardless of whether a particular paper was slightly harder or easier than in previous years.
This means a student who scores 78% on one year's Chemistry paper may receive the same grade as a student who scored 82% in a different year if the paper that year was judged to be harder. Grade boundaries for each subject and paper are published by exam boards shortly after results day.
Which exam boards offer A-Levels?
There are several exam boards in England, and different schools may use different boards for the same subject. The main boards are:
- AQA — the most widely used board in England
- OCR — offers both traditional and Cambridge International A-Levels
- Pearson Edexcel — widely used, particularly in London and the South East
- WJEC Eduqas — primarily used in Wales, with some English schools using Eduqas specifications
- CCEA — the Northern Ireland board
All awarding bodies are regulated by Ofqual (the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) in England, which ensures grading standards are comparable across boards.
Can students resit A-Levels?
Yes. A-Levels can be resit in the following year's summer examination series (May–June). The options are:
- Full resit — retake all papers in a subject (the most common approach)
- Component resit — some boards permit resitting individual papers, though this is subject to the board's rules and becomes increasingly rare as boards move to linear assessment
- Private candidate entry — students who have left school can enter through a private examination centre or an exam board's direct entry scheme
Universities are generally aware that resits are more common than they once were and do not automatically penalise applicants. However, competitive courses (Medicine, Veterinary Science, Oxbridge) sometimes specify in their entry requirements that they prefer or require grades achieved at first sitting, so students should check individual course policies before committing to a resit.
What happens on A-Level results day?
A-Level results are released in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland on the third Thursday of August each year (typically mid-August). Students collect results in person at their school or sixth-form college from early morning. University places are confirmed through UCAS Track, which updates automatically on results day. Students who narrowly miss their offers can enter UCAS Clearing to find alternative university places, and those who exceed their offers may be eligible for UCAS Adjustment.
Frequently asked questions
Is a grade D at A-Level worth anything?
Yes. A grade D is a pass at A-Level and carries 24 UCAS Tariff points. It demonstrates that a student has completed a full two-year Level 3 programme in the subject. While a D grade may fall short of the entry requirements for some competitive university courses, it still qualifies a student for many degree programmes and for Level 3 vocational progression routes.
Does the exam board affect how hard it is to get an A?
In principle, no — Ofqual's regulatory framework and the awarding process are designed to ensure that a grade A from AQA is equivalent to a grade A from Edexcel or OCR in the same subject. In practice, very small statistical differences can exist year to year, but these are not meaningful enough to influence subject or school choice. The biggest variation comes from the specification content and teaching style that suits the individual student and teacher.
Are A-Level grades curved?
The UK does not use norm-referenced grading (where a fixed percentage of students must fail). A-Level grades are criterion-referenced, meaning a student is awarded the grade their marks merit, not their rank relative to other students. The awarding process adjusts grade boundaries to account for paper difficulty year on year, but there is no artificial cap on how many students can achieve a particular grade.
How does the A* grade work — is it just the top of the A range?
Not exactly. At A-Level, the A* requires a student to achieve grade A overall (at least 80% of the total uniform marks) AND at least 90% of the available marks across their A2 (Year 13) units or papers. This dual threshold means a student who performs strongly in Year 12-equivalent content but dips below 90% in the final-year papers may receive an A rather than A*, even if their overall average exceeds 80%. The exact calculation is published by each exam board for each specification.
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