# 9709 Grade Boundaries: What You Need for an A* in A Level Maths

> In June 2026 the grade boundary for an A* in Cambridge A Level Maths (9709) was between 222 and 234 out of 250, depending on the variant you sat, and an A needed between 194 and 218. Cambridge calls these grade thresholds. Your total is simply your raw marks on Papers 1 and 3 (out of 75 each) plus your two applied papers (out of 50 each).

- Page: https://mathvsarham.com/articles/9709-grade-boundaries/
- Author: Arham (https://mathvsarham.com/about/)
- Category: Cambridge A Level Maths (9709)
- Part of: Cambridge A Level Maths 9709: Papers, Routes, Grading and How to Prepare (https://mathvsarham.com/articles/cambridge-a-level-maths-9709/)
- Published: 2026-10-26
- Last checked: 2026-10-26

## Key takeaways

- Full A Level marks are out of 250: Paper 1 (75) + Paper 3 (75) + two applied papers (50 each). No scaling is needed.
- June 2026 A*: 222 to 234 out of 250 (about 89% to 94%), depending on variant and route.
- November 2025 A*: 204 to 230 out of 250 for the one-series A Level routes.
- A* only exists for the whole A Level. Individual papers are graded A to E.
- Thresholds change every series and variant, so plan for a range, not one number.

"What are the 9709 grade boundaries?" is the most common question about the course, and the honest answer is a range. Cambridge calls them grade thresholds and sets them after every series, separately for each variant. Here is how the official tables work and what the latest figures were.

## How is your 9709 total calculated?

Cambridge adds your raw marks across the papers you sat. Because the paper weightings match the paper totals, you do not need to scale anything:

* **Full A Level:** Paper 1 (75) + Paper 3 (75) + Paper 4 or 6 (50) + Paper 5 (50) = **250**.
* **AS Level:** Paper 1 (75) + Paper 2, 4 or 5 (50) = **125**.

So if you score 68 on Paper 1, 63 on Paper 3, 46 on Paper 4 and 47 on Paper 5, your total is 224 out of 250.

## What were the 9709 grade boundaries in June 2026?

These are the official syllabus thresholds (grade boundaries) for candidates who sat all four papers of the full A Level in June 2026. The numbers in the first column are the components, where the first digit is the paper and the second is the variant (so 11 is Paper 1, variant 1).

| Components | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 11, 31, 41, 51 | 223 | 197 | 163 | 128 | 94 | 60 |
| 11, 31, 51, 61 | 222 | 194 | 163 | 129 | 95 | 62 |
| 12, 32, 42, 52 | 222 | 194 | 161 | 124 | 88 | 52 |
| 12, 32, 52, 62 | 223 | 196 | 166 | 131 | 96 | 61 |
| 13, 33, 43, 53 | 231 | 212 | 186 | 149 | 113 | 77 |
| 13, 33, 53, 63 | 234 | 218 | 194 | 155 | 116 | 77 |
| 15, 35, 45, 55 | 226 | 202 | 175 | 136 | 98 | 60 |
| 15, 35, 55, 65 | 227 | 204 | 178 | 138 | 98 | 58 |

All totals are out of 250. The variant 3 papers needed the most: 234 is 93.6%.

## How much do the grade boundaries change between series?

The November 2025 table shows how much thresholds move between series. For the one-series A Level routes, the A* threshold ranged from **204** (components 12, 32, 52, 62) to **230** (13, 33, 53, 63 and 15, 35, 55, 65). For components 11, 31, 41, 51 it was 223, the same as June 2026, while 12, 32, 42, 52 needed only 205.

The lesson: one variant's A* can be 25 marks lower than another's in the same series, because the papers differ in difficulty. You do not choose your variant (it follows your school's time zone), so prepare as if you will get a hard one.

## What were the AS Level grade boundaries in June 2026?

AS totals are out of 125. In June 2026 grade a needed:

| Components | a | b | c |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 11, 21 | 99 | 83 | 65 |
| 11, 41 | 102 | 84 | 66 |
| 11, 51 | 98 | 79 | 62 |
| 12, 42 | 99 | 80 | 60 |
| 12, 52 | 102 | 86 | 65 |
| 13, 53 | 107 | 94 | 72 |

The full table, including every variant and staged route, is in the official PDF linked below.

## Why is there no A* on a single paper?

Cambridge only awards A* for the whole A Level. Each component has thresholds for A to E, but "Grade A* does not exist at the level of an individual component." That is why the per-paper thresholds you see (for example 59 out of 75 for an A on Paper 1 variant 1 in June 2026) stop at A.

## What should your target be?

Across the two most recent series, the A* threshold sat between about 82% and 94%. A sensible plan is to aim for **90% (225 out of 250)** in your practice papers. That leaves room for a harder variant.

Split it across the papers so you know what each one needs, for example 68/75 on Paper 1, 66/75 on Paper 3 and 45/50 on each applied paper. [How to get an A* in 9709](https://mathvsarham.com/articles/how-to-get-an-a-star-in-a-level-maths/) explains how to build that margin.

## Where are the latest 9709 grade boundaries published?

Cambridge publishes a new threshold table for each series on results day. Search the Cambridge website for "9709 grade threshold table" plus the series (for example "June 2027"), and check that the table is for 9709 and the right series before you rely on it. This article is updated when new tables come out; the date at the top shows when it was last checked.

Back to the [Cambridge A Level Maths 9709 guide](https://mathvsarham.com/articles/cambridge-a-level-maths-9709/).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the A* grade boundary for 9709?

It changes every series. In June 2026 it was 222 to 234 out of 250 for the one-series A Level routes, and in November 2025 it was 204 to 230. Plan to score around 90% to be safe.

### How do I work out my 9709 total?

Add your raw marks. For the full A Level: Paper 1 out of 75, Paper 3 out of 75 and your two applied papers out of 50 each, giving a total out of 250. For AS Level: Paper 1 out of 75 plus your second paper out of 50, out of 125.

### Why do different 9709 variants have different grade boundaries?

Each variant (for example 9709/12 versus 9709/13) is a different question paper sat in a different time zone, so Cambridge sets thresholds separately to keep grades fair when one paper turns out harder than another.

### Is there an A* for AS Level 9709?

No. AS Level is graded a to e. A* is only awarded for the full A Level.

## Sources

- [Cambridge 9709 grade thresholds, June 2026](https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/Images/761530-mathematics-9709-june-2026-grade-threshold-table.pdf)
- [Cambridge 9709 grade thresholds, November 2025](https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/Images/749725-mathematics-9709-november-2025-grade-threshold-table.pdf)
- [Cambridge 9709 syllabus for 2026 and 2027: Assessment overview](https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/Images/697427-2026-2027-syllabus.pdf)

## Past papers

- [9709 Mathematics](https://mathvsarham.com/past-papers/)