When were the SQA grade boundaries 2026 published?

They were published on results day, Tuesday 4 August 2026.

What percentage do you need for an A?

The notional boundary for an A is 70%, and 85% for an upper A. The real boundary for each course can be adjusted after the exams.

The notional C boundary is 50% of the total course assessment marks. The published figure for your course may differ slightly.

Do grade boundaries include coursework?

Yes. Boundaries apply to the total marks for the course assessment, which includes any coursework as well as the exam.

Are grade boundaries the same every year?

No. They start from the notional lines and are adjusted each year based on how the exam and coursework performed.

Is my band on my certificate?

No. Your certificate shows your grade only. Your school holds your band information.

SQA grade boundaries 2026

Qualifications Scotland published the 2026 grade boundaries on results day, Tuesday 4 August 2026. They show the minimum total marks needed for an A, B or C in each course.

Course	Level	Out of	A	B	C	D	A vs 2025
Accounting	National 5	180	123	104	85	66	-4
Administration and IT	National 5	120	84	70	57	43	Same
Applications of Mathematics	National 5	90	65	56	48	39	Same
Art and Design	National 5	250	175	150	125	100	Same
Biology	National 5	125	86	74	62	50	Same
Business Management	National 5	120	84	72	60	48	Same
Care	National 5	120	84	72	60	48	Same
Chemistry	National 5	125	86	73	61	48	-3
Chinese Languages	National 5	120	84	72	60	48	Same
Classical Studies	National 5	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Computing Science	National 5	120	84	71	58	45	-2
Dance	National 5	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Design and Manufacture	National 5	180	126	107	88	69	-1
Drama	National 5	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Economics	National 5	120	87	74	61	48	+1
Engineering Science	National 5	160	112	96	80	64	-4
English	National 5	100	72	61	51	40	-1
English for Speakers of Other Languages	National 5	100	70	60	50	40	+1
Environmental Science	National 5	125	87	73	60	46	Same
Fashion and Textile Technology	National 5	100	71	62	53	44	Same
French	National 5	120	81	69	57	45	-2
Gaelic (Learners)	National 5	120	84	72	60	48	+1
Gàidhlig	National 5	120	84	72	60	48	Same
Geography	National 5	100	70	59	49	38	Same
German	National 5	120	84	71	58	45	-1
Graphic Communication	National 5	120	89	76	64	51	Same
Health and Food Technology	National 5	120	84	72	60	48	Same
History	National 5	100	70	60	50	40	+1
Italian	National 5	120	84	72	60	48	Same
Latin	National 5	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Mathematics	National 5	90	65	55	46	36	+1
Media	National 5	120	84	72	60	48	Same
Modern Studies	National 5	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Music	National 5	100	70	60	50	40	+1
Music Technology	National 5	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Philosophy	National 5	100	70	60	50	40	+1
Physical Education	National 5	120	87	74	61	48	Same
Physics	National 5	125	83	68	54	39	-1
Practical Cake Craft	National 5	100	82	74	66	58	+6
Practical Cookery	National 5	100	73	63	53	43	Same
Practical Electronics	National 5	100	72	62	52	42	+2
Practical Metalworking	National 5	80	58	49	40	31	New total
Practical Woodworking	National 5	80	58	49	40	31	New total
Psychology	National 5	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies	National 5	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Sociology	National 5	100	72	61	50	39	+2
Spanish	National 5	120	84	72	60	48	+1
Urdu	National 5	120	84	72	60	48	Same
Accounting	Higher	180	126	105	84	63	-2
Administration and IT	Higher	120	82	70	58	46	-6
Applications of Mathematics	Higher	110	76	63	50	37	+1
Art and Design	Higher	260	182	156	130	104	Same
Biology	Higher	150	105	89	74	58	-2
Business Management	Higher	120	83	70	57	44	-1
Care	Higher	130	91	78	65	52	Same
Chemistry	Higher	150	105	87	70	52	-3
Childcare and Development	Higher	130	91	78	65	52	Same
Chinese Languages	Higher	120	84	72	60	48	Same
Classical Studies	Higher	110	77	66	55	44	Same
Computing Science	Higher	120	84	72	60	48	+2
Dance	Higher	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Design and Manufacture	Higher	170	119	101	84	66	Same
Drama	Higher	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Economics	Higher	120	84	72	60	48	-1
Engineering Science	Higher	160	117	103	90	76	+5
English	Higher	100	71	61	52	42	+3
English for Speakers of Other Languages	Higher	100	72	62	52	42	+2
Environmental Science	Higher	150	105	90	75	60	+1
Fashion and Textile Technology	Higher	100	69	58	48	37	-1
French	Higher	120	82	70	58	46	-3
Gaelic (Learners)	Higher	120	84	72	60	48	+1
Gàidhlig	Higher	120	84	72	60	48	Same
Geography	Higher	110	76	63	50	37	-1
German	Higher	120	83	70	58	45	Same
Graphic Communication	Higher	140	98	84	70	56	Same
Health and Food Technology	Higher	120	84	72	60	48	Same
History	Higher	110	77	66	55	44	Same
Human Biology	Higher	150	105	90	75	60	+1
Italian	Higher	120	84	72	60	48	Same
Latin	Higher	130	91	78	65	52	Same
Mathematics	Higher	120	83	70	58	45	-3
Media	Higher	100	66	57	48	39	Same
Modern Studies	Higher	110	77	65	53	41	Same
Music	Higher	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Music Technology	Higher	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Philosophy	Higher	110	77	66	55	44	+2
Photography	Higher	130	91	78	65	52	Same
Physical Education	Higher	100	68	58	48	38	-2
Physics	Higher	150	102	86	71	55	+2
Politics	Higher	110	75	63	51	39	Same
Psychology	Higher	120	80	67	55	42	-8
Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies	Higher	110	77	66	55	44	Same
Sociology	Higher	110	77	66	55	44	Same
Spanish	Higher	120	82	70	59	47	-2
Urdu	Higher	120	84	72	60	48	Same
Accounting	Advanced Higher	200	140	120	100	80	Same
Art and Design (Design)	Advanced Higher	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Art and Design (Expressive)	Advanced Higher	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Biology	Advanced Higher	160	98	83	69	54	-2
Business Management	Advanced Higher	120	81	69	57	45	-4
Chemistry	Advanced Higher	160	108	90	73	55	Same
Chinese Languages	Advanced Higher	200	140	120	100	80	Same
Classical Studies	Advanced Higher	150	105	90	75	60	Same
Computing Science	Advanced Higher	135	94	80	67	53	Same
Design and Manufacture	Advanced Higher	200	140	119	98	77	+2
Drama	Advanced Higher	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Economics	Advanced Higher	120	84	72	60	48	-4
Engineering Science	Advanced Higher	150	103	89	75	61	Same
English	Advanced Higher	100	66	57	48	39	Same
French	Advanced Higher	200	140	120	100	80	-4
Gaelic (Learners)	Advanced Higher	200	140	120	100	80	Same
Gàidhlig	Advanced Higher	115	80	68	57	45	Same
Geography	Advanced Higher	150	104	88	73	57	-1
German	Advanced Higher	200	140	120	100	80	Same
Graphic Communication	Advanced Higher	180	122	103	84	65	-4
Health and Food Technology	Advanced Higher	110	77	66	55	44	Same
History	Advanced Higher	140	98	84	70	56	Same
Italian	Advanced Higher	200	140	120	100	80	Same
Latin	Advanced Higher	180	126	108	90	72	Same
Mathematics	Advanced Higher	115	81	68	56	43	-2
Mathematics of Mechanics	Advanced Higher	100	69	59	49	39	-1
Modern Studies	Advanced Higher	140	98	84	70	56	Same
Music	Advanced Higher	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Music Technology	Advanced Higher	135	94	80	67	53	Same
Music: Portfolio	Advanced Higher	100	70	60	50	40	Same
Physical Education	Advanced Higher	100	70	60	50	40	+2
Physics	Advanced Higher	160	107	89	72	54	-3
Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies	Advanced Higher	140	98	84	70	56	Same
Spanish	Advanced Higher	200	144	123	102	81	+4
Statistics	Advanced Higher	120	82	70	59	47	Same

Minimum total marks for each grade in 2026, across the exam and any coursework. Source: Qualifications Scotland grade boundaries 2026. Select a course for earlier years and a calculator.

What grade boundaries are

A grade boundary is the minimum mark you need for a grade. Boundaries apply to the total marks for the course assessment. That means the exam plus any coursework, such as an assignment, project or performance.

Every course and level has its own boundaries. In 2026 Qualifications Scotland held 146 grade boundary meetings to set them.

Notional boundaries and bands

Papers and coursework are written with notional boundaries in mind: 70% for an A and 50% for a C. These are the starting point each year. Final boundaries are adjusted from there.

Band	Grade	Notional range
1	A (upper)	85% to 100%
2	A (lower)	70% to 84%
3	B (upper)	65% to 69%
4	B (lower)	60% to 64%
5	C (upper)	55% to 59%
6	C (lower)	50% to 54%
7	D	40% to 49%
8	No Award	30% to 39%
9	No Award	0% to 29%

A grade D means you are still awarded the course. Below 40% is a No Award. Bands are not printed on your certificate, but your school holds them.

Why boundaries move

No two papers are identical. Some questions turn out harder or easier than the setters intended.

At each grade boundary meeting, principal assessors review how learners answered the exam and coursework. They check whether questions worked as expected and whether anything affected performance. If an exam or piece of coursework was harder than intended, boundaries may move down by a few marks.

That is why the same total can earn different grades in different years.

When boundaries are published

Grade boundaries come out in August, on results day. The 2026 boundaries were published on Tuesday 4 August 2026 as a spreadsheet. Spreadsheets for 2022 to 2025 are also available.

The 2027 boundaries are scheduled for August 2027. Results day 2027 is Tuesday 10 August.

Using boundaries with past papers

Sit a past paper under timed conditions.
Mark it with the official marking instructions for that year.
Add your coursework mark, or a realistic estimate if you do not have it yet.
Compare your total with the boundaries for the same course, level and year.

Match the year of the boundaries to the year of the paper. A 2024 paper should be checked against 2024 boundaries.

A worked example

Say a course assessment is worth 120 marks in total. The notional A line is 84 marks, which is 70%. The notional C line is 60 marks, which is 50%.

The real boundaries for that year may sit a few marks away from these lines. Use the published figure where one exists.

Common mistakes

Comparing an exam paper mark on its own with a boundary set for exam plus coursework.
Using one year's boundaries for another year's paper.
Treating a percentage from a school prelim as an exact grade. Prelims are not set to the same boundaries.

Quick answers

When were the SQA grade boundaries 2026 published?: They were published on results day, Tuesday 4 August 2026.
What percentage do you need for an A?: The notional boundary for an A is 70%, and 85% for an upper A. The real boundary for each course can be adjusted after the exams.
What mark is a C?: The notional C boundary is 50% of the total course assessment marks. The published figure for your course may differ slightly.
Do grade boundaries include coursework?: Yes. Boundaries apply to the total marks for the course assessment, which includes any coursework as well as the exam.
Are grade boundaries the same every year?: No. They start from the notional lines and are adjusted each year based on how the exam and coursework performed.
Is my band on my certificate?: No. Your certificate shows your grade only. Your school holds your band information.