SQA grade calculator
Enter your total mark to see the grade it would get. The calculator uses published grade boundaries for your course, level and year.
How the calculator works
- Choose your level: National 5, Higher or Advanced Higher.
- Choose your course and the year of boundaries to compare against.
- Enter your total mark for the course assessment, meaning exam plus coursework.
- The calculator compares your total with the minimum marks for A, B, C and D. It shows your grade and percentage.
Use the boundaries for the same year as the paper you sat. Past paper marks only make sense against that year's boundaries.
Where the boundaries come from
Qualifications Scotland publishes grade boundaries each August, on results day. Each spreadsheet lists the minimum total marks for an upper A, A, B, C and D in every course. The calculator uses these published figures for 2022 to 2026.
The published tables also give an upper A mark and a D mark, so every grade uses the real figure. A total below the D mark is a No Award.
Notional mode
Papers are designed around notional lines. Real boundaries usually land a few marks either side of them.
| Grade | Notional minimum |
|---|---|
| A | 70% |
| B | 60% |
| C | 50% |
| D | 40% |
Worked example
Say your course assessment is worth 120 marks and you scored 75. That is 62.5%. Against the notional lines it is a B, in band 4. Against real boundaries the answer could change by a grade, so check the year.
What the calculator cannot do
- It is not an official result. Only Qualifications Scotland awards grades.
- It cannot predict 2027 boundaries. They are set after the exams and published in August 2027. Results day 2027 is Tuesday 10 August.
- It depends on your marking. A self-marked past paper can differ from a trained marker's total.
- It needs a full total. If you leave out coursework, your percentage will look lower than it should.
- It does not model exceptional circumstances or appeals. Those use different processes.
- It is a rough guide for prelims. Schools write and mark prelims themselves. They are not set to national boundaries.
Getting a useful answer
- Sit a full past paper under timed conditions.
- Mark it with the marking instructions for that year.
- Add your coursework mark, or ask your teacher for a realistic estimate.
- Enter the total and pick the matching year.
- Repeat with two or three different years to see the range.
If one paper gives an A and another gives a C, look at which topics cost you marks. That tells you more than the grade itself.
About bands
Each grade is split into bands. Bands 1 and 2 are A. Bands 3 and 4 are B. Bands 5 and 6 are C, and band 7 is D. Bands 8 and 9 are No Award. The calculator tells you when a mark reaches the upper A line. Your certificate only shows the grade.
Quick answers
- Is this an official SQA grade calculator?
No. It is an independent tool that uses published Qualifications Scotland grade boundaries. Only Qualifications Scotland awards grades.
- What grade is 70%?
On the notional lines, 70% is the minimum for an A. The published boundary for your course and year may be a few marks different.
- What grade is 50%?
On the notional lines, 50% is the minimum for a C. Between 40% and 49% is a D.
- Can I use the calculator for my prelim?
Only as a rough guide. Schools write and mark their own prelims. The paper may not match the national exam in length or difficulty.
- Why does the same mark give a different grade in different years?
Grade boundaries are adjusted each year depending on how the exam and coursework performed. A harder paper can have lower boundaries.