GCSE

How to get a 9 in GCSE Science

7 min read · updated 2026-10-13

Grade 9 boundaries in GCSE Science vary a lot between subjects. In June 2026, AQA Biology needed 133 out of 200 for a 9, Chemistry 155 and Physics 157; Combined Science needed 298 out of 420 for a 9-9. The route to the top grade is the same: secure required practicals, calculations and the 6-mark extended answers.

How the exams are built (AQA)

✓ Separate sciences: two papers per subject, each 1 hour 45 minutes and 100 marks
✓ Combined Science: Trilogy: six papers (two each in biology, chemistry and physics), each 1 hour 15 minutes and 70 marks, giving a double grade from 9-9 to 1-1
✓ Required practicals are examined in the written papers: there is no separate practical exam

The 2026 grade 9 boundaries

✓ AQA Biology (Higher): 133/200
✓ AQA Chemistry (Higher): 155/200
✓ AQA Physics (Higher): 157/200
✓ AQA Combined Science: Trilogy (Higher): 298/420 for 9-9
✓ Edexcel Higher, for comparison: Biology 170/200, Chemistry 165/200, Physics 163/200

Where top candidates lose marks

✓ 6-mark questions: points listed without a logical sequence
✓ Calculations: wrong rearrangement, missing units, or not converting units first
✓ Required practicals: vague method steps and no control variables
✓ Physics equations: not learnt, though some must be recalled
✓ Graphs: no line of best fit, or gradients read inaccurately

A 12-week plan

✓ Weeks 1-4: required practicals, one per day, with past questions on each
✓ Weeks 5-8: calculation types and equations, mixed across the three sciences
✓ Weeks 9-12: full timed papers and a bank of model 6-mark answers

Keep a mistakes log

After every past paper, write each lost mark in one of four columns. Patterns appear within three or four papers, and fixing the biggest column is the fastest route to the top grade.

✓ Knowledge: didn't know the fact, definition or method
✓ Method: knew it but set it out wrongly or skipped a step
✓ Reading: misread the question or answered a different one
✓ Slip: arithmetic, units, copying or rounding errors

Answering 6-mark questions

Six-mark questions are marked in levels: a top-level answer is a logical, linked sequence that covers the whole question. Plan in a few words first, write in a clear order (first, then, so), use the right vocabulary and make sure the last sentence answers the question.