# Grade Boundary Calculator

> Turn percentage grade boundaries into raw marks for any paper total, find the grade for a mark and see how many marks the next grade needs.

Category: Education · Applies to: Worldwide · Last updated: 2026-10-29
Interactive calculator: https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/grade-boundary-calculator

Enter the paper’s maximum mark and your institution’s or exam board’s boundaries as percentages; the table shows the minimum raw mark for each grade.

Also called: Grade cut-off calculator, Marks to grade calculator.

## Inputs
- Maximum marks on the paper (default 120)
- Grade boundaries (one per line: grade, minimum %) (default A 80
B 70
C 60
D 50
E 40)
- Raw mark boundaries (options: Round up to whole marks, Exact; default up)
- Your mark (default 87; optional)

## Results
- Grade for your mark
- Marks to the next grade
- Your mark as a percentage
- Minimum marks by grade

## Formula

```
Boundary mark = ⌈Boundary% × Maximum ÷ 100⌉;  Grade = highest grade whose boundary mark ≤ your mark;  To next = next boundary mark − your mark
```

Where:
- Boundary%: minimum percentage for a grade
- Maximum: total marks available on the paper

## Worked example
1. Boundaries out of 120: A 0.80 × 120 = 96, B 84, C 72, D 60, E 48.
2. 87 is at least 84 but below 96, so it is a B (72.5%).
3. An A needs 96 − 87 = 9 more marks.

**Result:** 87 out of 120 is a B, 9 marks short of an A at 96.

## What the result means

Exam boards often set boundaries after marking, so they can move from one series to the next. Use the published boundaries for the right paper and session.

## Assumptions and limits
- A mark equal to a boundary earns that grade.
- Boundaries set directly in raw marks, or grades based on combined papers and coursework, need those totals entered as the maximum.

## Questions

### Why round boundaries up?

A whole-mark paper cannot award 52.5; a 70% boundary on 75 marks needs 53 marks to reach it.

### Can I use letter grades with plus and minus?

Yes, any labels work, such as “A+ 90”, as long as each line ends with its percentage.

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Source: GM¹X CalcVerse — https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/grade-boundary-calculator