On the most recent published boundaries, an A* in AQA A-level Economics needed 178 out of 240 — 74%. That is June 2026's boundary, not a promise about next summer.
| Marks needed (June 2026) | 178 / 240 |
| As a percentage | 74% |
| Marks above an A | 24 |
| Highest this boundary has been | 178 (74%) |
| Lowest this boundary has been | 173 (72%) |
Based on the A* boundary of 178 out of 240. Next summer's boundary will differ — see the range below.
| Series | Marks | % |
|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 178 | 74% |
| June 2025 | 177 | 74% |
| June 2024 | 173 | 72% |
Across the 3 years on record this boundary has ranged from 173 to 178 — a spread of 5 marks. Aiming at the most recent figure means aiming at the middle of a moving target, so 180 is the safer number: the highest it has been, plus a small buffer for a year that has not happened yet.
Boundaries are set after every paper is marked, precisely so that a grade means the same thing in an easy year and a hard one. That is why nobody — not this page, not your teacher, not the board — can tell you next summer's number in advance. Anyone who gives you one exactly is guessing.
178 out of 240 — 74% — on the June 2026 boundaries. Across the years on record it has ranged 173 to 178, so aim nearer 180.
Almost certainly not. Boundaries are set after marking so that a grade represents the same standard however hard the paper was. A harder paper gets a lower boundary and an easier one gets a higher boundary.
24 marks on the most recent boundaries — usually a question or two, not a different student.
Boundaries read 18 August 2026 from the official AQA document: source PDF.
Boundaries read 19 August 2026 from the exam boards' own documents. Boundaries are set per series and never apply to a future paper.