Why do English Language and Literature grade boundaries change every year?

Because they're set after the papers are marked, once examiners can see how hard students found that year's exam. If a paper was harder, the boundary drops so the same standard of work still earns the same grade. That's why a boundary from a previous year is never a safe prediction for this year.

Are these the marks for the whole subject or for one paper?

The whole subject. Pearson Edexcel also publishes "notional" per-paper boundaries, but those are illustrative only — your grade is decided by your total subject mark against these subject-level boundaries, so those are the numbers we show.

Pearson Edexcel A-level English Language and Literature grade boundaries

Data source: Pearson Edexcel GCE A-level grade boundaries (June 2025) · 2024–2025 data · checked July 2026How we verify →

The raw marks needed for each grade in Pearson Edexcel A-level English Language and Literature (9EL0), straight from Pearson Edexcel's official tables. Boundaries are set after every paper is marked, so a lower boundary usually means the paper was harder that year — not that the grade got easier. That's why we show more than one year.

Reform watch:England's 2025 Curriculum & Assessment Review doesn't change GCSE or A-level content until reformed specs are first taught (national curriculum September 2028; updated GCSEs from 2029). Your 2026–2028 exams use the current specification. What's changing →

Grade boundaries

Out of 300 marks.

Grade	2025	2024	Change
A*	236	242	-6
A	211	217	-6
B	180	184	-4
C	149	152	-3
D	118	120	-2
E	88	88	0

What grade is my mark?

Enter your total subject mark out of 300 — the whole subject, not one paper.

/ 300

How to read these. A boundary is the minimum raw mark for that grade — score it or above and you get the grade. They're a whole-subject total, not a per-paper pass mark, and they change every year. Never treat a past year's boundary as this year's target. Why A-level grade boundaries move →

Where these numbers come from

2025: Pearson Edexcel GCE A-level grade boundaries, June 2025 (June 2025 series)
2024: Pearson Edexcel GCE A-level grade boundaries, June 2024 (June 2024 series)
Earlier series and other qualifications are on Pearson Edexcel's grade-boundaries pages. We add boards and years as we verify each against its official file.

Frequently asked questions

See all A-level grade boundaries, or read how A-level grades work.