Cambridge decides the grade thresholds for each exam series, so no percentage should be treated as a fixed line for a grade. A number you see in a forum or a chat group describes one past series at most, and it does not promise anything about yours.
This page explains who is responsible for grading, what to read in the syllabus and how to use your practice marks sensibly. It pairs with the syllabus and exam-year navigator and the exam guidance section.
Who sets the grade thresholds?
Cambridge does. Examiners mark the papers, and Cambridge then sets the threshold marks for each grade for that series. Schools, exam centres and tuition teams do not set them.
Your exam centre handles your entry and passes on your results. Cambridge awards grades and publishes thresholds.
Why do students think percentages are fixed?
School tests often use a set scale, for example a score band printed on the report card. It is natural to expect the same from an external exam.
A Cambridge exam works differently. The marks needed for a grade depend on the series and the papers, so the same raw mark may sit on a different side of a threshold in a different series. Treat any fixed figure you hear as unverified.
What should you check, and where?
- Find your exact subject code and exam year. Related codes can use different grading scales, and a syllabus can change between years. The finding the correct syllabus guide shows how.
- Open the syllabus from the Cambridge subject catalogue. Find the section on grading and descriptions of performance.
- Note the scale named there. Read the wording yourself. Do not rely on a summary from another student.
- Check the notices for your exam year on the syllabus changes page.
- Ask your exam centre how and when your results and any grade information will reach you.
How should you use your practice marks?
Practice marks are useful for diagnosis. They are not a grade forecast.
After each paper, sort lost marks into three groups: content you did not know, content you knew but applied wrongly, and marks lost by not answering the command word. The third group is often the quickest to fix.
Keep a simple table and look at it after three or four papers.
| Paper | Marks lost: did not know | Marks lost: applied wrongly | Marks lost: command word |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper A | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Paper B | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| Paper C | 3 | 5 | 2 |
In this example, “applied wrongly” stays high across papers. That tells the student to practise method under timed conditions, rather than reread notes on content they already know.
A common mistake
Students sometimes choose a target percentage, reach it in one practice paper and stop revising that area. One paper covers only part of the syllabus, and the next one may sample different topics.
A steadier plan is to aim for a pattern: few lost marks in each topic area across several papers. That is a better signal than a single total.
Who helps with what?
- Cambridge: sets thresholds and publishes the grading information in the syllabus.
- Your exam centre: enters you, receives your results and answers questions about how they reach you.
- You and your family: check the syllabus for your code and year.
- A teacher: marks your practice answers with you and explains where the marks went.
If you would like a teacher to go through your practice papers, read how our tuition works and the paid trial. The subject tuition pages describe what we can address in each subject.