How to get a grade 4 in GCSE Maths
A grade 4 matters. It's the line the government's post-16 Maths rules use, so it's the grade a lot of students and parents are working towards.
The good news is that a 4 is much more reachable than it feels when you're stuck. Here's what it actually takes, which topics to put first, and a simple six-week plan.
What a grade 4 needs
Your grade comes from your total mark across all three papers. Each paper is 80 marks, so the total is out of 240. The grade boundary is the lowest total that earns the grade, and it changes every exam series.
Here are the grade 4 boundaries from June 2026:
| Board and tier | Marks for a 4 (out of 240) | About |
|---|---|---|
| Edexcel Foundation | 151 | 63% |
| AQA Foundation | 154 | 64% |
| Edexcel Higher | 50 | 21% |
| AQA Higher | 63 | 26% |
Two things to take from that table.
First, on Foundation, a 4 means getting a bit under two thirds of the marks. That's roughly 50 marks per paper out of 80. You don't need a perfect paper. You need to collect the marks you're able to get, every time.
Second, on Higher a 4 needs far fewer marks, but the questions are harder, and a 4 sits at the bottom of the Higher range. If you're not sure which tier suits you, my post on Higher or Foundation walks through how to choose. Ask your teacher before you decide.
Check the board you're sitting too. Edexcel and AQA set their own boundaries, and they move from one series to the next, so use these as a guide, not a target to the exact mark. My grade boundaries page has every series.
The topics that carry the most marks
On Edexcel's Foundation tier, the published weightings show where the marks are. Number is 22 to 28% of the marks, and ratio, proportion and rates of change is also 22 to 28%. Algebra is 17 to 23%. Geometry, and statistics and probability, are 12 to 18% each.
So number and ratio together are roughly half the paper. In practice that means:
- Fractions, decimals and percentages
- Ratio, proportion and best-buy questions
- Rounding, estimating and using your calculator properly
- Solving simple equations and substituting into formulae
- Area, perimeter and angles
- Reading charts and averages, and basic probability
If you only have a few weeks, start at the top of that list. A method you can repeat on the same question type is worth more than a topic you half understand.
A simple 6-week plan
Week 1: find where you are. Do one full past paper in exam conditions, then mark it with the mark scheme. Sort every lost mark into "slip", "nearly" or "no idea", and write the topic next to each one.
Week 2: number and fractions. Percentages, fractions, rounding and estimating. Learn one method for each, then practise until you don't need to look it up.
Week 3: ratio and algebra. Ratio, proportion, then expressions, equations and substitution. These come up on every paper.
Week 4: shape and data. Area, perimeter, angles and Pythagoras, then averages, charts and probability.
Week 5: papers. Do two full papers, one non-calculator and one calculator, and mark both the same day. Redo every question you lost marks on.
Week 6: sharpen. One more paper. Re-read your mistakes notebook and redo a few questions from each topic in it. Sleep properly the night before.
Here's how I'd use each paper you do:
And this one explains how to structure your revision across the weeks:
Habits that add marks
- Write your working. Method marks are given for correct working, even when the final answer is wrong.
- Answer every question. A blank earns nothing. A first step might earn a mark.
- Do the questions you can do first, then come back to the harder ones.
- Keep a mistakes notebook. It becomes the best revision guide you own.
Questions people also ask
What mark do I need for a grade 4 in GCSE Maths?
It depends on the board, the tier and the series. In June 2026 it was 151 out of 240 on Edexcel Foundation, 154 on AQA Foundation, 50 on Edexcel Higher and 63 on AQA Higher. The boundary changes every series, so treat these as a guide.
Is a grade 4 a pass?
A grade 4 is the level the government's post-16 Maths and English rules use. Students who haven't reached a 4 generally have to keep studying Maths after Year 11. Ask your school or college how it affects your own plans.
Can I get a 4 if I'm predicted a 3?
It's possible to move up, but nobody can promise it. The students who give themselves the best chance work on the questions they nearly get right, practise past papers and fix their mistakes. Start with the plan above.