AQA A-Level Geography Grade Boundaries 2027: What Marks Do You Need for an A*?

If you're taking AQA A-Level Geography in 2027, you may be wondering how many marks you need for an A*, A or another grade.

The most important thing to know is that the official 2027 AQA Geography grade boundaries do not exist yet.

AQA sets grade boundaries after the exams have been taken and marking has been completed.

That means nobody can know the exact A* or A boundary for 2027 in advance.

However, previous grade boundaries are still useful because they show roughly what level of performance has been required in recent years.

AQA Geography Grade Boundaries 2027: Quick Answer

The official 2027 AQA A-Level Geography grade boundaries have not yet been released.

AQA Geography 7037 is worth 300 marks in total once the two exam papers and the Non-Exam Assessment are combined.

The qualification is made up of:

• Paper 1: 120 marks
• Paper 2: 120 marks
• Geographical Investigation NEA: 60 marks

AQA confirms that these contribute 40%, 40% and 20% respectively to the final qualification.

In 2025, the overall boundaries were:

• 241/300 for an A*
• 213/300 for an A
• 183/300 for a B
• 153/300 for a C
• 123/300 for a D
• 94/300 for an E

That means the 2025 A* boundary was approximately 80.3%.

These figures are useful as a benchmark, but they are not predicted 2027 grade boundaries.

How Many Marks Is AQA A-Level Geography Out Of?

AQA A-Level Geography 7037 is worth 300 scaled marks overall.

The qualification contains three components:

Component	Raw Marks	Final Weighting
Paper 1: Physical Geography	120	40%
Paper 2: Human Geography	120	40%
Geographical Investigation NEA	60	20%
Total	300	100%

AQA confirms that the two written papers are each worth 40% of the qualification, while the independent geographical investigation is worth 20%.

This is important because your final Geography grade does not come only from the two exams.

Your NEA contributes one-fifth of your final mark.

Latest AQA Geography Grade Boundaries

AQA Geography Grade Boundaries 2025

The official June 2025 AQA Geography boundaries were:

Grade	Marks Required	Approx. Percentage
A*	241 / 300	80.3%
A	213 / 300	71.0%
B	183 / 300	61.0%
C	153 / 300	51.0%
D	123 / 300	41.0%
E	94 / 300	31.3%

These are the official subject-level boundaries published by AQA.

The key point is that Geography boundaries are based on the combined total from Paper 1, Paper 2 and the NEA.

You therefore shouldn't compare an individual exam-paper percentage directly with the overall qualification boundary.

What Percentage Do You Need for an A* in AQA Geography?

There is no fixed percentage that guarantees an A* in AQA Geography.

In 2025, the A* boundary was:

241 out of 300 marks

which is approximately:

80.3%

But that does not mean 80% will automatically equal an A* in 2027.

Grade boundaries can change between exam series.

The final 2027 boundary will only be known after AQA has marked the assessments and completed the awarding process.

What Percentage Do You Need for an A in AQA Geography?

In 2025, the A boundary was:

213 out of 300

which is:

71%

Again, that is useful as historical context rather than a guaranteed target.

The 2027 boundary could be higher or lower.

What Should You Aim for in AQA Geography in 2027?

Rather than trying to predict the exact grade boundary, it is more useful to set yourself a practice target above recent boundaries.

If you're aiming for an A*, you might use:

Around 85% as a strong practice target

85% of 300 marks would be:

255 marks

That gives you some margin above the 2025 A* boundary of 241.

This does not mean you need exactly 255 marks for an A*.

It simply gives you a useful target when assessing your progress.

AQA Geography Practice Mark Targets

Because Geography includes both exams and coursework, there are several ways to reach the same overall mark.

For example, an A*-level overall total could come from something like:

• Paper 1: 100/120
• Paper 2: 98/120
• NEA: 52/60

That gives:

250/300 overall

Your marks do not have to be evenly distributed.

A strong NEA can create a useful buffer before the final exams, while a weaker NEA means you may need stronger exam performance to reach the same overall total.

How Important Is the Geography NEA?

Very important.

The AQA Geography geographical investigation is worth:

60 marks

and contributes:

20% of your final A-Level grade.

That means one-fifth of your final result is already determined before the written exams are completed.

This can work strongly in your favour.

For example, a student who achieves:

52/60 in the NEA

has already secured around 17.3 percentage points toward their final qualification total.

A strong NEA can therefore reduce the pressure slightly on Papers 1 and 2.

However, the reverse is also true.

If your NEA mark is weaker, you may need to compensate through stronger exam performance.

How Is the AQA Geography NEA Marked?

The Geographical Investigation assesses mainly AO3, with some AO2.

AQA's mark scheme rewards skills such as:

• identifying suitable research questions
• using relevant geographical theory and literature
• collecting data
• presenting data
• analysing and interpreting evidence
• evaluating methods and findings
• drawing supported conclusions

AQA provides detailed level-based assessment criteria across the investigation.

This means a strong NEA is not just about collecting lots of data.

The quality of your analysis, evaluation and geographical reasoning matters significantly.

AQA Geography Paper 1: Structure and Marks

Paper 1: Physical Geography is worth:

120 marks

and contributes:

40% of the qualification.

The exam lasts:

2 hours 30 minutes

AQA's Physical Geography content includes compulsory study of:

• Water and Carbon Cycles

alongside selected physical topics including:

• Hot Desert Systems and Landscapes
• Coastal Systems and Landscapes
• Glacial Systems and Landscapes
• Hazards
• Ecosystems Under Stress

depending on your school's chosen options.

Paper 1 tests more than factual recall.

Students also need to interpret figures, analyse geographical information and construct supported arguments.

AQA Geography Paper 2: Structure and Marks

Paper 2: Human Geography is also worth:

120 marks

and contributes:

40% of the A-Level.

The exam lasts:

2 hours 30 minutes.

Human Geography includes areas such as:

• Global Systems and Global Governance
• Changing Places
• Contemporary Urban Environments
• Population and the Environment
• Resource Security

depending on the options studied by your school.

AQA's specification places significant emphasis on understanding globalisation, interdependence, governance and relationships between places, people and environments.

When Are the AQA Geography Exams in 2027?

AQA currently schedules the 2027 Geography exams as:

Component	Date	Session
Paper 1	11 May 2027	Morning
NEA submission deadline	15 May 2027	—
Paper 2	20 May 2027	Afternoon

Paper 1 and Paper 2 both last 2 hours 30 minutes.

Your school may set an earlier internal deadline for the NEA, so you should follow the date given by your teacher rather than assuming you can work on it until 15 May.

Why Do AQA Geography Grade Boundaries Change?

Grade boundaries can move from year to year.

This is because different examination papers can vary slightly in difficulty.

The boundary therefore helps maintain a consistent standard between exam series.

This is why there is no permanent statement such as:

“80% is always an A* in Geography.”

It isn't.

The mark required depends on the particular exam series.

Don't Compare Exam Marks Directly With the Overall Boundary

This is particularly important in Geography.

The overall A* boundary is calculated from:

• Paper 1
• Paper 2
• the NEA

combined.

So if you score:

80/120 on Paper 1

you shouldn't immediately compare that 66.7% with the overall A boundary.

Your final grade depends on the total across all three components.

For example:

• Paper 1: 80/120
• Paper 2: 90/120
• NEA: 50/60

would give:

220/300 overall

The total matters more than any individual component in isolation.

What Actually Separates Higher-Marking Geography Answers?

A-Level Geography isn't simply about memorising case studies.

Strong answers combine geographical knowledge with application, interpretation and judgement.

1. Accurate Knowledge

You need secure understanding of processes, concepts and geographical relationships.

For example:

• carbon stores and flows
• coastal processes
• urban change
• globalisation
• hazards
• demographic change

depending on the topics you study.

2. Use of Evidence

Case studies should support your argument.

Avoid inserting a memorised statistic simply because it relates to the general topic.

Instead, use evidence to prove or challenge a point.

3. Analysis

Explain geographical relationships.

Don't stop at:

“Climate change increases flood risk.”

Explain the processes and connections that make that happen.

4. Evaluation

Higher-tariff questions require you to weigh evidence and reach a supported judgement.

Consider:

• scale
• location
• time
• different stakeholders
• short-run and long-run effects
• physical and human interactions

5. Using Figures Properly

If the paper gives you a map, photograph, graph or dataset, use it.

Refer directly to what the figure shows rather than writing a generic answer around it.

Why AO1, AO2 and AO3 Matter

AQA Geography assesses several different skills.

AQA states that approximately:

• 30–40% of the qualification assesses AO1 knowledge
• 30–40% assesses AO2 application
• 20–30% assesses AO3 geographical skills, analysis and evaluation.

That means simply memorising the textbook isn't enough.

Students need to be able to:

• apply knowledge to unfamiliar situations
• interpret geographical information
• analyse evidence
• evaluate arguments
• draw conclusions

These are often the skills that separate stronger responses from descriptive ones.

How to Use Grade Boundaries When Revising Geography

Imagine you complete a timed practice paper and score:

82/120

That gives you a useful percentage.

But the more important question is:

Where did the other 38 marks go?

Go through the paper and identify why you lost marks.

For example:

• missing case-study knowledge
• weak figure interpretation
• inaccurate geographical terminology
• limited analysis
• underdeveloped evaluation
• failing to use evidence
• weak conclusions
• timing problems
• not answering the command word

That turns one practice paper into a revision plan.

The Biggest Mistake When Using Grade Boundaries

Do not aim to scrape the previous year's boundary.

If the A* boundary was 241 marks, aiming for exactly 241 gives you no meaningful margin.

Your performance can vary between papers.

You may get a question on a particularly strong case study in one exam and a weaker topic in another.

Instead, try to perform comfortably above previous boundaries during practice.

That way, the exact position of the 2027 boundary becomes less important.

Case Studies Matter — But Don't Memorise Essays

Case studies are essential in AQA Geography.

But simply memorising full essays is risky.

The exam may ask you to use your knowledge in a slightly different context or to evaluate a specific element of the case study.

A better approach is to know:

• key facts
• relevant statistics
• causes
• effects
• responses
• stakeholders
• strengths and limitations
• links to geographical concepts

Then practise using that information flexibly.

Practising for AQA Geography 2027

Official AQA past papers should be a major part of your revision.

They help you become familiar with:

• question wording
• command words
• figures
• data interpretation
• extended writing
• timing

However, once you've completed several years of past papers, fresh unseen questions can be useful for testing whether you can genuinely apply your knowledge.

Resources Today's AQA A-Level Geography Predicted Papers for 2027 provide additional exam-style practice across Paper 1 and Paper 2.

They can be completed under timed conditions and marked afterwards to identify weaker topics and question types.

View the AQA Geography Predicted Papers 2027

Students aiming for the highest grades can also use the AQA Geography A Revision Bundle*, combining exam practice with model answers, examiner-style guidance and detailed case-study resources.

View the AQA Geography A* Revision Bundle

AQA Geography Grade Boundaries 2027: FAQs

What is the AQA Geography A* grade boundary for 2027?

The official AQA Geography A* boundary for 2027 has not yet been set. It will only be confirmed after the 2027 assessments have been completed and marked.

What percentage do you need for an A* in AQA Geography?

There is no fixed percentage. In 2025, the A* boundary was 241 out of 300 marks, approximately 80.3%.

The 2027 boundary may be different.

Is 80% an A* in AQA Geography?

In 2025, 80% was approximately around the A* boundary, but there is no guarantee that 80% will equal an A* in 2027.

It is better treated as a useful historical benchmark.

What percentage do you need for an A in AQA Geography?

The 2025 A boundary was 213 out of 300, equivalent to 71%.

The exact 2027 A boundary will only be known after marking.

How many marks is AQA A-Level Geography out of?

AQA Geography 7037 is worth 300 marks in total after combining Paper 1, Paper 2 and the Geographical Investigation.

How many marks is AQA Geography Paper 1 worth?

Paper 1 is worth 120 marks and contributes 40% of the qualification.

How many marks is AQA Geography Paper 2 worth?

Paper 2 is worth 120 marks and also contributes 40%.

How much is the AQA Geography NEA worth?

The Geographical Investigation is worth 60 marks and contributes 20% of the final A-Level grade.

Can a strong Geography NEA improve your final grade?

Yes. Because the NEA contributes 20% of the overall qualification, a strong coursework mark can make a meaningful difference to your final total.

Are Paper 1 and Paper 2 equally weighted?

Yes. Both written papers contribute 40% each.

What are the AQA Geography exam dates for 2027?

AQA currently schedules:

• Paper 1: 11 May 2027
• Paper 2: 20 May 2027

The NEA submission deadline to AQA is 15 May 2027, although schools may set earlier internal deadlines.

How long are AQA Geography exams?

Paper 1 and Paper 2 are both 2 hours 30 minutes long.

Are the AQA Geography 2027 grade boundaries available yet?

No. They will only be published after the 2027 assessment series has taken place.

Final Advice

Grade boundaries are useful for understanding roughly where your performance sits.

But Geography is slightly different from many A-Levels because your final result combines two exam papers and your NEA.

You cannot control where AQA sets the final 2027 boundaries.

You can control:

• your case-study knowledge
• your geographical terminology
• your use of figures
• your data interpretation
• your analysis
• your evaluation
• your extended responses
• your timing
• and the quality of your NEA

Use previous boundaries as a benchmark rather than a minimum target.

If you're aiming for an A or A*, try to build enough of a margin that one difficult question or weaker topic does not determine your final grade.