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Are some exam boards easier than others?

One of the most-asked questions at results time - and one people want answered independently, not by a board about itself. Here’s the honest answer, with the official position and the actual data to check it against.

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In short

No exam board is designed to be easier or harder to achieve a particular grade with. Ofqual oversees all boards to keep the standard for each grade comparable - both between years and between boards. But papers, specifications, grade boundaries and the mix of students taking each board can differ, so outcomes can vary without the standard being different.

How it works

  1. Each board sets its own papers and boundaries
    After marking, every board sets grade boundaries for its own papers. Because those papers differ in difficulty, the raw mark needed for a given grade is naturally different from board to board.
  2. Ofqual keeps the standard comparable
    Ofqual oversees the boards so that “it is no more difficult to achieve a grade in a subject … between different exam boards”. Boards use statistical evidence about the prior attainment of the students entered - often called comparable outcomes - to align the standard for each grade.
  3. The students differ, too
    Different boards attract different mixes of schools and students, so a board’s headline pass rate can reflect who sits it as much as the exam itself. That’s why raw outcome percentages don’t prove one board is easier.

Example

Say Board A’s grade-A boundary is 60% and Board B’s is 68%. That doesn’t make Board A easier: its paper may simply have been harder, so fewer marks represent the same standard of work. A grade A is meant to reflect the same standard on either board - the boundary just adjusts for how demanding each paper was.
Common misconception

A lower grade boundary does not mean an exam board is easier. Boundaries adjust for how hard each paper was, so the grade standard stays the same across boards.

Frequently asked questions

Can I compare results percentages between boards?

Cautiously. Differences in outcomes between boards often reflect the different students taking each specification, not different standards - treat them as context, not proof that a board is easier. Source: Ofqual ↗

Why do the grade boundaries differ between boards, then?

Because each board sets a different paper of differing difficulty. A lower boundary can reflect a more demanding assessment, but raw boundaries shouldn’t be used on their own to judge which board is harder - papers, assessment structures and candidate populations differ. Ofqual’s position is that boundaries shouldn’t be read as evidence that one board is easier or harder. Source: Ofqual ↗

Does Ofqual actually check the boards against each other?

Yes. Ofqual oversees all boards to keep the standard for each grade comparable between boards and between years, using statistical evidence about each board’s entry. Source: Ofqual ↗

See it in the data

tutor2u lets you do what a board’s own guidance can’t: compare the boards’ actual results and grade boundaries, side by side, across four years.

Compare exam boards in the Explorer →Browse grade boundary pages →

Official sources

Official sources: Ofqual: guide for schools & colleges 2026 · Ofqual: understanding grading · Ofqual: what happens after your exams
About this guide. Produced independently by tutor2u using published guidance from Ofqual, JCQ and the awarding organisations, to explain the system clearly and put it in context. Reviewed by Jim Riley, tutor2u. How we check this guidance. Last reviewed 11 August 2026.
In Wales: this guide covers England, where exams are regulated by Ofqual. Qualifications in Wales are regulated by Qualifications Wales and awarded by WJEC - see WJEC’s grade boundaries and post-results services.

Explore more

How grade boundaries are setHow standards stay consistentWhy grade boundaries changeWhat the statistics meanExam Results Explorer (interactive)Grade boundary pages by subject

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Last checked August 2026. This is a plain-English summary of official guidance; always check the linked Ofqual, JCQ and exam-board pages for the definitive rules, which can change.

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