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AQA ISA Grade Boundaries

Hey there.

We did our Biology ISA (cooling one) few weeks ago and one of my friends got 37/40 - the teacher said it was 92ums. However i'm pretty sure it's 95ums?

Anyone do the same ISA? Can you just clarify if the teachers right?

He said:

36 = 90
37 = 92
38 = 95
39 = 97
40 = 100?

However hasn't it always been above 38 100/100 and 37/40 = 95 ums?

Anyone done the Physics Thermistor ISA? What are the grade boundaries generally ums - how did it go?
Original post by TheFootyKing19
Hey there.

We did our Biology ISA (cooling one) few weeks ago and one of my friends got 37/40 - the teacher said it was 92ums. However i'm pretty sure it's 95ums?

Anyone do the same ISA? Can you just clarify if the teachers right?

He said:

36 = 90
37 = 92
38 = 95
39 = 97
40 = 100?

However hasn't it always been above 38 100/100 and 37/40 = 95 ums?

Anyone done the Physics Thermistor ISA? What are the grade boundaries generally ums - how did it go?


http://web.aqa.org.uk/UMS/ums_converter_gcse.php?id=04, according to June 2010 boundaries, 38/40 = 100 UMS, there are no ISAs in january 2011 so if you want to see how many marks convert to a certain UMS mark, then you do June 2010 (ISA boundaries are always the same anyway).

Good luck :colone:
Reply 2
I did the thermistor ISA, we didn't get told what the marks were converted to UMS, but 36 is an A* if that helps. I got the same mark in Physics as your friend did in the Biology, 37/40. I thought it was fairly easy except for the calibration question. I didn't have a clue about that and it was worth the most marks! Anyway hope you get a good grade :smile: I'm sure you will, ISA's are easy marks
(edited 13 years ago)
Reply 3
apparently it is 37/40 for 100UMS not sure though head of science said that it was for biology
^^^ Are you sure?
well no one can actually say for sure, for that one that you did, as they need to be moderated etc. So all this 37/38 stuff was for last year, so this year it might be 36 or even 39...
Reply 6
Original post by asifk
damn, does anyone know what ums 32/40 (80%) is? I really need to know, because I need to decide if I should bother re-taking bio unit 1, because of this is stupid ISA!


I got 32/40 (80%) in June 2010 in my ISA and it was 75 UMS. I was robbed of my rightful 80% UMS and so got 2 UMS off a B in GCSE biology. 34 was 80 UMS :frown:

Resit unit 1, the ISA boundaries hardly ever change, and on the rare occasion they do (extremely rare), it will be by one mark either way. Don't rely on AQA changing them.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 7
Original post by asifk
Oh dear, well thanks I will be resitting it, but it seems such a shame because I already got A* (93 UMS) in unit 1 and our school refuses to let us sit more than one ISA.

Is there any other way I can sit another ISA - maybe outside of school, because revising for the whole of unit 1 is going to take up my revision time?


You can't sit an ISA outside of school, because apart from the ridiculous amount of money it will cost, you are a candidate at your school, and cannot enter as a private candidate to sit an exam leading to a qualification being certified from your current school.
Reply 8
Hi,

I got 33/40 in my ISA (Chemistry one)

I think it works out as 82.5 (83) would this be class as a B?

Thanks
ISA Grade Boundaries for the past 1-4 years have always been this!

A* 36+ (36-40)
A 34 (34-35)
B 30 (30-33)
C 26+ (26-30)

So you've got 78 UMS!

Source: AQA Site!

38+ = 100 ums
37 = 95
36 = 90
35 = 85
34 = 80
33 = 78
32 = 75
31 = 72
30 = 70
29 = 68
28 = 65
27 = 62
26 = 60
Original post by TheFootyKing19
ISA Grade Boundaries for the past 1-4 years have always been this!

A* 36+ (36-40)
A 34 (34-35)
B 30 (30-33)
C 26+ (26-30)

So you've got 78 UMS!

Source: AQA Site!

38+ = 100 ums
37 = 95
36 = 90
35 = 85
34 = 80
33 = 78
32 = 75
31 = 72
30 = 70
29 = 68
28 = 65
27 = 62
26 = 60


Hi,

Just had a look at the AQA thingy. It's only been like that for 2years.

2007: A*= 34. A= 31. B= 27. C= 24 (So my 33 would equal 87 by this which is A)
2008: A*= 35. A= 33. B= 28. C= 24 (So my 33 would equal 80 by this which is A)
2009: A*= 36. A= 34. B= 30. C= 26 (So my 33 would equal 78 by this which is B)
2010: A*= 36. A= 34. B= 30. C= 26 (So my 33 would equal 78 by this which is B)

So it's looking likely that I will have a high B if they don't change anything. I'm a bit gutted if this is the case as I'm only one mark of an A :-(
Reply 11
in my chemistry isa i got 33 and was an A*
i noticed that 30+ was a* and this was just before easter holidays
33 is definitely not an A*!!!!
Reply 13
from what i have found in physics aqa, is that the isa boundaries are pathetically high. I mean 43/50 for an A, 40/50 for a B. What is going on there? Yes the paper is not the worst thing in the world, but one mistake and you get at best a C.....

The EMPA on the other hand is ridiculously hard and this is shown by the boundaries. For June 10: A*= 39/55, A=36/55, B= 33/55
Ohhhhh I get it now, i got a 32 and was told that was also a* because our extra marks out of like 6 or whatever that the teacher give you based on the effort you put in to practicals hasn't been added on yet :smile: thank god for that!! Haha i was getting so confused cause we've been given marks out of like 34 atm

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