Overview
Official 9695 Literature in English grade boundaries for June 2026 are published — A-Level grades 11 August 2026, component threshold tables published 11 August. The official component figures are below, and in the [9695 calculator](/tools/grade-boundary-calculator/9695).
Quick answer
For Cambridge syllabus 9695, [Post-exam prep](/blog/cambridge-post-exam-results-prep-2026) — [Results day guide](/blog/cambridge-results-day-august-2026-guide)
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When are June 2026 A-Level grades released? | 11 August 2026 (05:00 GMT) |
| When are threshold tables published? | 11 August 2026 |
| Papers? | Passage-based, essay, Shakespeare, unseen (check your entry) |
| Marking style? | Level-of-response bands — informed personal response |
| Estimate tool | 9695 grade calculator |
June 2026 thresholds (official)
For Cambridge syllabus 9695, verified against the official Cambridge component threshold table for the June 2026 series.
| Component | Max raw mark | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 50 | 36 | 32 | 28 | 24 | 20 |
| 12 | 50 | 36 | 32 | 28 | 24 | 20 |
| 13 | 50 | 36 | 32 | 28 | 24 | 20 |
| 21 | 50 | 35 | 31 | 27 | 23 | 19 |
| 22 | 50 | 35 | 31 | 27 | 23 | 19 |
| 23 | 50 | 35 | 31 | 27 | 23 | 19 |
| 31 | 50 | 38 | 32 | 28 | 23 | 19 |
| 32 | 50 | 38 | 32 | 28 | 23 | 19 |
| 33 | 50 | 38 | 32 | 28 | 23 | 19 |
| 41 | 50 | 40 | 34 | 29 | 25 | 20 |
| 42 | 50 | 40 | 34 | 29 | 25 | 20 |
| 43 | 50 | 40 | 34 | 29 | 25 | 20 |
| 50 | 75 | 54 | 45 | 36 | 27 | 18 |
| 60 | 75 | 54 | 45 | 36 | 27 | 18 |
Grade A* is not awarded on an individual component — it exists only at syllabus level, from the weighted aggregate across the papers you entered.
What are grade boundaries?
Grade boundaries are the minimum raw marks Cambridge requires for each letter grade on each component of 9695 Literature in English. They are not fixed percentages — your overall A-Level grade uses a weighted aggregate across the papers you entered, and each paper variant has its own row in the official PDF. Match your exact component codes from the statement of entry before comparing marks to any past session.
How Cambridge sets 9695 boundaries
For Cambridge syllabus 9695, cambridge sets 9695 thresholds after all scripts are marked so each grade means the same standard every year. Essays need textual quotation woven into argument — thematic summaries without evidence cap the band. When a paper is harder than the previous June series, raw cut-offs usually fall — comparable outcomes, not fixed quotas. Compare only to verified 9695 sessions ([wrong-session estimates](/insights)).
How to estimate your grade
This section covers How to estimate your grade — ranked by what Cambridge examiners return to most often in past papers.
- Complete a recent A-Level paper under timed conditions for your exact entry route.
- Mark strictly to the official scheme — log every lost mark before convincing yourself an answer "basically counts".
- Compare component raw marks to June 2026 in the 9695 calculator against the official June 2026 table above.
Frequently asked questions
For Cambridge syllabus 9695, threshold PDFs 11 August; grades 11 August.
When are official boundaries released?
Is 80% always an A*?
No — raw thresholds change every session.
Do band marks match raw marks exactly?
No — examiners award levels on essays; component thresholds translate approximate raw performance into grades.
Related subjects
A-Level boundaries published on 11 August, grades and threshold PDFs together — each syllabus code is separate. See the [grade boundaries hub](/guides/grade-boundaries) for every syllabus calculator. Cross-link below for adjacent syllabuses only; never swap threshold numbers between codes or sessions.