ESAT grade boundary estimator
ESAT Mathematics 1Estimated
24/27
Your result
About 24/27. On the 2023 papers, 24/27 is the first mark that reaches 7.0; the item model says 25/27. ESAT publishes no grade boundaries, so use these as practice targets.
Old-paper method
24/27
Item-model method
25/27
- Old-paper method
- Item-model method (blue line)
- Old-paper target
- Your practice mark
- Target range
A 7.0 in ESAT Mathematics 1 needs about 24 out of 27 on the 2023 papers.
Worked example
You want a 7.0 in ESAT Mathematics 1.
About 24/27. On the 2023 papers, 24/27 is the first mark that reaches 7.0; the item model says 25/27. ESAT publishes no grade boundaries, so use these as practice targets.
Open this example in the toolQuestions people ask
Does the ESAT have grade boundaries?
No. UAT-UK publishes no marks-to-score table or grade boundaries. Each paper is scaled after the test onto the 1.0 to 9.0 scale, so any boundary you see online is an estimate.
How many marks out of 27 is a 7?
It depends on the module and the paper. Under the old-paper scenario, a 7.0 needs about 24/27 in Mathematics 1, 20/27 in Physics, 19/27 in Chemistry and Biology, and 17/27 in Mathematics 2, where the scenario is weakest. Pick a module above for its range.
Why does Mathematics 1 need so many marks?
On the 2023 NSAA Section 1 Maths paper, a 7.0 took 18 of 20 marks, more than any science section, where 12 to 16 was enough. The scenario carries that pattern over, so it asks for more marks in Mathematics 1. Real ESAT papers may differ.
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How we work this out
What it does
ESAT has no published grade boundaries. See how many marks out of 27 would reach a target score under each of our scenarios, as a practice target.
Practice targets for each ESAT module (27 questions) and the target scores 4.5, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0, built from the same two scenarios as the score converter.
Method
- Old-paper method: for each mark from 0 to 27 we carry the share of marks to the matching 2023 NSAA or ENGAA section and read its official table, then find the first mark that reaches your target. That is the central target.
- The range repeats this allowing for scoring 2 marks higher or lower across the matching sections: the lower end is the first mark whose best case reaches the target, the upper end the first whose worst case does.
- Item-model method: the first mark whose item-model estimate (UAT-UK's 2025-26 scaling with a middle-difficulty made-up paper) reaches the target.
- If you enter a practice mark, we show how many marks it is from the central target.
- The one mark shown is the central estimate; the optimistic and conservative marks are listed under your result.
Published figures
Practice targets for every module
The first mark out of 27 that reaches each score under the old-paper scenario, with the item-model scenario in brackets. Scenarios, not official grade boundaries.
| Module | 4.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics 1 | 16 (16) | 20 (20) | 21 (22) | 23 (24) | 24 (25) | 25 (26) | 27 (27) |
| Mathematics 2 | 10 (14) | 13 (17) | 14 (19) | 15 (20) | 17 (22) | 19 (24) | 22 (25) |
| Physics | 13 (16) | 17 (19) | 18 (20) | 19 (21) | 20 (22) | 23 (24) | 25 (25) |
| Chemistry | 13 (15) | 15 (19) | 16 (20) | 18 (21) | 19 (23) | 21 (24) | 25 (26) |
| Biology | 14 (17) | 16 (19) | 17 (20) | 18 (21) | 19 (22) | 21 (23) | 25 (24) |