IBCC Has Set the 2026 A Star Marks, and They Are Not All the Same

If you sat O or A Levels this year, an A star is not worth 90 marks. It is worth 93, 94 or 95, and which one depends on the subject and the level.

IBCC published the figures in a notification dated 27 July 2026. We read the notification itself rather than a summary of it, because almost every guide to equivalence still says A star is simply "above 90".

The 2026 figures

These are the equivalent marks for Grades A star and 9 obtained in Year 2026 examinations, at IGCSE, GCSE, GCE O Level and GCE A Level.

Two rows deserve a second look.

Physics is the only subject worth more at A Level than at O Level, at 95 against 94.

Computer Science goes the other way. It is 94 at O Level and 93 at A Level, which makes it the lowest A star value on the HSSC side.

So a student with A stars in A Level Physics and Computer Science is not collecting the same mark twice. There is a two mark spread between them.

Why the general table cannot tell you this

IBCC's standing conversion table gives a number for every grade except the top one. A is 85, B is 75, C is 65, D is 55, E is 45. For A star it says only above 90.

That is not an oversight. The top grade is set separately for each examination year, by notification, and IBCC's own conversion page says subject wise A star marks vary by session and are issued in separate documents.

Which means an estimate built from the general table is always wrong at the top, and wrong by an unknown amount. The more A stars you have, the more the error compounds.

We had this gap ourselves. Our equivalence certificate guide gives A star as above 90, because that is what the standing table says, and we have now added the 2026 figures to close it.

The rest of the scale, which does not move

Grade 9 is treated like A star and takes the subject specific 2026 figure. Grade 1, like F and G, carries no equivalence at all.

IB and Advanced Placement are covered too

The notification does not stop at British qualifications.

It states that the highest grade awarded in all other foreign qualifications, including the International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement, is treated on the same analogy.

So an IB student's top grade converts on the same subject specific basis. That is worth knowing, because IB and AP students often assume equivalence rules were written only with Cambridge in mind.

What this does not tell you

We are being careful here, because this is a number people plan around.

The notification converts grades into marks. It does not tell you how many subjects count toward the percentage on your equivalence certificate, or how the compulsory subjects are weighted in that calculation. Those are separate IBCC rules, and we did not read them, so we are not going to describe them.

That distinction matters. Knowing an A star in Physics is 95 does not let you compute your certificate. It lets you stop guessing at the largest single input to it.

We also do not have the notification for 2027 papers. These figures are explicitly for Year 2026 examinations, and IBCC issues a new one each year. If you are sitting papers next summer, this page is not yours.

Working out your own marks

We have built a calculator that uses these exact figures rather than a single assumed A star value.

1. Open the IBCC equivalence calculator and choose O Level or A Level.
2. Add each subject and its grade.
3. Read the per subject marks, which apply the 2026 rate to any A star or grade 9.
4. Treat the total as arithmetic, not as your certificate.
5. Confirm with IBCC before making a decision that depends on it.

The tool hides English, Urdu, Pakistan Studies and Islamiyat at A Level, because IBCC lists no HSSC figure for them and applying the elective rate would mean inventing one.

Where this sits in the admission season

Equivalence is the gate for most Pakistani university applications, so the marks above feed straight into where you can realistically apply.

The routes available to A Level students, including the SAT and ACT option that skips the entry test, are in our guide to the two routes. The timing problem, which closes more doors than grades do, is in the admission calendar piece.

Questions readers are asking

How many marks is an A star in 2026?

Between 93 and 95, depending on subject and level. A Level Physics is 95, A Level Computer Science is 93, and most other subjects are 94.

Is grade 9 the same as A star?

Yes for this purpose. The notification sets the marks for Grades A star and 9 together.

Why do other sites say A star is above 90?

Because that is what IBCC's standing conversion table says. The exact figure is issued separately for each examination year.

Do these marks apply to 2027 exams?

No. They are stated for Year 2026 examinations. IBCC issues a fresh notification each year.

What about IB and AP students?

The notification says the highest grade in other foreign qualifications, including IB and AP, is treated on the same analogy.

Does this give me my equivalence percentage?

No. It converts grades to marks. How many subjects count toward the certificate is a separate IBCC rule.

Where did these figures come from?

IBCC Notification number IBCC/CF/7-51/2024/1409, dated 27 July 2026, published on ibcc.edu.pk. We read the document itself.