GCSE results day is approaching for hundreds of thousands of students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In England, GCSEs are graded using a numerical system from 9 to 1, having previously used an A-to-U letter system. Exams are graded differently in Wales and Northern Ireland and still use a letter system, while students in Scotland take Nationals instead of GCSEs.
The 9-1 grading scheme was brought in alongside an overhaul of the curriculum in England in 2014. The rollout began in 2017 with three subjects - English language, English literature and maths - being the first to be graded in numbers. By 2020, all subjects were using the new grading system.
The highest grade is 9, while 1 is the lowest, and U means "ungraded". The number scale is not directly equivalent to the old letter one. However, the two scales do meet in certain places: the bottom of grade 7 is aligned with the bottom of grade A the bottom of grade 4 is aligned with the bottom of grade C the bottom of grade 1 is aligned with the bottom of grade G three number grades - 9, 8 and 7 - correspond to the two previous top grades of A* and A That means that a 9 is a high A*, an 8 is a low A* or high A, and a 7 is a low A.
A 6 is a high B, a 5 is a low B or high C, and a 4 is a low C. A 3 is a D or high E, a 2 is a low E or high F, and a 1 is a low F or G. Grade boundaries dictate what the lowest mark is you can get to achieve a grade.
They are decided by examiners each year. Exam boards publish grade boundaries on results day. While grades 1-3 technically count as a pass, many sixth forms insist on a minimum number of 5s or 6s as a condition of entry for further study.
The government's school league tables , externalare based on the percentage of pupils who achieve a 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs. If you get a grade 3 or below in maths or English language, you will have to continue studying the subject(s) next year. The numerical grading scheme was introduced as part of a 2014 curriculum overhaul by then-Conservative Education Secretary, Michael Gove.
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