How GCSEs are Graded in the UK

Hi,

I’m Alix and it’s my mission to help as many of the next generation as possible work in jobs that meet their passion and purpose, making them happy and fulfilled adults. Join me…

Today we’re looking at how GCSEs are graded so that you understand how colleges and employers use them to check your depth of knowledge for any given subject and how they then use that knowledge to make sure you’re ready to take your next career step with them.

Grades…

Grade boundaries are typically set by examination boards after the exams have been marked and are determined based on a combination of factors including:

students' overall performance (note: these can vary from year to year depending on general exam performance);

coursework; and/or

practical assessments;

depending on the subject.

The grading system is designed to provide a detailed and precise assessment of your performance, range of skills and the knowledge that you’ve learnt during your studies, providing a stepping stone to the next step in your career.

Your grades give a college, sixth form or employer the information they need to know that you are ready and equipped to take the next qualification for certain subjects or that you’re ready to start an apprenticeship.

This is because the next level of education will pick up from where you left off at school and you need to be at that level to understand the next stage and not fall behind.

Each step of your education builds on what you’ve just learnt. So college, or sixth form will start at the end of your GCSE years.

For example, if you wish to be a French teacher, you need to have a sufficient grasp of the French language to pick it up where the college starts teaching it or, if you wish to be a doctor, that you have a (minimum) of 7 GCSEs (5 at grades 7-9) and pass grades in Maths, English Language and either Triple or Combined Science.

So, you can see how important your grades will be and the studying and effort you put in now will both affect the rest of your life and make it easier. Not just that, but they’ll allow you to continue to study for the job you want and ultimately deserve, rather than settling for less.

Numerical system…

As of September 2021, GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) in England were graded using a numerical system, which replaced the traditional letter grades. I have set out both for your ease.

Grade boundaries are set by different exam boards (e.g. AQA, Edexcel, OCR, etc.) and range from 9 to 1 (A* to G), with 9 (A*) being the highest grade and 1 (G) being the lowest.

The following is an overview of the grading scales:

Grade 9 (A*): This grade represents the highest level of achievement. It’s awarded to students who demonstrate a deep understanding of the subject and have achieved a very high mark standard.

Grade 8: This is also a high level of achievement, considered slightly below a Grade 9 but still excellent. Some may refer to this as a high A* grade.

Grade 7 (A): This grade also represents excellent performance. Students who receive an A grade demonstrated a strong understanding of the subject and have achieved high marks in their exams.

Grade 6 (B): This grade indicates a good level of achievement. Students demonstrated a solid understanding of the subject and achieved reasonably high marks in their exams.

Grade 5/4 (both equivalent to grade C): This grade indicates a satisfactory level of achievement. Students demonstrated a basic understanding of the subject and achieved moderate marks in their exams.

Grade 3 (D): This grade indicates a less satisfactory level of achievement. Students demonstrate some understanding of the subject and achieved lower marks in their exams.

Grade 2 (E): This grade indicates a marginal level of achievement. Students demonstrate a limited understanding of the subject and achieve very low marks in their exams.

Grade 1 (F & G): These grades are considered fail grades. Students have not met the minimum requirements for a pass in the subject.

In some subjects, there may also be additional letter grades or designations:

U: This grade indicates an ungraded result. It means the student did not achieve a pass in the subject.

X: This designation may be used for students who were absent from the exam or whose result is pending.

It's worth mentioning that educational practices and policies can change over time and the grade boundaries are typically only released after the exam results are published.

You can find out the most up-to-date grade boundaries for specific GCSE subjects by visiting the official websites of the respective exam boards after the exam results have been released or check with your school or educational institution as they might have access to the latest information.

I truly hope that you achieved the grades you need or wanted, however, if this is not the case, please see my related articles in this section for options you can consider, including having your exams checked or possibly retaking them.

Good luck!