Students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive their GCSE results on 25 August 2022.
In England, these are now graded using a numerical system from 9 to 1, instead of from A to E as they used to.
The 9-1 grading system was introduced in England alongside a new GCSE syllabus.
The highest grade is now 9, while 1 is the lowest. The grade U, which means “ungraded”, remains the same.
The number scale does not correspond directly to the old letter scale. However, there are some comparable points:
- The underside of class 7 is aligned with the underside of class A
- The bottom of Class 4 is aligned with the bottom of Class C
- The bottom of Class 1 is aligned with the bottom of Class G
- three numerical grades – 9, 8 and 7 – correspond to the two previous best grades A* and A
Exams watchdog Ofqual says fewer grades are awarded 9 than A*s “to mark exceptional performance”.
- Ofqual: What you need to know about GCSE grades this year
- BBC Bitesize Guide to GCSE Results Day
- GCSE and Nationals Results Day 2022: Taking Care of Your Wellbeing
Students need a 4 for a “normal pass” and a 5 for a “strong pass”.
This means that a candidate who gets nine Grade 4 grades has technically passed all of their exams.
However, government school rankings are based on the percentage of students who achieve GCSEs of at least 5 in English and Mathematics.
Many upper levels insist on a minimum number of 5 or 6 as an admission requirement for further studies.
For the past two years, during the pandemic, results have been based on teacher assessments and there has been a rise in the number of pupils receiving top marks in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Exams are being graded more generously this year to reflect the severe disruption students have experienced during the pandemic.
- Errors on exam papers caused stress, says Watchdog
- More generous grading for GCSE and A-level exams
- How did teachers decide on GCSE results?
The numerical grading scheme was introduced by then-Education Secretary Michael Gove as part of a 2014 curriculum overhaul.
It placed less emphasis on GCSE courses than before, as grades in almost all subjects were decided in end-of-year exams.
Courses were made more demanding, with exams taken after two years of study. Previously, students covered the curriculum through a series of modules, with assessments conducted throughout the course.
At the time of the changes, the government argued that the new scale “recognizes more clearly the achievements of high-performing students, as the additional marks allow for more differentiation”.
The switch from letters to numbers would also make it clear – for example to an employer – “whether a student has completed a new, more demanding GCSE or an old, reformed GCSE”.
Grading rules have also changed in Northern Ireland.
In the summer of 2019, the Northern Ireland Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) introduced a new grading scale with nine categories – A* to G, including C*.
However, students can also achieve results of 9-1 when taking exams set by English governing bodies.
- CCEA: A Guide to Changes in GCSE Assessment
The Welsh Government introduced new and revised GCSE courses in September 2015.
The most significant changes affected the English language, the Welsh language and mathematics.
Wales retained the letter-based grading structure A*-G.
- Qualifications Wales: GCSEs
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