GCSE results day 2018: What are the new GCSE grades 1-9? What are the boundaries?
GCSES in England have changed over the past year. But what are the new GCSE grades 1-9 and what are the boundaries?
GCSE results day: Students find out their grades
Thousands of students will find out their GCSE results this morning (Thursday, August 23).
People can collect their brown envelopes by popping down to their school or college.
The results can also be posted if students can’t make it down or certain schools may even allow students to find out their results online.
What are the new GCSE grades 1-9?
There is also a new grading system this year, which was put in place by the Government.
This has changed grades from A* to G with a numerical 9 to 1 system.
The aim is to "to better differentiate between the highest performing students and distinguish clearly between the old and new qualifications."
A grade 9 is now the top grade and 1 is the lowest, with fails still being known as a U.
The top two marks of A and A* are now a grade of 7, 8 or 9.
Lower grades such as D, E, F and G are the equivalent of 1, 2 or 3.
The Department for Education has put Grade 4 and over as the standard “pass” grade, as it works out to about an old C.
If students don’t get a Grade 4 in English and maths, they may be required to keep studying these subjects while in college or sixth form so that they pass.
Most exams will now be taken at the end of the two-year course instead of after completing modules.
There will be more essay-style questions instead of “bite-sized” questions.
Students will have to do at least two science GCSEs and coursework and controlled assessments will disappear from most subjects, except practical ones such as art, dance and drama.
What are the boundaries?
Exam boards publish grade boundaries for students to understand what marks they need to pass a subject.
Grade boundaries are now released on results day, instead of the day before, to help reduce stress for pupils.
The exam boards include AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC, Eduqas and CCEA.
Here are the grade boundaries for some of the main subjects in the higher tier papers this year.
Under exam board Edexcel (subject, grade 4 score, grade 7 score):
- Mathematics, 20.8%, 57.9%
- Biology, 26.5%, 56.9%
- Chemistry, 26%, 56%
- English language, 46.9%, 69.4%
- English literature, 41.9%, 68%
- Physics, 25.5%, 57.5%
- French, 33.2%, 57.1%
- German, 28.9%, 55.7%
- Spanish, 30.7%, 57.1%
Under exam board OCR (subject, grade 4 score, grade 7 score)
- English language, 41.9%, 65.6%
- English literature, 34.4%, 68.8%
- Mathematics, 20%, 54.6%
- Physics A (Gateway), 35%, 61.1%
- Physics B (Twenty First Century), 26.6%, 50%
- Religious studies, 38.5%, 61.9%
Under exam board AQA (subject, grade 4 score, grade 7 score)
- Mathematics, 19.6%, 57.5%
- Biology, 26.5%, 51%
- Chemistry, 26%, 56%
- English Language, 47.5%, 67.5%
- English Literature, 38.1%, 66.3%
- Geography, 35.3%, 57.1%
- Physics, 25.5%, 51.5%
- German, 37%, 65.8%
- French, 38.3%, 63.3%
- Spanish, 35.8%, 60.8%
- Computer Science, 48.8%, 75%