GCSE grading system: Explained

In the UK, GCSEs are the exams all Year 11s will take before leaving school and moving on to other education, such as apprenticeships or A-Levels. Throughout secondary school, you'll be taught the necessary skills for the exams, but the actual material covered in your exams will likely be taught in Year 10 and Year 11.

Over this time, you'll learn the exam syllabus for your mandatory and chosen subjects. You'll learn about exam techniques and take mock exams to get you prepared for the final thing.

How are GCSEs graded in England?

Since 2019, all GCSE subjects are now graded on a scale of 1-9, to replace the old A*-G scale. With the new GCSE grading system, 9 is the best, highest grade you can achieve.

The new system was created to help differentiate students across the bands. The new system can't be directly compared to the old system as the weightings are slightly different. For example, a 9,8 and 7 are the equivalent to the old A* and A students. However, in the table below we give you a sense of how this used to look.

There also used to be what's known as a "good pass" which was a grade C and typically the minimum requirement for a university in the UK. Now, it is split into a "strong pass" at a grade 5 (B to C) and a "standard pass" at a grade 4 (C). The standard pass is now the likely minimum requirement from a university.

Both the old and new systems still have the "U" classification meaning unclassified.

How are GCSEs graded in Wales and Northern Ireland?

This new grading system for GCSEs is just for English students. Those in Wales and Northern Ireland will still use the letter grading system. However, if the exam is set by an English exam board, you can receive your final grade as a number.

What do your GCSE results mean for your next steps?

Whether you're going onto an apprenticeship, A-Levels, or T-Levels, it won't matter if your GCSE results were received as letters, numbers or a mixed bag. What the school or college will be looking for is strong scores in the related subjects you want to study.

If you want to go onto A-Levels, you'll typically need 5 GCSEs from a 9 to 4/A* to C. The college will also be looking for strong scores in the subject you want to study, likely a grade 6 / B or above.

As for university entry requirements, your GCSEs do still matter as most will look for at least a grade 4 to 5 / C to B in English and Maths GCSEs. And for those looking for more vocational subjects or apprenticeships, your employers will still be looking at your GCSEs. Having good scores will show your employer that you're an intelligent, hard worker who can learn and grow.