GCSE grade boundaries 2019: This year's AQA, Edexcel, OCR and CCEA grading system

Everything you need to know about the GCSE grading system ahead of results day 
Georgia Chambers22 August 2019

Today is the day for thousands of GCSE students across the UK as they receive their exam grades.

The latest figures show more than one in five (20.8 per cent) UK GCSE entries scored one of the three top grades this year, up from 20.5 per cent last summer.

A total of 67.3 per cent of UK entries scored a C/4 or above, up from 66.9 per cent last year, according to data published by the Joint Council for Qualifications.

For many, the results will determine what A-Level subjects they choose and which sixth form or college they will be attending.

Last year’s cohort of pupils were the first to be graded by a numerical system which replaces the traditional A*-C grades.

But what have these new grade boundaries meant for students and have they made GCSEs harder? Here’s everything you need to know about grade boundaries this GCSE results day:

How does the GCSE grading system work?

Changes introduced by then-Education Secretary Michael Gove saw the replacement of the A*-G grades with 1-9 grades.

Subjects like chemistry and biology were also stripped of assessments and students’ marks will depend entirely on final exams.

The overhaul of traditional GCSEs in favour of “more demanding, more fulfilling and more stretching” exams was an effort to help the UK better compete academically on a financial level.

It’s also hoped that tougher exams will mean GCSE grades are taken more seriously by employers.

What are the GCSE grade boundaries this year?

The GCSE grading system was introduced across all examinations in 2017.
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There are five different exam boards used within every school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The list includes; Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), Council for Curriculum and Examinations Assessment (CCEA), Pearson Edexcel, Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Exams (OCR) and Welsh Joint Examinations Committee (WJEC).

Each exam board has its own set of grade boundaries which change annually. You can check these on their websites:

As a general guide:

  • 9, 8 or 7 is equivalent to an A* or A grade
  • 6, 5 or 4 is equivalent to a B or C grade
  • 3, 2 or 1 is equivalent to a D, E or F grade
  • A U is mark is judged as ungraded

What does the numbered grading system mean for students?

The traditional A*-C grading system has been replaced with a numbered system.
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The new grading system is intended to give higher achievers the chance of scoring a grade greater than A*, which means less 9s will be awarded.

This could have implications for students when it comes to securing a university place for the future.

Universities that previously set their entry requirements at A* may now ask for grade 9.

Also, because A-Levels have been changed from two separate qualifications to one, more attention will be given to GCSE grades.

Students will need a grade 4 or 5 in English and Maths for A-Levels and future university applications.

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