New GCSE grades explained – what do the 1-9 equivalents mean and when is the old structure being replaced?

GCSE results day is fast approaching, and this year will be the first time that numerical grades are used instead of letters.

The old A* to U grading is being phased out, with numbers 1-9 replacing the old grades in England. Here’s everything you need to know about the change.

The change has taken many people by surprise, with an entirely new grading system for parents to get to grips with

What is changing with English and maths GCSE grades?

GCSEs in England are changing, with grades for the first batch of new GCSEs to be awarded on results day this year.

Historically, GCSE students would get a letter assigned to their performance in each subject, from an A*, the best possible mark, to a U, for a paper which failed to achieve any grade.

However, the new GCSEs will see numerical grades from 1-9 awarded instead of the traditional lettered results.

This year’s results day will see the first wave of students complete the new GCSEs, which the government says are harder than before.

However, the change has been designed to be gradual, with maths, English language and English literature the first subjects to change to the new grading format.

Numbered grades will be awarded for these subjects on results day next month, whilst all other subjects will still have lettered grades.

The new GCSE grades will be used on results day this year for the first time ever

What do the new GCSE grades mean?

The new GCSEs have been designed to be harder, which is reflected in the way they are graded.

A nine represents the best possible performance, and will be rarer, and more impressive, than a current A* grade.

Meanwhile, an eight is somewhere between an A* and an A, whilst sevens are worth the same as A grades.

Similarly, a six is the same as a high B grade, whilst a five is somewhere between a B and a C, with a four equating to a current C grade.

A three is slightly poorer than a current D, whilst a two is slightly worse than an E grade.

One, the worst possible grade, is below an F, whilst a U will still be awarded for papers which are not possible to grade.

The new system has been designed to coincide with harder GCSE exam papers

Why are GCSE grades changing?

The government is shaking up GCSEs to make them tougher – in the hope that they’ll be taken more seriously by employers.

Part of this change involves using a new grading system, to signal that there have been reforms to the exams, and to make it easier to differentiate between results.

The shift to numbered grades also fits better with European exam results, with Germans – and most of Britain’s other global competitors – using numerical exam grades.

When are the other GCSE grades changing?

On GCSE results day, which falls on August 23, students will get a mix of numbered and lettered grades.

Their English and maths GCSEs will be awarded in the new format, whilst they will get a lettered mark for all other subjects.

Next year, a further 20 subjects will be graded with a 1-9, with most other subjects expected to be awarding the new numbered grades in 2019.