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Original poster

Old letter and new number GCSEs

40 replies

lljkk · 28/09/2015 23:01

DD was told today that the new grade 7 will correspond to the current/ old A* (in science, anyway).

Now I know someone will say the 2 exams are different, apples and pears, but as much as you can find rough equivalents, is that about right? Future 7 = today's A*?

OP posts:
Dexterwasright · 29/09/2015 10:41

Only the top 3% of papers sat will be a 9. The idea is it will help universities identify the really high flyers. What will be interesting is whether it will cause problems with admissions from private schools who are likely to stick with IGCSE. Their A will only identify the applicant as being in the top7/8.

tiggytape · 29/09/2015 10:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sparklingbrook · 29/09/2015 10:08

Hopefully I can get DS2 through the GCSEs before they start tinkering again.

roamer2 · 29/09/2015 10:07

As teachers get used to the tests they can teach them better so grades tend to inflate over time. So they expect they will need to add numbers in future

Sparklingbrook · 29/09/2015 10:01

but you can keep on adding as much as you like if you make 1 the lowest.

But why does anything need adding?

And YY to the bragging threads it's always been the same.

UhtredOfBebbanburg · 29/09/2015 10:00

Sparkling - there are still - just! - people in employment who had O levels that were scored rather than graded. In those days the scores had 1 as the highest (I am told but do not necessarily believe, that 1-2 was equivalent to an A, 2-3 equivalent to a B and so on). So these new numbers need to be different. Also, it allows for future grade inflation/hikes in standards because you can add numbers on. I imagine that when the numbers get added to, in say 5 years, our DCs will note on their CVs that their GCSEs were scored out of 9. The next lot will note scored out of whatever, once their framework has been superseded, and so on.

lifesalongsong · 29/09/2015 09:53

I'm pretty sure that the reason that 1 isn't top is that you wouldn't then be add anything if you wanted to split out those with even higher marks - you couldn't have a grade of 1/2 or 1/4 but you can keep on adding as much as you like if you make 1 the lowest.

It makes sense to me.

I'm not worried about the numbers, once we have some sittings with them it will all sort itself out.

There will always be show off threads from people humble bragging about their childs results whatever the grading system is.

Lurkedforever1 · 29/09/2015 09:31

I've heard same as iguana. I think it's good, currently there is too big a gap between what's required for gcse top grade and a-level top grade.

Sparklingbrook · 29/09/2015 09:25

Give it two years and there will be threads saying 'DS got a 13 is that good'?

Why could '1' not be the top grade?

titchy · 29/09/2015 09:23

I agree sparkling.....

OP - yes a 7 will be equivalent to a low/mid A in the current grading system.

Sparklingbrook · 29/09/2015 08:29

I reckon they have only had 9 as the top so they can add a 10, and an 11 etc.......

bigTillyMint · 29/09/2015 08:25

I have heard/read the same as Iguana - Grade 9 is so they can separate out the highest achieving A's from the rest of the A's. Because that is what this government wants.

I'm not sure how helpful it will be for those scraping C's.

IguanaTail · 28/09/2015 23:13

It goes up to 9, and while there is no direct correlation between the two, the point is to stretch them more and so the 9 is the equivalent of higher than an A*.

Here is what Ofqual have produced:

Old letter and new number GCSEs
Kez100 · 28/09/2015 23:07

Yeah, it goes up to 9.

TheSecondOfHerName · 28/09/2015 23:04

No, that doesn't sound right. Grade 9 and the very top portion of grade 8 are supposed to be equivalent to the current A*.

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