English GCSE grades

[FromGirders]

Can anyone tell me that the "A B C" type grades equate to? When I was at school (Scotland), a "1" was 77% of above, "2" was 65% - 76% etc. Do the English grades have a simple explanation? All the people on the radio discussing them today are giving long wordy explanations of what someone passing with an "F" grade would be able to do - is that how examiners decide who gets which grades? It sounds very subjective!!
TIA.

As far as employers/ collages are concerned A*-C grades are considered 'passing grades'.

Tecnically all GCSE grades are passing, you pass with a G, you pass with an A IYSWIM. A grades are best, G grades the weakest.

To allow a child to do an A level in a subject we normally accept B grades and above, or a grade C with a teachers recomendadtion.

There is no hard and fast X% = an A, as they vary from year to year. But ball park figure in science exams we use 60% as a rule of thumb C grade, 70% for a B, 0% for an A and 90% for an A......but that is a very rough an ready marker and the actual figures will vary from year to year, and also depending on which exam board the kids sat, and which level of paper (Foundation or Higher)

Thanks mb, that's enlightening. I'd assumed the c pass was at 50% - nice to hear of something being at a higher level than I'd assumed!

They do have a mark scheme which indicates skills that the candidate has to demonstrate in order to achieve a certain grade and (for certain aspects) the 'righ' answer. It's not quite like science because there are fewer right/wrong answers and it is more of a skills based subject (at GCSE anyway). You can usually get mark schemes straight off the exam board web sites (if you have nothing better to do )

To answer your question: yes, it can be subjective and markers may disagree over borderline grades more than in a more knowledge based subject such as maths but it's difficult to see how you could assess it differently.