Help deciphering end of year exam scores

[Alabamazero]

DC (Y7) is currently getting the results of end of year tests. We are being given percentage scores and from that I can work out (very roughly) how DC is doing compared to the rest of the class.

However I don't know how a score relates to grades when they get to GCSE level. When I did exams, many moons ago, 45% was the pass rate for a C grade, then about 60% for a B, and 75%+ for an A (no A stars existed then). Obviously the letter grades are being replaced by numbers now. Is there any guide that can tell me roughly what a pass grade is and the percentage required to gain that pass, and then all the grades and their requirements. Also, what number is officially a pass?

Thank you.

No one can tell you how percentage grades on a random test in Y7 will translate into GCSE grades, not even the people who wrote the test. Way too unreliable, and GCSEs are a totally different kettle of fish. Even comparing to classmates is unreliable as you don’t know where the classmates fit in the national picture. Blame the government for your total lack of info here!

At GCSE, a 4 is officially a standard pass (old C) and 5 a strong pass (a pass for school league table purposes).

Oh, and the grade boundaries are only available for English and maths, for one sitting only, the other numbered GCSEs haven’t been sat and graded yet. The grade boundaries will change in the next 4 years as pupils are better prepared.

There are no reliable descriptors of what is required to reach each grade, grade boundaries are set by looking at how Y11 actually performed on the day and then matching grades to how they should have performed as a group based on their KS2 results.

Thank you Noblegiraffe for your wisdom.

I wasn't actually suggesting that grades achieved now were a reflection of any grades that could potentially be achieved at GCSE. That's another 4 years away and we shall cross that bridge when we come to it. However I do think that understanding where DC is in the class is useful - they are at an academically selected indy school so for us (in our position, although possibly not for anyone in any other situation) we can see how DC is achieving compared to their very extremely bright peers. And of course it helps boost confidence enormously if a child, any child, is told that they have achieved a B, C, number 6 or whatever.

We shall wait for the GCSEs this year to be completed to see if there is any more clarification. Thank you for your help.

If they haven’t sat a GCSE paper that has been nationally benchmarked then you can’t tell them that they achieved a B or a 6 or whatever, I’m afraid! Individually written assessments just aren’t valid in that way.

If the school hasn’t provided class averages then you should request those for comparison with your DC’s score just to check they are on track.

This is entirely unscientific, but this is how I do it.

If I know where they are in the cohort, e.g say my DC is towards top of set 3 out of 5 for maths, then that puts them at about 40-50% down the year group.
Typically the school gets say 20% maths A/A*, and 80% pass.
So that means my DC isn't in line for A/A* (I can only dream) but should pass, so hoping for B/C.

You can do that to figure out roughly what sort of grade your DC are headed for, Teen, and that’s the sort of thing I say to parents at parents’ evening. What you can’t do is work backwards and say ‘so they are currently achieving at the level of Grade B’.

Selective independent school here. DC1's report from last summer shows his exam %, followed by the year average% and then grades for effort & attainment. The attainment grade is marked via the bell curve and no more than the top 20% receive the top grade. The attainment grade, not the % mark, roughly correlates to potential GCSE grades.

My son is in state y7. He gets told highest and lowest mark for each test and different teachers seem to give tests of differing difficulties so it's hard to gauge without knowing the highest/lowest score. (Obviously assuming an even spread/bell curve)