What does 3 and 4 mean in the old letter gcse's?

[elliejjtiny]

I know 9 is the top grade and 1 is the bottom. But not sure what number is equivalent to the old C grade and what 3 and 4 would be in the old system.

The reason I know this is because I was interested in doing a post-grad course in education at UCL and I didn’t have maths GCSE. So I did it last year and did get a 5, but even if I passed with a 4, it still wouldn’t have counted.

I’m not disputing that 4 is a pass, but it’s considered as just a pass and 5 is a strong pass. And you need a pass to study an unrelated subject at university. I’m not from the Uk so we could get in without a pass in maths (but you would need it in English).

“Interesting that UCL requires a 5 at GCSE but a C at IGCSE thus accepting lower standards from pupils at private schools”

That makes no sense Noble, as IGCSEs are all numerical now, like any other GCSE boards, so a “C” is impossible anyway.

Cambridge IGCSE let you choose 9-1 or A*-G still.

Cambridge IGCSE let you choose 9-1 or A-G still.*

Presumably, one might choose whichever, depending on where (England, or somewhere where the new numerical grading won't necessarily be well understood?) is looking to for further study?

Or at least, whether one is likely to include UCL in one's list...

DS did a combination of Cambridge and Edexcel IGCSEs this year, but all grades were numerical. Sorry, I thought this was the first year that letter grades had been completely phased out.
The only difference was that Edexcel IGCSE state the number of marks achieved out of the total possible marks next to the grade eg 150/170, whereas Cambridge did not do this.

It’s very useful when they tell you the actual mark and not just the grade because the grade boundaries for that particular year are also published online (also the teachers know), so if you’re only a couple of marks off the next grade boundary, it’s worth sending for a remark. Quite a few grades went up via remarks for DC I know this year. In a way, it’s a bit worrying though?

IGCSEs are all on 9-1 grades too now. They were just a year or so later switching.

A*-G still available. They were a year later in offering, not switching totally.

I found this useful when my ds did his GCSEs in 2017

My dd went through clearing this summer and all the unis she called wanted to know her maths and Eng lang grades, all would have been fine with a 4.

I think UCL must be an outlier in not accepting it.

Sixth forms in my area all ask for 4 in Eng and maths tho obv higher grades (typically 6+) in chosen a level subjects. Agree, a lot of misinformation out there, not surprising tho.

4 is really, honestly not a good pass. 4’s would be weaker students. Attempting A-levels with less that a 6 would be a real struggle. Our students with 6’s at GCSE really struggle with A-level.

4 is a standard pass. 5 is a good pass.

A kid with a 4 in English but a 9 in maths is perfectly capable of maths A-level (yes it happens).

Yes but not english.

No of course not English, no one here is saying its a good idea to do a levels with a 4 in the subject.

4 is a low pass.
Schools set their own entry requirements for A levels so they may not accept 4 as the required entry level despite it being a pass. They may set it as at 6 or even 7. But 4 is still a pass

haha at schools asking students for 7s in maths and English in order to study A levels in other subjects.

Well dd wouldn't have got a place with her 6 in maths. There'd be a lot of empty seats. Schools need people in their sixth forms. Mate of ds2's got 3 in English, still allowed in (retaking). Studying STEM rather than English obv. Tho another mate of his at a different school got a 3 in one of his A level subjects 😮 now that is a bad idea

4 is classed as a low C, 5 a good C, 6 is a grade B, 7 a grade A, 8 a grade A+ and a grade 9 is above that.

Just to set the record straight (and for the PP from ROI whose DC is at school in NI) - alphabetic grades are still awarded at GCSE if you sit exams with the CCEA exam board. This is the Northern Irish exam board and most (although not all) NI GCSE exams are through CCEA. (Some schools choose to use English or Welsh boards for some subjects)

The attached photo gives a chart comparing the old grades to the new grades and to the new numerical grades awarded elsewhere in the U.K.

So UCL maps 7 to A, 6 to B, 5 to C and does not regard 4 as a pass clearly. IGCSE requirement is a C and GCSE requirement is a 5 so they are being consistent. This is all close to irrelevant for admissions which will be decided on A or A* grades at A level.

Universities can set their own GCSE level entry requirements. UCL is a top performing , competitive university, so have set their requirements accordingly

WhyAmI I don't suppose it is UCL 'not believing a 4 is a pass', surely it is more saying that they believe a 4 in English is not sufficient literacy to do a degree at their establishment?

Surely it's the same way that e.g. a bank could ask for a 6 in maths because they want people with confident maths, not just 'good enough for life' maths?

I do know at the DC school, you have to have a 7 minimum to be considered for a subject at A-Level. Also, they had to get at least a 7 in Maths to be able to do Economics A-Level. I think if it was an essay based subject, such as History, they would require at least a 7 minimum in English Lang too.

4 is a standard pass, 5 is a strong pass, according to the official definitions of the new grades. 4 is the grade that needs to be achieved to avoid the requirement to do English/Maths resits.

Yes -grade 4 is a standard pass meaning they would then have a level 2 qualification.
Gosh , the entry requirements for 6th forms seem so varied! Dc needed 5s in maths and English to get into preferred 6th form for A levels and then a 7 was required for maths a level and an 8 for further maths. To do A level chemistry or physics, a 6 in maths was required.
The neighbouring 6th form required 4s for btec route and 5s for A level route.
The local college wanted 4s to do any level 3 course.

4 is a good pass - it’s the new C

It's average surely? It goes from 1 to 9 so a 4 isn't all that good. I'd say 6 or 7 was good.