I don't really get the new GCSE grading....

[AuntieMatters]

Everyone keeps saying that 7 is an A and 8 an A star and 9 A double star?

But then there is this other narrative sometimes, in posts on here and conversations elsewhere, that treats anything less than a 7 like it would be a really poor grade....

Certainly for my son's chosen subjects at 6th form he needs " at least a 7" and he and his teachers feel he should aim for 9s across the board

I don't mind him having high aspirations but I just feel like there's mixed messaging about what the grades really mean?

7 is benchmarked to A in old money
4 is benchmarked to C in old money

So an 8 would be A star and a 9 higher than A star

5 is a high C
6 is a B in old money

There is a conversion table, no doubt someone will post it. It isn't a direct mapping.

Some posters are very snobbush/unrealistic when they talk about grades, acting as if anything less than a 7 is pointless.

However to be viewed as able enough to attempt/succeed at A levels you probably need to be getting mainly 6s or higher, and for certain subjects you need to be getting 7s at the subject at GCSE to have a chance of a C+ at A level.

4s and above are 'level 2 passes'.

Already misinformation on this thread.

A 4 is a low/mid C,
a 5 is a high C/low B,
a 6 is a solid B.

Everyone keeps saying that 7 is an A and 8 an A and 9 an A*

That is roughly what they are meant to be - this is MN though where all kids should be getting all 9s - when reality it's very rare so if that's predicted for him he's doing really well.

One or two of DD2 subjects at A-level wanted at least a A (in wales so kept A start to G) - though most were okay with B. She was A* star *for most she carried on at A-level bar one which was A in end.

I had a conversation with a student the other day and he was saying a 4 is a fail! As op said 4 is level 2 pass so minimum needed for level 3 courses.

I would recommend however that for many a levels the higher your gcse the better as they can be quite a step up from a grade 4. Maybe that's why people here think 7 is the gold standard?

Most students I teach in my normal comprehensive school will get around 4/5 on many subjects with a couple of weaker ones. 7 is definitely not average in a non selective school.

See I don't recall people having to get an A to be allowed to do an A level/ to expect to do well At A level when I was at school? So has the meaning of the grades slipped? (Or perhaps I wasn't paying attention at the time)

DS is at comprehensive, but the standard in the top set is high

It is particularly for maths that as far as I can see almost everywhere requires a 7, and often an 8 for FM.

There are tables that show likely progression from GCSE grades to A level grades. There have been various threads on this board if you search regarding this.

Ah he is targeting maths, FM and sciences for A level, so maybe that's part of it

It's just weird to read threads acting like anything less than a 7 would be a disaster

Depends on subjects here - some will take at GCSE C - as long as there are five min at that level.

However maths will take a B but open days teacher say they prefer an A - further maths it's a A min. Many of the sciences it's a min B and they want min B in maths. It's not a high grade area but many kids have higher grades than the mins - also the college runs for at least chem a science BTEC - if they are boarderline they do both and if they pass the first few tests if not he drop the A-level and do the one year Btec science and can then do A-level later.

It does depend on area - some areas seem to have very competitive sixth form - some seem to be getting more private school transfers to state sixth forms.

I think the issue is actually what happens next. People do A levels to go to university and I was surprised by the advertised predicted grade requirements to get into so many courses.

Its not every course or every university but 'when I was a girl' the advertised entry requirements for most of these russel group universities were much lower.

If you need A*AA predicted to get an offer, then you need high gcses to be able to get top A level grades.

So I dont think its the gcses that are the issue, but that B at A level is seen as a low grade.

The daft thing is some of these courses accept Bs and Cs grades in clearing but people can't risk taking an A Level and aiming for a solid C which is perfectly find for the course, because they need a high predicted grades for an offer.

There has been massive grade inflation too, unless current teens are way brainier than 1990's teens, and there's not much evidence to suggest that that's the case. Now 23% maths entries are graded 9-7 vs 10% being graded A in 1996, so I can see why everyone is a bit "hmm" about it.

This is what I was thinking.
It seems a 7 now is much more like an old B

Grade four and above is a pass. It may not be good enough to do an A level in that subject as there is a BIG jump from GCSE to A level. For applying for jobs/apprenticeships/other courses requiring Math and English passes 4 is enough. If a young person doesn't get four in Maths and English they will continue with them at college repeating GCSE(controversy about this atm as resit pass rates are v low) or on Apprenticeships functional skills, which is either pass or fail, doing a level 2 apprenticeship usually you Do NOT need to pass it to get the apprenticeship but Level 3 you often do if you are under 21.

I was advised it’s not a great idea to do A level maths unless you have an 8.

My friend’s dd who got a very high grade 9 and a great result in the Kangaroo maths and finding Maths and FM A level a bit tricky!

the step up is big

That's actually helpful to know I'd got it into my head that 5 was a pass. My younger child is bright but has severe dyslexia . She'll do very well in maths but I know that English is going to be a struggle for her

1 Bad
4 Functional pass
5 Preferred basic pass
9 Excellent

What more do you need? Dozens of images a quick google away comparing them to old GCSE grades.

I wouldn't worry overly much about how it translates to grading systems of the past. Essentially though, they have made more refinements at the top end to distinguish between those who are highly competent and those who are excellent. How "good" a grade is really depends on the student's aspirations and pathway. For some, a four in maths is a fantastic achievement if they have struggled and means they can move on without the millstone of a resit. For others it would be a total disaster of a grade.

Back in 2005 I had to have a minimum of a B to do my a level. Maths they wanted an A. @AuntieMatters

This exactly- but we’re moving beyond the mapping now really. Having taught Secondary for 30 years I would say a 7 feels more like a high B and a 9 like an A*.

New GCSE grading? The changes started in 2017!!

Most state schools want 7s for Maths and Science A-Levels and will accept 6s and possibly 5s for the other subjects. As a teacher of two A-Levels and another L3 qualification, a clutch of 5s and 6s are not a good basis for A-Level and people on 4s and 5s usually drop out in Yr 12. I would say don’t even bother doing Maths without a 9, as the step-up is so hard. @Noblegiraffe is a Maths teacher who posts annually about GCSE grades to A-Level grades in her subject.

I teach English and although students with 5s can achieve an A Level grade, they struggle all the way through. A 6 and above is a much better basis. Re the Mmmsnet snobbery about grades, lots of posters on here have their children in selective or private schools and have a very narrow view about grades. In comprehensive schools, in non-selective areas, ( ie the vast majority of UK students), students achieve the full range of grades. Many thrive in college with an extra year to secure Level 2 qualifications, such as BTECHs.

My friend, a secondary school teacher, was told when these new grades came in, that a 9 would be an exceptional grade and only a few students would get 9s.

Now, like before, grade inflation means many able students aim for 8s and 9s across the board. My DCs school certainly push for their students to get several 9s and have interventions for those students predicted 6s or below.

That's fine but as my children are only just reaching GCSE age I'm only just starting to think about it, so yes to me it feels quite new

When I was a teacher I wouldn’t want someone in my A level with 4s or below. They wouldn’t cope and that’s really miserable for them.
In my early career we said B at GCSE so a C (4ish today) would have been a no.