9 to 1 science GCSE grading

Students taking separate science GCSEs will get a grade from 9 to 1 for each subject, with 9 being the highest grade.

Students studying combined science will receive an award worth two GCSEs, consisting of two equal or adjacent grades from 9 to 1 (9-9, 9-8, 8-8, 8-7, 7-7…to 1-1).

We considered a 9-point scale from 9,9 to 1,1 but we believed it would be unfair for students to lose (or gain) two whole grades at each grade boundary.

If the numbers are different, the highest number will always be reported on the left.

The new grades have been brought in to signal that GCSEs have been reformed and to better differentiate between students of different abilities.