Making Sense of Your Maths GCSE Result
Wow! It has been an exciting morning for me as my tutees get in touch to let me know their results. So many positive stories but there has also been a bit of confusion about how the numbers compare to the letter grades from last year.
I teach a students with a range of ages and targets and for some of them it has all been about reaching that magic "pass" grade that will get them onto the next course they want to take. Before the changes this would have meant getting a C but now a lot of people have been left with some uncertainty about whether the number they are looking at is equivalent to a C or a D.
The Department for Education has produced a fact sheet for parents that sets out the comparison in a table and UCAS have made some recommendations to colleges and universities based on these comparisons. I have summarised some of the important points in this blog.
Level 4 - this is called a "Standard Pass" and is equivalent to the first two-thirds of students who would have achieved a C grade under the old system. In other words a 4 is a C. Any courses that previously required a C grade for entry should now require a 4. And this is backed up by what the colleges and Universities are saying they want as a minimum grade for some of their courses starting in September.
Level 5 - this is called a "Strong Pass" and is equivalent to the top third of C grade and the bottom third of B grade students under the old system. UCAS state that 'Based on this information, it would be reasonable for entry requirements currently set at a grade B, to be set at a 5 and above under the new numeric system.' In other words Level 5 will be treated as "just about" a B grade.
Level 6 is a high B grade whilst Level 7 is an A, Levels 8 and 9 are equivalent to the old A*. It is important to remember that the content of the new GCSE was broader, students sat three rather than two exam papers and covered work at a higher level than before. That is why it has been difficult for everyone to get their heads around the comparison between the old letters and the new numbers. But hopefully now that the results for this first year are in we can understand the system a bit better.
It's great to hear from my tutees about their successes. Their hard work and commitment has really paid off. Congratulations to all of them and best wishes for the next chapter of their story.
