[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-206576-105":59,"doc-detail-206576-en":125},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":118,"head_meta":120,"extra_data":122,"updated_unix":124},105,"en","9-things-you-need-to-know-about-gcse-9-1-grades-key-facts","9 things you need to know about GCSE 9-1 grades - Key facts","","A concise overview of the GCSE 9–1 grading system explains how the new scale replaces A*–G in England, when the grades were first awarded, and why the added grade improves differentiation. It clarifies grade equivalences between old and new standards, highlights what grade 9 signifies compared with A*, and updates the meaning of “strong pass” and “standard pass.” It also covers tier entry rules for Core and Extension papers, including an allowed grade 3 backup, and notes potential advantages for students achieving grade 9.",{"@graph":69,"@context":117},[70,84,100],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/9-things-you-need-to-know-about-gcse-9-1-grades-key-facts/206576/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"author":86,"headline":65,"publisher":89,"fileFormat":92,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":93,"datePublished":94,"encodingFormat":92,"isAccessibleForFree":95,"interactionStatistic":96},"DigitalDocument",{"name":87,"@type":88},"Emma Mercer","Person",{"url":74,"name":90,"@type":91},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-09-06","2026-09-05",true,{"@type":97,"interactionType":98,"userInteractionCount":8},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":99},"ViewAction",{"@type":101,"mainEntity":102},"FAQPage",[103,109,113],{"name":104,"@type":105,"acceptedAnswer":106},"When were the GCSE 9–1 grades first awarded for different subjects?","Question",{"text":107,"@type":108},"The 9–1 GCSE grades replace A*–G in England. First awards began in 2017 for English Literature, English Language, and Mathematics, then expanded in 2018 to 18 more subjects, and again in 2019 to 15 more subjects.","Answer",{"name":110,"@type":105,"acceptedAnswer":111},"How do new grades map to the old A*–G standards?",{"text":112,"@type":108},"The standards are equated as 7 (A), 4 (C), and 1 (G). The document also states that the proportion achieving grade 4 and above broadly matches the old grade C and above, and grade 7 and above broadly matches the old grade A and above.",{"name":114,"@type":105,"acceptedAnswer":115},"What changes to “strong pass” and “standard pass” do students see?",{"text":116,"@type":108},"A grade C used to be considered a good pass. Under the 9–1 scale, a grade 5 is a “strong pass” and a grade 4 is a “standard pass”.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":119,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":90,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":121,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":123,"site_id":62},206576,1788594909,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":126},{"doc_id":123,"user_id":127,"nickname":87,"user_avatar":128,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":129,"file_id":130,"file_url":131,"file_type":132,"file_size":133,"view_count":8,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":8,"language":134,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":135,"faqs":136,"seo_title":137,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":124,"read_time":81},962084925502,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","9 things you need to know about GCSE 9-1 grades  \n1. The 9-1 GCSE grades replace the A*-G grades in England.  \n• First awards in 2017 for: English Literature, English Language and Mathematics  \n• First awards in 2018 for: 18 more GCSE subjects, including the sciences  \n• First awards in 2019 for: 15 more GCSE subjects  \n2. The addition of an extra grade allows for greater differentiation between more able students.  \n• Grades 4, 5, 6 span old grades C and B  \n• Grades 7, 8, 9 span old grades A and A*  \n3. The Standards between the old and new grades are equated 7(A), 4(C) and 1(G).  \nBroadly the same proportion of students will achieve a grade 4 and above as used to achieve a grade Cand above; and achieve a grade 7 and above as used to achieve a grade A and above.  \n4. Grade 9 recognises the very best students.  \nGrade 9 is awarded to the very highest performers and is above the standard required for grade A*. In the UK in 2016, 5.7% of GCSE Maths students gained an A*. Whereas in 2017, only 3.5% of GCSE Maths students gained a grade 9.  \n5. The grade for a ‘strong pass’ has changed.  \nA grade C used to be considered a good pass. Under the 9-1 grade scale a grade 5 is a ‘strong pass’ and a grade 4 is a ‘standard pass’.  \n6. The new grades were announced as part of measures to raise attainment standards.  \nGrade 5 is “broadly in line with what the best evidence tells us is the average PISA performance in countries such as Finland, Canada, the Netherlands and Switzerland.”(Ofqual)  \n7. Maths and Science students who enter Core tier papers can achieve a better grade.  \nThe Oxford AQA International GCSE Mathematics and Combined Science Double Award Core papers allow students to achieve a grade 5 (in previous foundation tiers, students could only achieve a grade C) .  \n8. Extension tier papers (targeted at grades 9-4) have an ‘allowed’ grade 3 as a backup grade.  \nExtension tier papers in Oxford AQA International GCSE Mathematics and Combined Science Double Award allow students to achieve grades 9 to 4 or, for those who just fail to achieve grade 4, an ‘allowed’grade 3. Students who do not reach the minimum standard for the allowed grade 3 will be recorded as U (unclassified) and will not receive a qualification certificate.  \n9. Students who achieve grade 9 may have an advantage over those with A*.  \n“The day may come when universities start looking at the grade 9 and you would be disadvantaged if you haven’t taken the exam that at least allows you access to the grade that is higher than the A*.”  \nBarnaby Lennon, Chairman of the Independent Schools Council, speaking to The Times.  \n\n| NEW GCSE GRADING STRUCTURE |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| 9 |  | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |  | 2 |  | 1 | U |\n|  | A* |  | A | B |  | C | D | E |  | F | G | U |\n\nOLD GCSE GRADING STRUCTURE  \n[Find out more at](Find out more at oxfordaqaexams.org.uk/gcse-grades)[ ](Find out more at oxfordaqaexams.org.uk/gcse-grades)[oxfordaqaexams.org.uk/gcse-grades](Find out more at oxfordaqaexams.org.uk/gcse-grades)  \nOxford International AQA Examinations is a joint venture between Oxford University Press, a department of the University of Oxford, the world’s number one university, and AQA, the UK’s number one exam board.  \nCopyright © Oxford International AQA Examinations, 2017 Version 2, September 2017","cbCailIbGlKW8Xit","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCailIbGlKW8Xit","pdf",101754,"English","# GCSE 9–1 grading basics\n## Replacement of A*–G and award timeline\n## Grade differentiation and equivalences\n## Meaning of grade 9 and A*\n## Changes to “strong pass” and “standard pass”\n## PISA-referenced attainment benchmark\n## Tier entry: Core and Extension allowed grade 3\n## Potential advantage of achieving grade 9","[{\"question\":\"When were the GCSE 9–1 grades first awarded for different subjects?\",\"answer\":\"The 9–1 GCSE grades replace A*–G in England. First awards began in 2017 for English Literature, English Language, and Mathematics, then expanded in 2018 to 18 more subjects, and again in 2019 to 15 more subjects.\"},{\"question\":\"How do new grades map to the old A*–G standards?\",\"answer\":\"The standards are equated as 7 (A), 4 (C), and 1 (G). The document also states that the proportion achieving grade 4 and above broadly matches the old grade C and above, and grade 7 and above broadly matches the old grade A and above.\"},{\"question\":\"What changes to “strong pass” and “standard pass” do students see?\",\"answer\":\"A grade C used to be considered a good pass. Under the 9–1 scale, a grade 5 is a “strong pass” and a grade 4 is a “standard pass”.\"}]","9 things you need to know about GCSE 9-1 grades - Key facts | PDF"]