Cambridge International AS Level - Grade Descriptions for Cambridge International AS Level English Language 9093

Oct 23, 2026

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Grade descriptions define the performance level typically demonstrated by candidates awarded grades E, C, and A for Cambridge International AS Levels. The resource explains how it supports teachers’ lesson planning and curriculum development, while helping students, university admissions staff, and employers understand what typical performance looks like across grades. Grade descriptions are presented in a grid by content area and build from grade to grade, supporting teaching and learning but not used to set or challenge grade thresholds.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

What are grade descriptions?

How do I use this resource?

Grade descriptions

Cambridge International AS Level Grade Descriptions for Cambridge International AS Level English Language 9093 What are grade descriptions? Grade descriptions describe the level of performance typically demonstrated by candidates achieving the different grades awarded for a qualification. For Cambridge International AS Levels, they describe performance at three levels – grades ‘E’, ‘C’ and‘A’. Grade descriptions sit alongside other key documents that illustrate examination standards, including: • the syllabus, which presents what students should be taught over a course of study and explains how this is assessed • the specimen assessment materials, which exemplify the structure of the assessment and the kinds of tasks that candidates complete • grade thresholds, which show the total mark required to achieve a grade. Grade descriptions are produced with a wide range of audiences in mind. For teachers, they support lesson planning and curriculum development, while students may gain useful insights into what is required to achieve a high grade and what candidate performance at lower grades typically looks like. For university admissions staff and employers, and those less familiar with Cambridge, they paint a picture of typical performance at different grades. Cambridge publishes grade descriptions for a qualification once examinations have taken place for the first time , and we review them when a qualification is substantially revised. They are developed by highly experienced examiners who understand performance standards in the subject area and have studied samples of candidate work. How do I use this resource? Grade descriptions are presented as a grid with content areas atthe start of each row and the different grades at the top of each column. The content areas group together various aspects of the syllabus – they reflect topics, assessment objectives, key concepts, syllabus aims and components. The way they are organised is specific to each subject. For each content area, there is a descriptor for each grade. Reading across the row from left to right, the descriptors represent increasing levels of performance, with each grade descriptor building on, and including, the last. Each column represents overall performance at a particular grade. Reading down the column from top to bottom, the descriptors capture the range of knowledge, understanding and skills that a candidate comfortably achieving the grade is likely to demonstrate. Cambridge produces grade descriptions to support teaching and learning and the interpretation of candidate scores and grades. We do not use them to set grade thresholds. As such, they cannot be used to challenge the grade awarded to any individual candidate. Grade descriptions | Area of knowledge,
understanding and skills | Typical performance at grade E | Typical performance at grade C | Typical performance at grade A | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Reading and understanding | | | | | | | | | | Understanding conventions, linguistic elements and literary features | Students read and recognise a wide variety of linguistic and literary features, which may include parts of speech/word classes, vocabulary used for effect, figurative language, phonological features, morphological features, rhetorical devices, voice, aspect, tense, modality, narrative perspective, word ordering and sentence structure, paragraph-and text-level structure, formality/informality of tone and pragmatics.
They describe some of these features and use them to create effects in their own writing. | Students explain clearly the effects created by a number of conventions, linguistic elements and literary features.
They incorporate a variety of conventions, linguistic elements and literary features in their own writing in order to create some effects in their own writing with confidence. | Students explain with insight and in detail the effects created by a wide variety of conventions, li

FAQs

What are grade descriptions for Cambridge International AS Levels?

They describe the level of performance typically demonstrated by candidates achieving the different grades (E, C, and A) for the qualification.

Where do grade descriptions sit within Cambridge’s other examination standards documents?

They sit alongside the syllabus, specimen assessment materials, and grade thresholds, illustrating examination standards after the first examinations and when qualifications are revised.

How should teachers and students use this resource?

Use it to support teaching and learning and interpret candidate scores and grades. It is not used to set grade thresholds and cannot be used to challenge an awarded grade.

Oct 23, 2026

Upload by acoobca