[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-206619-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-206619-en":131},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","gcse-grading-changes-in-northern-ireland-2019","GCSE Grading Changes in Northern Ireland - 2019","","GCSE grading in Northern Ireland is changing, with further updates scheduled up to summer 2019. CCEA will continue awarding current A*–G grades for summer 2018 results, while GCSEs from other exam boards use the 9–1 scale. From summer 2019, CCEA will introduce a revised A*–G structure including a C* grade, aligning A* with grade 9 to manage comparability. The guide explains new grade equivalences, why the policy shift was made, and how students, parents, and employers should interpret letter grades alongside number grades.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/","Exam",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/gcse-grading-changes-in-northern-ireland-2019/206619/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/gcse-grading-changes-in-northern-ireland-2019/206619.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Cart","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-26","2026-09-05",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",12,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What grading scale will students receive in summer 2018 and summer 2019 in Northern Ireland?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"In summer 2018, CCEA continues using the current A*–G grades. From summer 2019, CCEA awards a new A*–G structure that includes a C* grade.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How does the new C* grade compare to the previous grading system?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"The guide states that the new C* grade equates to a grade 5 on the 9–1 scale.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"Why were GCSE grading changes introduced in Northern Ireland?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Education is devolved, and Northern Ireland reviewed its GCSE grading policies after reforms announced in England, with ministerial changes in 2016 leading CCEA to introduce the updated nine-lettered grade scale including C*.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},206619,1788595063,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,95,100,105,110,115,120,123,127],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":118,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":122},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":124,"slug":126},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":128,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":130},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":132},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":133,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":33,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":101,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":80,"read_time":144},18829141979164,"https://eur-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","Your Guide to  \nGCSE  \nGrading Changes in Northern Ireland  \n[www.ccea.org.uk/grading](www.ccea.org.uk/grading)  \nGCSE grading in Northern Ireland is changing. Some of these changes have already taken place and further changes will be  \nmade by summer 2019.  \nWhat are the changes and what will they mean?  \nIn summer 2018, when GCSE results are released, CCEA will continue to award students the current A*–G grades.  \nStudents taking exams with AQA, Pearson, Eduqas and OCR, will receive GCSEs graded 9–1, where 9 is the highest grade and 1 is the lowest.  \nIn summer 2019, CCEA will award new A*–G GCSE grades, which will include a C* grade. The A* grade will be aligned to the grade 9.  \nStudents in Northern Ireland may receive both letters and numbers in their GCSE results, so it is important to understand how these grades compare.  \nCurrent CCEA Structure  \nPhased out by 2019  \nNew CCEA Structure  \nFirst award from summer 2019  \n9–1 Structure  \nAwarded from 2017  \n\n| A |  | A |  | 9 |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n|  |  | A |  | 8 |\n| A |  |  |  |  |\n|  |  |  |  | 7 |\n| B |  | B |  | 6 |\n|  |  | C |  | 5 |\n| C |  |  |  |  |\n|  |  | C |  | 4 |\n| D |  | D |  | 3 |\n| E |  | E |  |  |\n|  |  |  |  | 2 |\n| F |  | F |  |  |\n|  |  |  |  | 1 |\n| G |  | G |  |  |\n\nGrades A* and 9 will reflect students’exceptional performance. The alignment of the new A* grade with the grade 9 will mean that the percentage of students achieving an A* grade will reduce. This means it will be more difficult to achieve an A* .  \nThe A grade will cover grades 7 and 8.  \nApproximately the same percentage of students that achieved an A grade and above in the past will achieve grades A or 7 and above.  \nThe B grade will equate to a grade 6.  \nThe new C* grade will equate to a grade 5.  \nApproximately the same percentage of students that achieved a C grade and above in the past will achieve grades C or 4 and above.  \nIntroducing the C* grade will mean that the percentage of students achieving grades Band C will reduce.  \nApproximately the same percentage of students achieving grades D–G will achieve grades 3–1.  \nWhy are the changes being made?  \nEducation is now devolved and each jurisdiction can decide its own policy.  \nIn 2013, Westminster announced a reform to GCSEs in England. A new numerical grading scale (9–1) was to replace the lettered scale (A*–G) . As a result, the governments in Northern Ireland and Wales reviewed their policies on GCSE grading.  \nIn June 2016, the then Education Minister, Peter Weir MLA, announced changes to the grading of GCSEs that CCEA offers.  \nTo comply with this, CCEA will introduce a nine lettered grade scale (A*–G, including C*) . This will apply to GCSE qualifications taught from September 2017 and results issued in 2019.  \nThe Welsh government chose to keep the current eight letter grade scale (A*–G), allowing 9–1 graded qualifications where an A*–G qualification was not available.  \nStudents and Parents/Carers  \nStudents receiving GCSE subject grades from CCEA in summer 2018 will achieve grades based on the current A*–G structure. They may also achieve grades 9–1 from other awarding organisations. From summer 2019, grades from CCEA will contain A*–G with anew C* grade. Your school can give you more information and support.  \nEmployers, Colleges and Universities  \nIt is important that employers can compare the different grading scales, particularly in English Language and Mathematics. If employers currently ask for GCSEs at grades C and above, there is no reason for this to change. When comparing letter grades to number grades, the grade 4 is equivalent to the grade C.  \nAll GCSEs, regardless of whether they are graded using letters or numbers, will continue to reflect students’ achievements. Employers, colleges and universities will recognise and value them.  \nWe have been working with colleges, universities and employers’ groups to make sure that they fully understand the new GCSE grading in Northern Ireland.  \n@ccea_info","cbCaidXpVWKDU0hv","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaidXpVWKDU0hv","pdf",363769,"English","# GCSE grading in Northern Ireland is changing\n## Summer 2018 and summer 2019 timelines\n## New grading structures and equivalences\n## Why the changes are being made\n## How students and parents/carers should interpret results\n## Employer, college and university comparisons","[{\"question\":\"What grading scale will students receive in summer 2018 and summer 2019 in Northern Ireland?\",\"answer\":\"In summer 2018, CCEA continues using the current A*–G grades. From summer 2019, CCEA awards a new A*–G structure that includes a C* grade.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the new C* grade compare to the previous grading system?\",\"answer\":\"The guide states that the new C* grade equates to a grade 5 on the 9–1 scale.\"},{\"question\":\"Why were GCSE grading changes introduced in Northern Ireland?\",\"answer\":\"Education is devolved, and Northern Ireland reviewed its GCSE grading policies after reforms announced in England, with ministerial changes in 2016 leading CCEA to introduce the updated nine-lettered grade scale including C*.\"}]","GCSE Grading Changes in Northern Ireland - 2019 | PDF",15]