Notional Component Grade Boundaries Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) - June 2024 - Understanding linear component raw marks and subject marks

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag

Notional Component Grade Boundaries for Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) in June 2024 explains how linear qualifications are built from components, including both exam and non-exam assessments. It defines raw marks for each component, describes when weighting factors scale raw marks to produce scaled subject marks, and shows worked examples where scaling affects overall subject marks. The text clarifies how grades are determined from subject marks, notes that notional component boundaries do not determine certificated grades, and outlines why they are still published for examiners and teachers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Understanding linear component raw marks and subject marks

The component structure of International GCSE and reformed GCSE/AS/A level qualifications

How candidates’ grades are determined

The use of notional component grade boundaries

Linear qualifications and deciding whether to submit a post-results service (PRS) request

Notional Component Grade Boundaries Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) June 2024 Understanding linear component raw marks and subject marks Components of International GCSE and reformed GCSE, AS and A level qualifications are all sat at the end of the course. Components are individual assessments, such as examinations or non-exam assessments (NEA), which each make up a linear qualification. These qualifications are all linear rather than modular, which means that there is no longer a need for the UMS marks you will have been familiar with in the past. The component structure of qualifications In linear qualifications, each component has a total raw mark. The components contribute a certain percentage to the qualification mark overall, but the contribution of the components may not be equal. This is because one component may represent a larger part of the qualification than the others (see example 2, below) . When the contribution of components to the qualification is not equal, the component raw marks, when simply added together, may not reflect the percentage contribution of the components to the qualification. In such cases the raw mark for the assessment is scaled up or down by a weighting factor. The raw mark is multiplied by the weighting factor so that it reflects the contribution of the component mark to the qualification. The scaled marks, known as subject marks, are then added together to form the overall subject mark. Two examples are given below. Example 1: no scaling is needed as the total raw mark for each component reflects the percentage contribution of each to the qualification. The total raw marks of all components in a linear qualification will add up to the total subject mark if they all contribute to the qualification equally. | Component Title | Raw Marks | Contribution to the Qualification | Weighting Factor | Total Scaled Mark | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Paper 1 | 50 | 25% | 1.000
50 | | | | Paper 2 | 50 | 25% | 1.000 | 50 | | | Paper 3 | 50 | 25% | 1.000 | 50 | | | Paper 4 | 50 | 25% | 1.000 | 50 | | | Subject max mark | 200 | 100% | | | 200 | Example 2: scaling is needed as the raw mark for one or more components does not reflect the percentage contribution. | Component Title | Raw marks | Contribution to the qualification | Weighting Factor | Total Scaled mark | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Paper 1 | 60 | 35% | 1.458 | 87.5 | | Paper 2 | 45 | 20% | 1.111 | 50 | | Paper 3 | 45 | 25% | 1.389 | 62.5 | | Paper 4
Subject max mark | 50 | 20%
100% | 1.000 | 50
250 | | | | | | | How candidates’ grades are determined Table 1 – candidates sitting the qualification in example 1 | Component title | Marks for candidate A | Mark for candidate B | | --- | --- | --- | | Paper 1 | 10 | 40 | | Paper 2 | 25 | 15 | | Paper 3 | 30 | 20 | | Paper 4 | 20 | 10 | | Subject mark | 85 | 85 | Since the marks for each component in the qualification represent the correct percentage contribution, the component marks are simply added to give the overall subject mark. In this example, both candidates A and B have achieved 85 marks for the overall subject. Since they both have the same subject mark, candidates A and B will receive the same grade even though their component performances are very different. Suppose the subject grade boundaries were 81 marks for a grade C and 93 marks for a grade B. Since a subject mark of 85 lies within this mark range, both candidates A and B will receive a grade C for the qualification. Table 2 – candidates sitting the qualification in example 2 | Component title |
Raw mark for candidate C | Weighting factor | Scaled mark | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Paper 1 | 12 | 1.458 | 17.496 | | Paper 2 | 24 | 1.111 | 26.664 | | Paper 3 | 31 | 1.389 | 43.059 | | Paper 4 | 20 | 1.000 | 20.000 | | | | Total: | 107.219 | | | | Subject mark: | 107 | Table 2 shows the performance of candidate C in the example 2 qualification. The

FAQs

What is a component in a linear qualification?

A component is an individual assessment, such as an examination or a non-exam assessment (NEA), and each contributes to a linear qualification at the end of the course.

Why are weighting factors used in some cases?

When component contributions to the overall qualification are unequal, the simple sum of component raw marks may not match the intended percentage. Weighting factors scale the raw marks so they properly reflect each component’s contribution.

Do notional component grade boundaries determine the final certificated grade?

No. Component-level boundaries are notional only and do not equate to a certificated grade; the qualification grade is based on the overall subject mark.

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag