When students pick up their GCSE results this month (August) the grades will have changed for some subjects from the traditional A/B/C marks to a new system of 9-1 grades.
The highest grade awarded will be 9 with grade 5 the equivalent of a C.
The new system is intended to help provide more differentiation, especially among higher achieving students.
The grades will be given for the first time in 2017 exam results, for specifications that first started teaching in 2015.
What will be graded in numbers this year?
English language, English literature and maths are the first subjects to use the new system, with most other subjects adopting numbers by 2019.
Another 20 subjects will have 9 to 1 grading in 2018, with most others following in 2019. During this transition, students will receive a mixture of letter and number grades.
Why are the changes being made?
New GCSE content will be more challenging. Fewer grade 9s will be awarded than A*s.
The new grades are being brought in to signal that GCSEs have been reformed and to better differentiate between students of different abilities.
What is expected from this year’s new grades?
In the first year each new GCSE subject is introduced, broadly the same proportion of students will get a grade 4 or above as would have got a grade C or above in the old system.
Where are the changes being made?
These changes are only happening in England. Wales and Northern Ireland are not introducing the new 9 to 1 grading scale as part of their changes to GCSEs.
East Kent College has issued a guide on what the changes mean for students looking to start with them this September:
How will this affect prospective students at East Kent College?
Entry requirements will be staying the same for most courses, it is just the way the grades are shown that will change.
For a Level 2 programme students will need to achieve four GCSEs (including maths and English) at grade 3 or above to enrol on a course at the college.
For a Level 3 programme students will need to achieve five GCSEs (including maths and English) at grade 4 or 5 or above to enrol on a course at the college.
For Level 1 and Entry Level programmes students will not need any formal qualifications such as GCSEs, just a keen interest in the subject.
Why does the college have entry requirements?
The entry requirements are set as a standard that students need to have in order to complete the course. All students are invited in for an interview where their suitability for the course will be assessed and an offer will be made on the level most suitable for the student.
Many students will start on a Level 2 programme, even where higher grades are obtained. Many of our courses teach vocational skills that students would not have been taught in school, to become proficient before progressing to Level 3, students will need the basic skills learnt at Level 2.
What about GCSEs at college?
The college will still continue to offer exams for English, maths and science but students will be graded under the new 9-1 system. Students who start at college but do not have a grade 5 or above will resit GCSE English and maths alongside their chosen course. GCSE English and maths courses are free to anyone who does not have a grade 5 (or C) or above.
Students will receive GCSE results on Thursday August 24.
Results day for A-levels is Thursday 17 August