award of grade 9 and to better prepare students for their A levels. This is especially ... have a higher mark in the sub
Changes to GCSEs Over the past three years GCSEs have changed. The changes include: • • •
The subjects available The amount of content and difficulty The grading system: Changing from A*-G to 9-1
SUBJECTS AVAILABLE The UK Government’s Department for Education has removed some GCSE subjects. The only subject affected at CATS is Science. The table below outlines the old and new structures: PREVIOUS COURSE
NEW COURSE
Name
Science (Single Award)/Core Science
No longer exists
Weight
1 GCSE
Subjects
Biology, Chemistry, Physics
Assessment and grading
Three exams, marks averaged and one grade awarded on an A*-U scale PREVIOUS COURSE
NEW COURSE
Name
Science (Double Award)/Additional Science
Combined Science
Weight
2 GCSEs
2 GCSEs
Subjects
Biology, Chemistry, Physics
Biology, Chemistry, Physics
Assessment and grading
Three exams, marks averaged and one grade awarded on an A*- A* to U-U scale
Three exams, marks averaged and one grade awarded on an 9-9 to 1-1 scale
PREVIOUS COURSE
NEW COURSE
Name
Biology, Chemistry, Physics (Colloquially ‘Triple Award’)
Biology, Chemistry, Physics (Colloquially ‘Triple Award’)
Weight Subjects
3 GCSEs Biology, Chemistry, Physics
3 GCSEs Biology, Chemistry, Physics
Assessment and grading
Three exams, one grade awarded for each science on an A*-U scale
Three exams, one grade awarded for each science on a 9-1 scale
THE AMOUNT OF CONTENT AND DIFFICULTY GCSEs have become harder with more content so they cannot easily be compressed into a year. This is, in part to justify the award of grade 9 and to better prepare students for their A levels. This is especially true in Maths where the step from GCSE to A level has become greater.
GCSE GRADES Subjects are now reporting attainment on a number, rather than a letter scale. The Department for Education has published this conversion from the letter grades to number grades. This is shown in the table below: GRADE 9
OLD
A*
8 7 6
A B
5
DESCRIPTOR Highest level of attainment with excellent work in all areas Excellent. Very good understanding of subject and material. Clear evidence of an ability to apply it to practical situations Good. Very competent treatment of subject and material. Evident ability to apply concepts and synthesize material Satisfactory. Average performance, demonstrated mix of strengths and weaknesses. Reasonable knowledge and understanding of subject
4
C
Adequate. Sufficient performance. Work characterised by errors and omissions. Some misunderstanding of basic concepts and principles
3
D
Pass
2
Pass
1
E F G
U
U
Fail
Pass
A grade 8 is equivalent to an A*. Grade 9s are rationed so a student might get a very high mark but still get an 8. Top universities will be very impressed with a grade 8. Getting a grade 7 or 8 will mean a student is very well qualified to take the A level in that subject; in fact for many subjects grades 5 or 6 are acceptable. When it comes to A level subject choice the distinction between grade 8 and 9 is not that important; the student might even have a higher mark in the subject in which they got the grade 8 than they achieved in the subject for which they were awarded a grade 9. Aspiring to grade 9 is a good thing but you should avoid thinking that a grade 8 is anything other than excellent.
SUBJECTS STILL USING THE LETTER GRADING SYSTEM Where International GCSEs (IGCSEs) are offered, CATS Colleges use the examination board Cambridge International Exams. The grading for international exams are still on an A* - U scale.
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