Changes in GCSE Grading FAQs

CCEA is engaging with employers and employer organisations, to help them understand the changes to GCSE grading and to ensure that everyone has the necessary information to enable them to make safe and fair decisions based on GCSE grades.

CCEA is engaging with universities, to ensure that they have all the necessary information to enable them to make safe and fair decisions based on GCSE grades.

Universities set their own entry requirements for courses and make offers to students which are generally based on A level results. Many universities also set eligibility criteria which potential students must meet if they are to receive an offer for a course. These criteria may include GCSE results, mainly at C and above.

Over 80% of universities that took part in a recent UCAS survey indicated that if they have asked for a grade C in the past they would continue to do so, or a grade 4 in the 9-1 grading scale.

Some universities allocate points for GCSE grades for a small number of highly competitive courses, like medicine and dentistry. Queens University Belfast (QUB) currently allocates points for grades A* and A for these courses.

With the introduction of 9-1 GCSE grades, QUB will allocate the following points:

• 4 points to grades A*, 8 and 9
• 3 points to grades A and 7

Once the new CCEA grading is introduced, QUB will allocate the following points:

• 4 points to grades A* and 9
• 3 points to grades A, 7 and 8.

For schools, FE colleges and employers that currently use a grade C as a threshold grade for entry onto courses or for a job, there is no reason to change this. When comparing number grades to letter grades, the grade 4 is equivalent to a grade C.

DE has no plans to change school performance measures at A*-C with the introduction of the new C* grade. For GCSEs graded 9-1 this performance measure will be 9-4.

The document below has details on setting grade boundaries and awarding grades in CCEA’s revised GCSEs.