The schools watchdog has been urged not to “rush to judgments” after this year’s GCSE results, which are expected to fall compared to record highs in 2021.

Similarly to the pattern with A-level results, published last week, it is expected grades will drop below last year, but remain above those from 2019.

What does GCSE stand for?

GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education and are valued by schools, colleges and employers.

When was the grading system changed?

A numerical grading system was introduced in schools in 2014 by Michael Gove who was Education Secretary at the time.

The move was made to make GCSE’s more challenging with an emphasis on exams rather than coursework over a two-year period.

For the past two years this has not been the case due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The government announced in January that students would not take national GCSE, AS and A-Level exams this summer, due to the impact of the pandemic on young people’s education.

Full GCSE grading system explained

The numerical grading system is comparable key grades in the old way marks were calculated.

Here is what they mean:

GCSE grading system explained. (Ofqual)

What is a pass in GCSE?

Is grade 3 a pass?

For a ‘standard pass’, equivalent to the old C grade, students will need to achieve a 4 grade, while a 5 will constitute a ‘strong pass’.

Overall grades 4,5 and 6 will be equivalent to grades B and C in the old grading system.

What is grade 7 in GCSE?

Grades 7-9 are the equivalent of grades A and A* in the old system.