Is ABC easier than 123?

Teenagers in England will be receiving new 9-1 grades in many of their GCSE subjects this year, following major exam reforms.

GCSEs in England have undergone sweeping changes as part of education reforms that began under the coalition government.

These changes are now being felt in schools and colleges across the country, with one of the biggest being a new grading system.

So, what is the new grading system?

– Traditional A* to G grades have been replaced with a 9 to 1 system, with 9 the highest mark.

– English and maths GCSEs – core subjects taken by all teenagers – were the first to move to the new system, with numerical grades awarded for these courses for the first time last summer.

Why was the grading system changed?

– The move is part of a wider reform of exams which has seen a complete overhaul of the content and structure of GCSEs.

– Schools and colleges have been teaching these new GCSEs for the last two to three years, and it is only now that grades are starting to be awarded.

– The new courses feature much less coursework than the old GCSE qualifications, and modular courses, which saw pupils sit papers throughout their studies, have been scrapped in favour of “linear” GCSEs in which pupils take all of their exams at the end of the two-year course.

– The new grading system is meant to clearly distinguish new courses from the old qualifications.