Which International GCSE grade is more valuable?

The new grade 9 is more valuable than the A* as it’s awarded to fewer students than the A*, with top performing students now being awarded three grades (9, 8 and 7), rather than two grades (A* and A). So under the new system, a smaller proportion of students are awarded a grade 9.

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"Grade 9 is not the same as A*; it’s a new grade, designed to recognise the very highest-performing students." Ofqual

What is the (9–1) grading scale?

The new nine point grading scale (9–1) was introduced by the UK government to raise standards and recognise top-performing students.

The new grading scale (9–1) comparison

New grades
New nine point grading scale (9–1)

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Old grades

Find out more about International GCSE (9–1) and the new grading scale

Why should my school move to International GCSE (9–1)?

This year, over 5 million GCSEs and International GCSEs will be awarded using the 9–1 grading scale, making it the most used and recognised grading scale for GCSE and International GCSE. By moving to the new 9–1 grading scale, you ensure that your choice of International GCSE is most closely aligned to the British curriculum, so students can successfully progress to GCE A level, International A level and to university. 

Is moving to the revised specification difficult?

Change is never easy, so we’ve kept it to a minimum. We’ve worked closely with educators while we were developing our new International GCSEs, and made sure we kept all the things that made them great, and only made small changes based on what you thought.