GCSE and International GCSE grades for summer 2021
This brief update provides a useful reminder of the nature of grading this summer and how grades and levels will be reported.
As you will be aware from previous communications, the ‘Summer 2021 FAQs’ documentation and other website support, all languages in our GCSE portfolio and International GCSEs in Chinese, French, German and Spanish feature new speaking endorsements and are being graded differently this summer.
Due to the introduction of a separate ‘speaking endorsement’ (announced last autumn term), the teacher-assessed grades (TAGs) for the above ‘qualifications’ are based exclusively this summer on candidates’ performances across listening, reading and writing skills.
It is expected that all candidates entered for these qualifications will have been offered an opportunity for speaking endorsement.
The GCSE and International GCSE qualifications will attract 9-1 grades but the a candidate's speaking endorsement performance will be reported at pass, merit or distinction levels on the qualification certificates. In cases where no speaking endorsement level has been submitted via Edexcel Online or where a candidate’s performance did not fulfil the assessment criteria required at ‘pass’ level, the qualification certificates will refer to the speaking endorsement as ‘not classified’.
Naturally, teachers assessing students for these qualifications this summer, should not have referred to their speaking performance when making their qualification grade decisions.
Subject advisor
Rebecca Waker
Languages
