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These grades were initially set such that a GCSE grade C was equivalent to an O-Level grade C or a CSE grade 1, though changes in marking criteria and boundaries over the years mean that this comparison is only approximate. Infrequently, X and Q grades are awarded.
At one point in time, the “A*” grade in the GCSE did not exist but was later added to recognise the very top end of achievement. In the case of Further Mathematics, an extra A* grade was added for students that can “demonstrate sustained performance in higher-level maths skills such as reasoning, proof and problem-solving.” [14]
The 9-1 grading system for GCSEs began in 2017 in England.
[13] [14] [15] On a Sky News segment, presenter Adam Boulton answered one of the paper's 'hardest' questions with a former maths teacher. [16] [17] As a result, GCSE students across the UK signed a petition made by a candidate requesting that the exam board lowers the grade boundaries as the examination was too hard.
Edexcel, another British exam board, also had similarly low grade boundaries. Subsequently, Ofqual said that they were confident the grade boundaries this year were "sound", so shifted their focus onto the previous year's grade boundaries for the new Mathematics A-Level for the 2,000 students who sat it after studying it for one year.
In Northern Ireland, a new grade C* was introduced in 2019 to line up with the English grade 5. In both systems, work below the grade G or 1 standard is denoted as 'Unclassified' (U). For comparison purposes, a grade C is considered equivalent to a 4, and an A is equivalent to a 7, and an 8 is equivalent roughly to an A*.
The highest grade achievable is an A. An FSMQ Unit at Advanced level is roughly equivalent to a single AS module with candidates receiving 10 UCAS points for an A grade. Intermediate level is equivalent to a GCSE in Mathematics. Coursework is often a key part of the FSMQ, but is sometimes omitted depending on the examining board.
For example, one year a candidate may only need 62 raw marks to get an A grade (80%), but another year 62 marks may only be equivalent to a B grade (70%). This means that it is possible for candidates to achieve full UMS marks in an exam, even if they didn't receive full marks in the actual exam.