GCSE grades explained: the 9 to 1 scale (2027)

The 9 to 1 scale at a glance

Grade 4 or grade 5: which is a pass?

Both are passes. Grade 4 is the standard pass and is the level most sixth forms, colleges, apprenticeships and employers mean when they ask for a "pass" or what used to be a grade C. Ofqual's own advice to employers and universities is that if they used to ask for at least a C, the equivalent now is at least a 4.

Grade 5 is the strong pass. Schools are measured on the share of pupils getting grade 5 or above in English and maths, and some sixth forms ask for a 5 or 6 in subjects you want to take at A-level. Always check the entry requirements of the course you are applying for rather than assuming.

Grades 9 to 4 are Level 2 grades and grades 3 to 1 are Level 1. That matters after Year 11: if you finish with a grade 3 or below in maths or English and stay in full-time education, you will usually have to keep studying the subject. See our guide to GCSE maths and English resits.

How the old A* to G letters compare

Ofqual is clear that the number scale is not directly equivalent to the letter scale. There are only three fixed comparison points: the bottom of grade 7 lines up with the bottom of A, the bottom of grade 4 with the bottom of C, and the bottom of grade 1 with the bottom of G.

Everything else is approximate. The old A* band is split across grades 8 and 9, so a grade 9 is harder to get than an old A*. Grades 5 and 6 sit across the old B and upper C range, and grades 3 and 2 cover roughly the old D, E and F range. If a form asks you to convert a number grade into a letter, give the number grade and let the reader use the three comparison points.

How grade boundaries are set

There is no fixed percentage for any grade. After the papers are marked, each exam board sets grade boundaries for that series using a combination of statistical evidence and examiners' judgement of real scripts. Ofqual's aim is that it is no easier or harder to get a given grade from one year to the next, so if a paper turns out harder, the boundaries go down, and if it is easier, they go up.

Boards publish the boundaries on results day. Old boundaries are useful for checking roughly how you are doing on a past paper, but they will not be the same in 2027, so do not treat any single number as the target. A safer habit is to aim well above the previous year's boundary for the grade you want.

In tiered subjects (such as maths and the sciences) boundaries are set separately for foundation and higher tier.

Tiers: foundation and higher

• Some GCSEs, including maths, combined science, biology, chemistry, physics and modern foreign languages, have two tiers.
• Foundation tier covers grades 5 to 1. You cannot get above a 5, however many marks you score.
• Higher tier covers grades 9 to 4, with an allowed grade 3 for students who narrowly miss grade 4. Below that, the result is U.
• A grade 4 or 5 is worth exactly the same whichever tier it came from.
• Your teachers usually decide the tier, based on mock results. If you are borderline between a 4 and a 5, ask them which tier gives you the safer route to the grade you need.

Combined science: the 17-point double grade

GCSE combined science is a double award worth two GCSEs. Instead of one number you get a pair of equal or adjacent grades: 9-9, 9-8, 8-8, 8-7 and so on down to 1-1. That makes 17 possible grades.

A 5-4 means one grade 5 and one grade 4, so it counts as two GCSEs at grade 4 or above, and one of them at grade 5. A 4-3 counts as one grade 4 and one grade 3. Foundation tier runs from 5-5 to 1-1 and higher tier from 9-9 to 4-4, with 4-3 allowed on higher. Practise with our GCSE Combined Science questions.

Results day 2027

JCQ has confirmed that GCSE results for the June 2027 series are released to students on Thursday 19 August 2027. The last GCSE exam on the common timetable is 18 June 2027, with 23 June kept as a contingency day.

If you think a paper was marked wrongly, your school can request a review of marking through the exam board. Grades can go down as well as up after a review, so talk it through with your teachers first.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Ofqual: GCSE 9 to 1 grade scale explained
• Ofqual blog: GCSE 9 to 1 grades, a brief guide for parents
• JCQ: Key dates, June 2027 examination series

Practice tests for these exams

This guide is general information, checked November 2026, not official exam board guidance. Specifications and dates can change; confirm the details with your school or exam board.