GCSE grades explained: the 9 to 1 scale and what is a pass

Key takeaways

• →GCSEs in England are graded 9 to 1. Grade 9 is the highest, grade 1 is the lowest and U means ungraded.
• →The scales are not an exact match, but the low ends of a 7, a 4 and a 1 compare with the low ends of an old A, C and G.
• →The Department for Education calls a grade 4 a standard pass and a grade 5 a strong pass. The strong pass is for judging schools.
• →In 2026 to 2027, students on post-16 study programmes who did not get a grade 4 in English or maths at 16 must usually keep studying them.

1. The 9 to 1 scale at a glance

GCSEs in England have been graded on a 9 to 1 scale since 2017. It replaced the old A* to G letters. Grade 9 is the top grade, grade 1 is the bottom, and U stands for ungraded. This guide is mainly about England. Wales and Northern Ireland are covered further down.^[1]

Combined science works a little differently. Students get a double grade, such as 9–9, 9–8 or 8–7, and the two numbers can be the same or different.^[1]

2. How the numbers line up with A* to G

Most parents sat GCSEs with letters, so the obvious question is what each number would have been in the old system. Ofqual, the exams regulator for England, says the two scales are not directly equivalent. It gives three points where they can be compared, and the table below shows them.^[1]

3. Grades in between, and the top of the scale

Grades 6 and 5 sit between the points for 7 and 4, and grades 3 and 2 sit between 4 and 1, so there is no exact letter for them. Ofqual’s own example is an employer who used to ask for at least a C. That employer would now ask for at least a 4.^[1]

The top of the scale has more room than before. Grades 9, 8 and 7 together cover what the old A* and A did, and Ofqual says one aim of the change was to tell apart students at the top more clearly.^[2]

4. What counts as a pass?

The Department for Education (DfE) uses two labels. A grade 4 or above is a standard pass, and DfE treats it as a similar achievement to the old grade C or above. A grade 5 or above in English or maths is a strong pass, a label DfE uses only when judging how schools are doing.^[3]

You can see this in how schools are measured. DfE’s headline measure is the share of pupils who get a grade 5 or above in both English and maths. Its latest key stage 4 (GCSE years) figures, which are provisional and were published on 15 October 2026, use that measure for 2025/26.^[5]

DfE’s guidance on school measures, last updated on 20 October 2026, also lists the share of pupils getting a grade 4 or above in English and maths as an additional measure.^[4]

For your child, the grade 4 matters most in English and maths. It is the line that decides whether they must keep studying those subjects after 16, as the next section explains.^[6]

A grade 4 is a standard pass and a grade 5 is a strong pass.

5. If there is no grade 4 in English or maths at 16

In England, a student who does not have a grade 4 or above in GCSE English or maths by the end of Year 11 must usually keep studying that subject if they stay on a post-16 study programme. This covers students aged 16 to 18 on programmes of 150 hours or more, and up to age 25 for those with an education, health and care plan. DfE calls it a condition of funding. That means schools and colleges have to provide English and maths for these students as part of getting their funding.^[6]

What the student studies depends on the grade they got. A full-time student with a grade 3 must study towards a GCSE, because they are closest to a 4. A student with a grade 2 or below can study towards either a GCSE or Functional Skills level 2, which is a different qualification. Some start on a lower-level course first. Part-time students with a grade 3 have more choice.^[6]

Students can resit in the autumn (November) exams or the summer exams. The school or college decides whether to enter a student in November, depending on whether they are ready to improve their grade.^[10]

Here is what the official pages say now. DfE’s guidance for 2026 to 2027 was first published on 17 December 2025 and last updated on 24 July 2026. It says the core requirements are consistent with those for 2025 to 2026.^[6]

Changes are planned. DfE’s post-16 pathways implementation plan (published 20 May 2026, updated 17 September 2026) says the condition still requires teaching English or maths to students without a grade 4 by age 16. It also says the government will publish its response later in 2026 to a consultation on new level 1 English and maths qualifications. Those are meant for students who got a grade 2 or below, to help them work towards a grade 4.^[8]

DfE’s Education Hub post of 10 March 2026 says the new courses are a step towards a grade 4 or above. It adds that all providers will still have to support 16 to 19 year olds who have not yet reached a 4, or an equivalent, in English and maths.^[9]

Check the rule before results day: These rules are updated every year and more change is planned. Ask the school or college which English and maths course your child would take if they miss a 4, and check GOV.UK for the current guidance.

6. Wales and Northern Ireland

Wales uses a different scale. Its GCSEs are graded A* to G, and Senedd Research says the English 9 to 1 grades are not directly comparable to them.^[11]

Northern Ireland also uses letters. CCEA, the exams body there, describes a nine-letter scale from A* to G that includes an extra grade called C*.^[12]

7. What sixth forms and colleges ask for

Entry rules vary. Each sixth form and college sets its own, and the grades they ask for can differ between courses. Check the website or prospectus of every place on your shortlist, and ask what they do if a student narrowly misses a grade. Do not assume that a pass will be enough for the course your child wants.

8. How grade boundaries set the grades

Once papers are marked, a mix of data and expert examiner judgement decides where the grade boundaries fall. Grade boundaries are the marks needed for each grade. Ofqual says they move each year with the difficulty of the papers, so that a given grade is no easier or harder to get in one year than in another. That is why the marks for a grade can change from year to year. Our grade boundaries page lists the marks.^[1]

9. How Brainhub can help

We teach one-to-one, live online across the UK. Online GCSE lessons start from £30 an hour, and every family starts with a free 45-minute assessment, so you can see where your child is now compared with the grade they need.

Our GCSE students typically improve by 2 grades over 12 weeks of weekly lessons (Brainhub student records, 2021–2026). That figure comes from our own records, not independent research, and it is a typical result, not a promise.

1. 1. What does U mean on a GCSE result?

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2. 2. What are a standard pass and a strong pass?

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3. 3. A student finishes Year 11 with a grade 3 in maths and goes into full-time study at a college. What must they do?

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Your next steps

• Check your child’s English and maths grades against a 4 and a 5.
• Look up the entry requirements of every sixth form or college on your shortlist.
• Book a free 45-minute assessment to see where your child is now.

Subject guides to go with this

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