In summary, a passing grade is a 4 at GCSE and an E at A-Level. The best way to get yourself across the grade boundary is to gain as many “easy” marks as possible and learn the information. After that, you just need to practice everything you don't understand well and sometimes, skip out the most difficult content.
GCE Advanced Level - grades A*(a*), A(a), B(b), C(c), D(d), or E(e) indicate a pass at Advanced Level, grade A*(a*) being the highest and grade E(e) the lowest. GCE Advanced Subsidiary Level - grades a(a), b(b), c(c), d(d), or e(e) indicate the standard reached, grade a (a) being the highest and grade e (e) the lowest.
GCSE exams have begun for students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In England, these are now graded using a numerical system from 9 to 1, rather than from A to E, as was previously the case.
Where previously the pass grades were limited to C, B, A and A* for the highest achievers, now you have grades 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. The opposite can be said for the lower end of the GCSE grading system. Previously failed GCSE grades came in at grades D, E, F and G, with U being 'Unclassified'.
What is a Fail in GCSE? Anything below a 4 is a fail under the UK grading system, with U standing for 'ungraded', which was the same in the previous system.
E grade (Unofficial Withdrawal) – An “E” grade can only be assigned to a student who ceases to attend a course prior to sixty percent (60 %) of the duration of the semester, and fails to officially withdraw from that course.
NVQ level 2 to 3 (GCSE equivalent) • The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) – awarded since 2009 - is considered comparable to the overall A Level standard.
One use of the letter E in a grading system is as follows: A, B, C, D, and E with E being a failing grade. A failing grade would most likely require the student to retake the class in order to get credit. In the US the E just replaces the F one might see in a typical A, B, C, D, and F system.
“E” for Exceeding
Each of these exams comes back with a letter grade. The second highest grade is an “E” for “Exceeds Expectations.” This precedent is not uncommon, although it is less common than the ABC grading scale, which is the most common.
However, a 4 is being classified as a standard pass, which can be broadly compared to a grade C, while a 5 is a strong pass. Grades 9-7 are roughly equivalent to the old top grades of A* and A.
A student's school‐based achievement in ATAR, General and Foundation courses is recorded in grades (A, B, C, D or E) and marks out of 100.
Back in 1897, the letter E used to mean the same thing as F; that is, it used to be the lowest possible grade. However, parents and students found it easier to understand that “F” stood for “Failed” (rather than thinking that “E” could mean “excellent”).
The normal grading range is from 55 to 100. The number grades correspond to letter grades as reflected in the chart below. The minimum passing grade is 70 (C). Any grades between 55 and 69 (D and F) are considered failing grades for which unit credit is not earned.
In the United States, academic grading commonly takes on the form of five, six or seven letter grades. Traditionally, the grades are A+, A, A−, B+, B, B−, C+, C, C−, D+, D, D− and F, with A+ being the highest and F being lowest.
What are letter grades and how do they convert into percentages? Common examples of grade conversion are: A+ (97–100), A (93–96), A- (90–92), B+ (87–89), B (83–86), B- (80–82), C+ (77–79), C (73–76), C- (70–72), D+ (67–69), D (65–66), D- (below 65).
Equivalent GCSE grades
The Government has said that grade 4 is a 'standard pass'. Grade 5 is a 'strong pass' and equivalent to a high C and low B on the old grading system. Grade 4 remains the level that students must achieve without needing to resit English and Maths post-16.
The reformed GCSE qualifications will be awarded on a grade scale of 9 (the highest grade) to 1 (the lowest). This new scale will be aligned to key grades on the current A* to G scale. broadly the same proportion of students will achieve a grade 1 and above as currently achieve a grade G and above.
Most educational institutes and employers would class a grade of 4 (previously a grade D) or below as bad. With that in mind, if you have core GCSEs, such as English or Maths, with a grade 4 or D then you're best bet is to look at retaking the courses.