GCSE Grades in 2016 and before

[tiffinboys]

Eccentric, Thanks for the link. A very good and clear article.

One comment, relating to grade 9. It is not always that 5% of candidates would get grade 9.

If approx 20% of those 7 & above would get grade 9, then it follows that in subjects where less than 25% achieve grade 7, the grade 9 would be proportionally less. For example, English Language.

Similarly, where more than 25% candidates get grade 7 and above, then those getting grade 9 would be proportionally higher. For example, Classical Studies or separate Sciences.

[tiffinboys]

Looks like as if there would be more candidates getting grades 8 & 9 combined than the numbers getting A* at present.

[Miltonkeynes1]

Some universities currently ask for 8 A* for an offer, do you think the new requirement will be 8 grade 9's or will this be unrealistic?

[Amber]

Some universities currently ask for 8 A* for an offer, do you think the new requirement will be 8 grade 9's or will this be unrealistic?

I don't think they do, do they? Oxford likes a majority of A* and I assume Cambridge too but I don't think I have heard of any university formally requiring this. I have taught children who only did 5 GCSEs (living abroad, or being home educated) who still went to good universities. The A levels are what really count. I think it highly unlikely that anyone is going to be asking for 8 grade 9s or they won't have any students.

[ToadMum]

Some universities currently ask for 8 A* for an offer, do you think the new requirement will be 8 grade 9's or will this be unrealistic?

I don't think they do, do they? Oxford likes a majority of A* and I assume Cambridge too but I don't think I have heard of any university formally requiring this. I have taught children who only did 5 GCSEs (living abroad, or being home educated) who still went to good universities. The A levels are what really count. I think it highly unlikely that anyone is going to be asking for 8 grade 9s or they won't have any students.

There is a difference between 'requiring' lots of A*s and finding that, on the whole, successful candidate will have offered them (rather like a higher A level points average of entrants 'proving' that one university is 'better' than another - it doesn't) along with their successful A level grades.

However, some universities, for some courses do 'score' GCSEs; for 2017 entry for Medicine at Birmingham, for example, a specified list of five GCSE subjects is scored as A*=4, A=2, B=1, with a further two unspecific subjects scored as A*=2 but no other grade attracts a score. However, the result is then scaled to a maximum score of 7 and combined with the UKCAT score scaled to a maximum of 3 and there is an example given of how a relatively 'poor' GCSE score can be balanced by a higher UKCAT.

[Catseye]

for 2017 entry for Medicine at Birmingham, for example, a specified list of five GCSE subjects is scored as A*=4, A=2, B=1, with a further two unspecific subjects scored as A*=2 but no other grade attracts a score. However, the result is then scaled to a maximum score of 7 and combined with the UKCAT score scaled to a maximum of 3 and there is an example given of how a relatively 'poor' GCSE score can be balanced by a higher UKCAT.

This is the only Med School that does this ( as far as I aware of) prior to this Birmingham Med School did not do UKCAT/BMAT the only British school that did not but relied solely on almost straight A* in top 8 relevant gcse's including A* in English lang or Lit.

I know it add nothing to the discussion-just saying.

[Daogroupie]

Oxbridge do not specify any amounts of GCSE A stars.

However Oxford has said that their successful candidates have an average of 5 A stars which will mean that some have a lot less or none at all.

As already mentioned Universities. are much more interested in A level Grades than GCSE grades. I have heard them say that some students peak at GCSE, perhaps becoming involved in other activities causing less focus on academic study.

HBS are specifying 6 Grade 7s or above for entry into their sixth form for entry 2018 and at least 8 of the GCSEs have to come from their list of acceptable GCSEs that is on their website.

I wonder what QE would specify if there actually was a door marked Enter for their sixth form instead of just a door marked Exit from Y11! DG

[Guest55]

I'm anticipating changes to university entrance with AS completely finishing this year. I expect to see more testing - we've already seen additions over the last couple of years and this will increase.

GCSE grades are not great predictors to overall A level performance nor degree study- they test different skills and knowledge.

Let's wait and see what % 9s are awarded this year - there's a lot of unnecessary panic and crazy rumours out there.

[KB]

At one time GCSE A*s were a requirement for auto pooling at Cambridge, alongside very high UMS in A2 modules.
Historically it has been hard to get the details but at one time the requirement was for at least 7 GCSE A*.
This may not be the case anymore - I think they may have scrapped the GCSE requirement at one point.

However, with the dropping of AS as part of A2 and of modules it's possible they could return to GCSE grades as a criteria for auto pooling.

Or they could use results of their own tests which, as Guest says, are becoming more popular.

This isn't the same as it being a requirement for admission as if you get an offer first time around the pool doesn't matter and being pooled doesn't guarantee an offer anyway. I do know of students who did get fished from the pool who would have been auto pooled but they might have been pooled on the strength of their interview anyway.

In any case it's a minority issue to say the least!

[Guest55]

Cambridge always put more weight on high UMS than GCSE A* - Oxford was more focused on GCSE grades.

Let's wait and see ...