Northern Ireland

GCSE pupils to become first to receive new C* grades

Pupils who sat their GCSEs in the summer will be the first to receive the new C* grade
Pupils who sat their GCSEs in the summer will be the first to receive the new C* grade Pupils who sat their GCSEs in the summer will be the first to receive the new C* grade

GCSE results will be made public tomorrow and are expected to show a massive decline in the number of top grades.

Changes to the grading scale in the north mean that only "exceptional" children will now score an A*.

There should be little or no change in the proportion of young people scoring C or above.

Pupils who sat their GCSEs in the summer will be the first to receive the new C* grade.

Its creation was necessary following a move in England to scrap traditional grades in favour of a numerical system.

Exams bodies in England replaced A*-G with 9-1 - with 9 being the highest.

The north's CCEA board was, therefore, asked to create a new grade to "align with the level of achievement consistent with grade 5 on the English 9-1 scale".

This led to the creation of the C*, which will sit between the traditional B and C.

The new letter and numeric scales will introduce more grades at the higher end of the grading scale, to allow for greater differentiation among higher achieving students.

It is hoped there will be no advantage or disadvantage to taking qualifications with letter or number grades.

The A* will be coupled with the 9 in England, CCEA said, and will "reflect exceptional performance".

CCEA has indicated that the proportion of young people receiving the A* grade will reduce.

Typically, almost one in 10 entries at GCSE - roughly 16,000 - is awarded an A*. The shake up could see this fall by about three percentage points.

The A grade will align with the 7 and 8 in England and the proportion receiving A or above is expected to be similar to previous years.

The percentage achieving Bs, which equate to grade 6, and Cs, which equate to 5, is expected to fall, but only due to the creation of the C*.

CCEA has said all GCSEs, regardless of whether they are graded using letters or numbers, will continue to reflect learners' achievements.

Employers, colleges and universities will recognise and value the grades awarded. They will manage these changes as they manage applications from the Republic, Scotland and further afield, which all have different qualifications and grading systems. Wales is retaining the eight grades A*-G.

Ofqual has also said fewer grade 9s will be awarded in each subject than A*, adding that 9s were intended to reward "exceptional performance".

The Association of School and College Leaders has already expressed concern that the new system "ratchets up the pressure on young people another notch".

"Young people striving for those top grades may therefore feel disappointed if they do not achieve them, even though they have done exceptionally well in the grades they do achieve," said general secretary Geoff Barton.

CCEA is operating a dedicated exam helpline from 9am until 5pm until Friday August 30.

Anyone with queries regarding CCEA's examination results can call 028 9026 1260, email helpline@ccea.org.uk, or visit www.ccea.org.uk.

For further information on grade changes visit http://ccea.org.uk/regulation/gcse_grading.

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COMMENT

At a briefing in the summer held to explain changes to GCSE grading, the CCEA was asked "why?"

What was the point in squeezing an extra grade in between the B and C?

Simply, it was asked to by the then DUP education minister, so had to.

England shifted to 9-1 and while the north initially looked like it was going to copy this, it instead kept A*-G, but added a ninth grade in the middle.

Most pupils in the north take CCEA papers, although hundreds also take English board exams.

Since young people in the north can receive both letters and numbers in their results, it was felt it was important to understand how they compare.

But it isn't exactly straightforward. Yes, there are nine letter grades in Northern Ireland and nine numbers in England, but while an A* is equal to the top 9, an A can be worth an 8 or a 7.

The English boards chose 9-1 to allow for a 10 to be added should some future education minister wish to make further changes. This would presumably force CCEA to add a tenth grade, but where? - a B* or an A**?

Also, by adding even more grades, there is a risk this will lead to more incorrect grades.

Rather than making it easier for children and parents it has potential to cause unnecessary confusion.