Is an E in GCSE A fail?
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'. Now, failed GCSE grades come in at 3, 2 and 1, with U being the only constant in the GCSE grading system.
5 = Lower B or high C. 4 = Lower C grade. 3 = D or high E. 2 = Lower E or high F.
Students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their GCSEs on Thursday 25 August. 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.
Grade 2 is the equivalent of in between grades E and F. Grade 1 is the equivalent of in between grades F and G.
A pass in an AS subject is indicated by one of the five grades A, B, C, D or E, of which grade A is the highest and grade E the lowest.
Officially, the Government states that to pass a GCSE exam, a grade 4 or above is required and to pass at A-Level, students must gain an E grade or above. However, a solid or 'high' pass is closer to a 5 or D/E borderline.
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Grades and the Grading System.
Grade: | In GPA: | Description: |
---|---|---|
B | yes | good (regular grade) |
C | yes | satisfactory (regular grade) |
D | yes | poor (regular grade) |
E | yes | failure (regular grade) |
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What's the GCSE grading system?
In the 1930s, as the letter-based grading system grew more and more popular, many schools began omitting E in fear that students and parents may misinterpret it as standing for “excellent.” Thus resulting in the A, B, C, D, and F grading system.
Grade Letter | Percentage Score | Degree Class |
---|---|---|
B | 60% – 69% | Upper Second 2:1 |
C | 50% – 59% | Lower Second 2:2 |
D | 40% – 49% | Third 3 |
E | 30% – 39% | FAIL |
What is a grade E in England?
Grading System in UK A Level
Students are graded on a scale of A* (highest) to E (lowest) for A Level qualification. There is a U (unclassified) grade for those below the minimum standard required for a grade E.
Is an E or D a pass at A-level? An E or D is still a pass at A-Level - but it will result in lower UCAS points. A pass is indicated by one of six grades, A*, A, B, C, D or E, - where A and A* is the highest grade and E is the lowest. In order to meet the pass criteria, you must get an E grade or above on results day.

As mentioned above, any grade below a 4 in the 9-1 grading system will be registered as a fail, so if you score 3 in a subject, then you will have to retake it to earn the qualification.
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.
Level 2 qualifications
Similar to Level 1 it is often achieved at the same time in years 10 and 11. Thus attaining a Level 2 qualification can be equivalent to achieving GCSE grades 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, or 4 previously graded A*, A, B, or C. Other examples of Level 2 qualifications include: O level (grades A, B, or C)
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”).
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.
Yes. It just won't be one that is highly ranked, After you have been to university you will find that the class of degree may be more important than where you went, so even if you don't do all that well at A levels you still have the possibility of getting a good degree from a low ranked university, which isn't so bad.
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 fail grades were also divided into two types, one was where the student had failed to reach a level of pass that granted them an A-level but did grant them an O-level. The other fail meant that the student had not reached a pass level that warranted either an A-level grade or an O-level grade.
What are good GCSE grades?
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.
“B” became anything from 90-94%, “C” was 85-89%, “D” was 80-84%, and “E” was 75-79%. Below that, they added in the dreaded “F.” Over the years, the letter grading scale became popular across colleges and high schools alike. A lot of schools skipped E and went straight to F.
One year later, administrators changed the failing grade to F and tweaked the other letters. The new scale offered better symmetry, since each grade represented five points, with scores below 75 resulting in failure. (The E was promoted to cover scores from 75 to 79.)
The grade of E was once used and it was a failing or bad grade that you did not want to get. Over time, education institutions tweaked letter grades and by the 1930s the grade of E was absent from most colleges and universities.
GCSE examination resits
Most schools and colleges allow GCSE students to resit failed examinations. You can resit English and Maths exams in November and examinations in other subjects are then taken in the following June. You will need to double check the examination schedule with your school.
There is no limit to the number of times you can retake your GCSEs, nor is there an age limit for taking your GCSEs. However, it is a requirement to receive a minimum grade of 4 on the compulsory subjects: maths and English. You are required to retake your GCSEs as many times as needed to pass.
How many GCSEs do you need to take? The minimum number of subjects you are asked to take at GCSE is five, with most students choosing between nine and ten different subjects. You can choose to take more than the average amount, though this is down to you, your preferences and academic ability.
For Maths, English Language and English Literature, as you may already be aware, students in Year 10 will be graded using the new numerical system 9 to 1 (with 9 being the highest grade and 1 being the lowest, 0 for ungraded/fail).
6 = High B grade.
The numerical system means that there are now two marks considered a “pass” for GCSE students. Schools are judged by the proportion of its pupils that achieve a “standard” pass and above, which is denoted by a grade 4.
Is Level 2 English good?
A Level 2 English qualification will improve your career options. You'll be able to apply for jobs in careers such as; nursing, teaching, policing, the fire service and many more. You'll also be able apply for higher education courses, apprenticeships and training courses.
Definition of grades
The AQA L1/ L2 Certificates are the strict equivalent to a GCSE full course, taking 120-140 guided learning hours. Level 1 is attained through grades G(g) to D(d) and Level 2 is attained at grades C(c) to A*(a*).
The lowest grade you can get depends on what level of BTEC you are taking. If you are taking a BTEC First then you can get a Level 1 Pass, this is equal to a grade 1 or G at GCSE level. If you are taking one of the BTEC Nationals then the lowest grade you can get is Near Pass, which at A level would be considered a U.
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.
In the 1930s, as the letter-based grading system grew more and more popular, many schools began omitting E in fear that students and parents may misinterpret it as standing for “excellent.” Thus resulting in the A, B, C, D, and F grading 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.
E = the student has exceeded the grade level standard(s) M = the student has met the grade level standard(s) P = the student has partially met the grade level standard(s) D = the student did not meet the grade level standard(s)
“B” became anything from 90-94%, “C” was 85-89%, “D” was 80-84%, and “E” was 75-79%. Below that, they added in the dreaded “F.” Over the years, the letter grading scale became popular across colleges and high schools alike. A lot of schools skipped E and went straight to F.
Level 2 Pass (L2P) is equivalent to a C grade.
Is grade 3 a pass? For a 'standard pass', equivalent to the old C grade, students will need to achieve a 4 grade, while a 5 will constitute a 'strong pass'.
Is E grade fail in Igcse?
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Grade | Percentage Uniform Mark Range |
---|---|
E | 40-49 |
F | 30-39 |
G | 20-29 |
The failing grade will NOT calculate in your GPA, but it will still show on your transcript. On your transcript, an "E" will show to the right of your failing grade to mark the course as "Excluded". On your transcript, an "I" will show to the right of the second time you took the class, marking it as "Included".
Study finds that students in online courses fail to complete them and get lower grades than peers learning in person.