About the 9–1 grading scale

In 2014, the UK Government introduced a nine-point grading scale (9–1) to raise standards and recognise top-performing students. This replaced the traditional A*–G grading. After consultation with international schools, Pearson Edexcel chose to follow the 9–1 grading scale to ensure comparability for our international students. Since then millions of GCSEs and International GCSEs are awarded each year using the 9–1 grading scale, making it the most used and recognised grading scale for this qualification worldwide.

What this means for you

Because our Pearson Edexcel International GCSE qualifications are equivalent to and benchmarked, grade for grade, against UK GCSEs, you can be confident that they are recognised and respected across the world. They offer increased differentiation for your top learners (a grade 9 represents a higher level of attainment than A*) and will deliver the progression for your learners that you want to see.