New GCSE grading system

The new 9 to 1 grading system for GCSE. I have had many parents ask me about how it works and what the grades mean. I always suggest that assume a grade 6 is a high B grade (on the old system). This means that:

5 = low B/high C grade
4 = is a pass, so a low C

Although, this may not strictly be true, it is a good starting point in order to try to understand the new system. For the 7, 8 and 9 grades, it is always best to try to understand that the two top grades are equivalent to a A* and A** respectively.

9 = A**
8= A*
7 = A

Essentially, the new grades are set up to give a clearer understanding of where a student lies in the older system - in theory it should give employers and educational institutions a better idea of the achievements of each pupil. the percentage of pupils representing each grade will still be calculated in the same way, just that each grade will be split further into different bands.

Below is a link to an explanation by Pearsons and a diagram by Pearsons which shows how the grade sytem works againt the old sytem.

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=298909907368851&id=1473968089543620