english literature coursework mark scheme gcse

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GCSE English Literature

The new GCSE in English Language and Literature (Single and Double Award) will be available to teach from September 2025. For more information, please visit the qualification page here .

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Our GCSE English Literature specification should encourage learners to be inspired, moved and changed by following a broad, coherent, satisfying and worthwhile course of study.

It should extend learners’ interest in, and enthusiasm for, literature as they develop an understanding of the ways in which literature is rich and influential. It will also prepare learners to make informed decisions about further learning opportunities and career choices.

OER is a free interactive teaching and learning tool which includes exam answers and examiner comments.

Important information, past papers, marking schemes, entry/amendment uploads & make post-results enquiries.

We offer an extensive range of free digital educational resources.

Grade boundaries are the minimum number of marks needed to achieve each grade.

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WJEC/CBAC NON-ENDORSED TITLES

Access a collection of interactive units that bring together a number of elements including general data, exam questions, their marking schemes and examiner comments, which will lead you through a review of exam questions.

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GCSE grade boundaries 2024 - full list for AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC and CCEA

Millions of young Brits who left school this year are set to discover their GCSE results this morning as they consider continuing their education or a move into the workforce

• 09:02, 22 Aug 2024
• Updated 10:22, 22 Aug 2024

Fretting teenagers are about to learn their GCSE results this morning after years of hard work.

Pupils across the UK sat various examinations through to June 19, with their grades used to determine the college and studies they will take as they transition to further education or into the world of work.

Students taking GCSEs in England will receive grades from 9 to 1, with 9 being the highest grade. Grade 4 is the new equivalent to a C with Grade 9 equivalent to an A*. Grade boundaries - the minimum number of marks to qualify for each grade - are decided after GCSE exams are marked and are usually released on results day.

For the latest on today's GCSE results, follow our live blog here

Grade boundaries for different UK awarding bodies

AQA GCSE grade boundaries for 2024 here.

Edexcel GCSE grade boundaries for 2024 here.

OCR GCSE grade boundaries for 2024 here.

WJEC GCSE grade boundaries for 2024 here.

CCEA GCSE grade boundaries for 2024 here.

GCSE 2024 grading system

9 = High A*

8 = Low A* or high Grade A

7 = Low Grade A

6 = High Grade B

5 = Low Grade B or high C

4 = Low Grade C

3 = Grade D or high E

2 = Low Grade E or high F

For many, the results will be good enough to send them to college as they continue their education, while others may opt to go into work and get a start on their careers. For others however, they may not have done quite as well as they were hoping. Happily, this is not the end as it is possible to retake exams up to a year after.

Resists in maths and English are held in November and May of each year. Others, such as science, can only be done in the summer time during the usual exam period. They can also be taken during gap years.

Did your GCSEs help you get your dream job? Vote in our poll HERE to have your say.

Students can usually retake any exams. Those wanting to do their GCSE maths and English have to be under the age of 18 and have not got at least a grade 4. The Government’s website reads: “Depending on your circumstances, you might be eligible to take a functional skills qualification in English or maths instead.

“This is equivalent to a GCSE and allows you to apply English or maths in real life. You can check with your school or college if this option is available to you.”

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Edexcel GCSE English Literature : Past Papers

Concise resources for the GCSE Edexcel English Literature course.

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https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/08/20/gcse-results-day-2024-number-grading-system/

GCSE results day 2024: Everything you need to know including the number grading system

Thousands of students across the country will soon be finding out their GCSE results and thinking about the next steps in their education.   

Here we explain everything you need to know about the big day, from when results day is, to the current 9-1 grading scale, to what your options are if your results aren’t what you’re expecting.  

When is GCSE results day 2024?  

GCSE results day will be taking place on Thursday the 22 August.     

The results will be made available to schools on Wednesday and available to pick up from your school by 8am on Thursday morning.  

Schools will issue their own instructions on how and when to collect your results.   

When did we change to a number grading scale?  

The shift to the numerical grading system was introduced in England in 2017 firstly in English language, English literature, and maths.  

By 2020 all subjects were shifted to number grades. This means anyone with GCSE results from 2017-2020 will have a combination of both letters and numbers.  

The numerical grading system was to signal more challenging GCSEs and to better differentiate between students’ abilities - particularly at higher grades between the A *-C grades. There only used to be 4 grades between A* and C, now with the numerical grading scale there are 6.  

What do the number grades mean?  

The grades are ranked from 1, the lowest, to 9, the highest.  

The grades don’t exactly translate, but the two grading scales meet at three points as illustrated below.  

The bottom of grade 7 is aligned with the bottom of grade A, while the bottom of grade 4 is aligned to the bottom of grade C.    

Meanwhile, the bottom of grade 1 is aligned to the bottom of grade G.  

What to do if your results weren’t what you were expecting?  

If your results weren’t what you were expecting, firstly don’t panic. You have options.  

First things first, speak to your school or college – they could be flexible on entry requirements if you’ve just missed your grades.   

They’ll also be able to give you the best tailored advice on whether re-sitting while studying for your next qualifications is a possibility.   

If you’re really unhappy with your results you can enter to resit all GCSE subjects in summer 2025. You can also take autumn exams in GCSE English language and maths.  

Speak to your sixth form or college to decide when it’s the best time for you to resit a GCSE exam.  

Look for other courses with different grade requirements     

Entry requirements vary depending on the college and course. Ask your school for advice, and call your college or another one in your area to see if there’s a space on a course you’re interested in.    

Consider an apprenticeship    

Apprenticeships combine a practical training job with study too. They’re open to you if you’re 16 or over, living in England, and not in full time education.  

As an apprentice you’ll be a paid employee, have the opportunity to work alongside experienced staff, gain job-specific skills, and get time set aside for training and study related to your role.   

You can find out more about how to apply here .  

Talk to a National Careers Service (NCS) adviser    

The National Career Service is a free resource that can help you with your career planning. Give them a call to discuss potential routes into higher education, further education, or the workplace.   

Whatever your results, if you want to find out more about all your education and training options, as well as get practical advice about your exam results, visit the  National Careers Service page  and Skills for Careers to explore your study and work choices.   

You may also be interested in:

• Results day 2024: What's next after picking up your A level, T level and VTQ results?
• When is results day 2024? GCSEs, A levels, T Levels and VTQs

Tags: GCSE grade equivalent , gcse number grades , GCSE results , gcse results day 2024 , gsce grades old and new , new gcse grades

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GCSE grades 2024: 1-9 explained and how boundaries are decided

I 's guide to gcse results day.

Hundreds of thousands of GCSE pupils will find out how they fared in their summer exams when results are officially released tomorrow.

GCSE results day 2024 is on Thursday 22 August, with students in most cases able to collect them from their school from 8am.

Pupils have been warned to expect lower grades as a hangover from lost learning over the past four years, with education experts telling i the current cohort has faced “multiple crises” during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.

And in England, the grades themselves will look a little different to what parents and older siblings may remember from their own secondary school days.

Here’s how the GCSE numerical grading system works, what it means compared to the old letter grades and what a pass mark is, as well as what to do if you’re not happy with your GCSE results.

What do the 1-9 grades mean?

In 2017, the Government began rolling out a new numerical system that awarded GCSE grades on a scale from 9 to 1 (9 being the top grade and 1 being the lowest).

The new system replaced the old letter grading of A* to G, with a U (for “ungraded”) the only remaining letter grade that can be handed out.

Introduced as part of a complete overhaul of the GCSE system in 2014 by then-education secretary Michael Gove, this numerical system is designed to bring in more differentiation at the top end of the grading scale to allow sixth forms, colleges, universities and employers to better understand what level young people are working to.

It is only used in England, or for exams set by English exam boards, with Wales and Northern Ireland both still using letter grading for GCSEs while Scotland has a separate qualifications system to the rest of the UK.

As per the guide below, issued by exams regulator Ofqual , comparing the old letter grades with the new numerical system generally equates to the following:

• 9 = High A* grade
• 8 = Lower A* or high A
• 7 = Lower A grade
• 6 = High B grade
• 5 = Lower B or high C
• 4 = Lower C grade
• 3 = D or high E
• 2 = Lower E or high F
• 1 = Lower F or G
• U = U remains the same

Under the numerical system, there are also two different grades which are both considered the threshold for a pass.

While a C used to be the grade needed to have passed any particular exam, pupils can now achieve a “standard pass” by earning a 4 or a “strong pass” by getting a 5.

While a 4 is therefore still technically a passing mark, many sixth forms tend to insist on a certain number of 5s as a prerequisite for admission.

How are GCSE grade boundaries decided?

Grade boundaries – thresholds that dictate what the lowest mark is you can get to achieve a particular grade – are set after students have taken their exams and the assessments have been marked by independent examiners using published mark schemes.

The boundaries are decided upon by examiners each year, and are set to ensure that there is consistency in grades from year to year. For example, if a paper is easier compared to the previous year, the grade boundaries will be increased to take this into account.

Grade boundaries are published on the website of each exam board on GCSE results day.

Can I appeal against GCSE grades?

If you have not got the GCSE results you hoped for, there are a few things you should do.

It is possible to appeal against a GCSE result if you or your school believes a mistake has been made in the marking process.

This can be done by contacting your school or college, who can then request that the exam board review the marking of your exam entry.

Private candidates can similarly contact the school or college that submitted their exam, or otherwise choose to contact the exam board directly.

The exam board will then check your work for marking mistakes. If any are found, your mark could change and this may in turn change your overall grade.

However, it is worth noting that your new grade could be either higher or lower than the original, and you may have to pay a fee if you ask for a review and your grade is not changed.

Private schools preparing for GCSE pupils to leave for state schools to avoid VAT

There are two key dates for GCSE grade appeals: the deadline to request a priority copy of the marked paper, and the deadline to request a review of marking.

These deadlines will be specific to each exam board, and your school should be able to advise you on the relevant dates if you are unable to find them online.

Another move should be to check whether your desired school or college will still accept you with your current grade s.

You may be accepted regardless, or you could be asked resit a GCSE.

Students may opt to resit any exam they wish to. Anyone who has a grade lower than a 4 in English or maths must retake the exam .

The deadline for resit applications typically falls sometime in early October, with resits in English and maths taking place in autumn or winter (usually November or January). These dates will also vary based on which awarding body you are sitting your exams with.

For all other subjects, you will need to take resits the following year during the usual exam period in May and June.

In some cases, your current school will be able to contact your intended school or college with extenuating circumstances to explain the lower grade.

If your offer is withdrawn, your school should be able to help you to find another education provider who will accept you.

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