A-level Edexcel’s grade boundaries for 2022 (2024)

FAQs

Will Edexcel lower the grade boundaries 2022? ›

Grade boundaries will likely be lower than when summer exams were last sat in 2019. This might not always be the case though. Grade boundaries change each year to reflect any differences in the demand of the question papers.

According to Ofqual, grade boundaries will be roughly set between 2019 pre-pandemic levels and the boundaries set in 2021 when teacher assessment was used to mark grades. Similarly, AQA said: "Grade boundaries show the minimum number of marks you need for each grade, and are published on results day.

How do I get an A* grade? To score an A* in an Edexcel International A level you must: get an A grade for your overall International Advanced Level. produce a high level performance at International A2 - scoring at least 90% of the A2 UMS marks.

After sitting A-Level exams for the first time since 2019 after pandemic arrangements were removed, grades are projected to fall and grade boundaries adjusted. Both pupils are parents fear that after two years of increased higher grades, 2022 will see a steep decline in achievement.

It means that overall, 2022 results are likely to be higher than in 2019, when summer grades were last determined by exams, but lower than we saw in 2021. As in any other year, grade boundaries will be set at a national level, but only after students have taken their exams, and only after their papers have been marked.

A pass in an AS subject is indicated by one of five grades A(a), B(b), C(c), D(d), E(e), of which grade A(a) is the highest and grade E (e) is the lowest. grade N indicates that the student's performance fell short of the standard required for grade E (e) by a narrow margin.

First-Class Honours (First or 1st) (70% and above)

A-level and GCSE grades awarded in 2023 will be lower on average than this summer, the Department for Education has announced, as it confirmed plans to return grades to pre-pandemic levels.

Is a 43 a pass in combined science? ›

For Combined Science this means that it would equate to a grade 4-4 being a standard pass.

Unlike in 2020 and 2021, students will be graded purely on assessed work. That includes exams and course work. Ofqual adds: "Students' grades will be determined only by the number of marks they achieve on the assessments.

The A* at A Level is awarded to candidates who achieve a grade A on the A Level overall (80%), and who also achieve at least 90% on the uniform mark scale (UMS) across their A2 units.

A distinction* (D*) at Btec is equivalent in the Ucas tariff to an A*, whereas a distinction (D) is the same as an A. An A* at A-level is worth 56 Ucas points, while an A will get you 48 points.

This approach means that as long as a student achieves enough marks at subject level (76 or more in this example), they will receive an A* grade. It doesn't matter how they get their 76 marks. One student could score full marks (60/60) on paper 1 and 16/40 marks on paper 2 (60+16=76).

Although grades will be awarded normally this time around, grade boundaries will be more lenient in England, Scotland and Wales. They will be set at a "mid-point" between the 2019 pre-pandemic boundaries and the grade levels used in teacher assessments in 2021.

You can only get a remark through the centre where you took the exam. That's generally your school or college. You'll need to talk to your teachers anyway to work out whether getting a remark makes sense (see below). The exam centre does all the paperwork with the board.

There will be a significant drop in top grades

We know that Ofqual will be using 2022 as the first in a “two-step return” to 2019 standards and that, in 2022, grading will be pegged to a midpoint between 2021 and 2019 but below 2020.

Grade thresholds we choose in June 2022 will generally be lower than in June 2019, and higher than in June 2021.

Pupils will have needed a 4 for a "standard pass" and 5 for a "strong pass". This means that a candidate who gets nine grade-4s has, technically, passed all their exams. However, the government's school league tables are based on the percentage of pupils who achieve a 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs.

How many students took A levels in 2022? ›

A level entries in summer 2022 have increased by 4.2% from 756,230 in summer 2021 to 788,125 in summer 2022.

A mark of 59 would therefore be a C grade.

The A* grade in Maths is awarded to candidates who achieve an A (480 out of 600 UMS) in their overall A Level as well as achieving a combined score of 180 out of 200 UMS in modules Core 3 and Core 4 (i.e. an average of 90% in C3 and C4).

You have passed if you get one of six grades, A*, A, B, C, D or E, – where A and A* is the highest grade and E is the lowest. A D and an E is a pass, but it will get fewer Ucas points. If a student does not pass, it will show on their results sheet as “Not Classified” or similar.

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. If a student does not pass, it will show on their results sheet as "Not Classified" or similar.

A grade of C or better is required to earn a Passed; a C- or below will earn a Not Passed grade. A grade of C- may satisfy many requirements (e.g., General Education, elective) but a Not Passed grade will not earn any credit or satisfy requirements.

If a paper is allocated 120 uniform marks, the range of marks allocated to grade B is 84 to 95 (70% to 79% of 120); for grade C, 72 to 83 (60% to 69% of 120).

C is anywhere between 70% and 79% D - this is still a passing grade, and it's between 59% and 69% F - this is a failing grade.

In more simple terms it means that your overall academic score is equal or above to 70% of the total score you could have achieved in your undergraduate degree course. It is like saying your average grade at the undergraduate level was an A.

Do A Level grade boundaries change every year? ›

However, it is very hard - almost impossible - to produce exam papers that are exactly as difficult as each other. For this reason, in each exam series, new grade boundaries are set for each exam paper. This is why grade boundaries can be different each year and for each exam.

GCSE, AS, and A level exams in England will largely return to pre-pandemic arrangements next summer as young people continue to recover from the pandemic. In line with the plans set out last September, Ofqual has confirmed a return to pre-pandemic grading in 2023.

This follows our announcement, with Ofqual, earlier this year that there would be a return to pre-pandemic arrangements for non-exam assessment, fieldwork and practical sciences and that schools and colleges this year will be teaching the full content of qualifications to students taking exams in 2023.

The final categories are “Fail 1” or “Fail 2” which numerically range from 30-39 per cent and 20-29 per cent respectively.

It's just below a level 4 pass. A bit like a double 3 and a half. The safety net was for higher tier students who should have been given a U if they got lower than 4:4 but were allowed to be awarded a 4:3 this year. It probably won't count as a level 4 and a level 3, but some colleges may accept it as such.

If a paper is allocated 120 uniform marks, the range of marks allocated to grade B is 84 to 95 (70% to 79% of 120); for grade C, 72 to 83 (60% to 69% of 120).

In 2022, GCSE and A-level exams will run, but they will be slightly different from normal. For most GCSE, AS and A-level exams, students can access advance information on the exams' area of focus to help with theire revision.

This year was the first time since 2019 that A-level grades were based on exams, rather than teacher-assessed grades, because it was deemed safe for large gatherings (like those in exam halls) to go ahead. But, the marking system for 2022 has been altered so grades are a “midway point” between 2019 and 2021.

Today's results should not be compared to 2020 or 2021, because of the different methods of assessment. Overall A level results are higher than in 2019. Outcomes at grade A are 35.9% compared with 25.2% in 2019, and outcomes at grade B and above are 62.2% compared with 51.1% in 2019.

What percentage of students get 3 A's * at A level? ›

Summary of Students getting 3 A grades or better at A level By ethnicity Summary. The data shows that: 28.9% of all students got 3 A grades or better at A level (including students whose ethnicity was not known)

Offers for Oxford places are between A*A*A and AAA at A-level, depending on the course. (See course pages.) See a list of Oxford courses with conditional offers including at least one A*. A-level grades of students who applied in 2020 during the 2021 UCAS cycle.

How many UCAS points are in an A-level? If you achieve an 'A' grade in your A-level subject, that's equivalent to 48 UCAS Tariff points. If you achieve a 'B' grade, this will give you 40 points. Earning a 'C' will award you 32 points and so on.

B 70% 79% C 60%-69% D 50%-59% E 40%-49% (this is considered a pass)

This type of qualifications is given a ranked grade, this is because the awarding body recognises that the student has achieved the qualification and recognises highest to lowest levels in performance. The highest-grade being Distinction star and the lowest grade Pass. Possible grades: DS* = Distinction star.

The top grade – D* – is treated as equivalent to an A* at A level and the bottom grade – P – is equivalent to an E (a pass at A level).

Grade thresholds we choose in June 2022 will generally be lower than in June 2019, and higher than in June 2021. It also means that, in June 2022, Cambridge IGCSEs will have the same awarding standard as UK GCSEs, and Cambridge International A Levels will have the same awarding standard as UK A Levels.

2022 will be a transition year that recognises disruption and provides a level of security for students who might otherwise just miss out on a higher grade. Grade thresholds will be set so that grade outcomes, overall, will be higher than in 2019, but not as high as in 2020 or 2021.

In summer 2022, predicted grades were at their highest level. We expect predicted grades in summer 2023 to be much closer to those seen in pre-pandemic years. For 2023, we recommend that teachers use the familiar pre-pandemic standard as the basis for predicting their students' grades.

Will A levels be easier in 2022? ›

Although grades will be awarded normally this time around, grade boundaries will be more lenient in England, Scotland and Wales. They will be set at a "mid-point" between the 2019 pre-pandemic boundaries and the grade levels used in teacher assessments in 2021.

A pass in an Advanced GCE subject is indicated by one of five grades A(a), B(b), C(c), D(d),E(e), of which grade A(a) is the highest and grade E(e) is the lowest. The grades for the Special Paper are grade 1 (Distinction) and grade 2 (Merit).

The exam boards have stated that the 2022 gcse grade boundaries will be higher than 2021 but lower than 2019.

As with A-levels, this year's grade boundaries are more generous, both for units taken in school or college, and for final exams. Students are awarded a pass, merit, distinction or distinction*.

OCR – These exams are said to be the easiest however the grade boundaries are high. Edexcel – This board has the toughest science questions alongside AQA but edexcel takes a slight upper hand here. Edexcel – The time limit of this exam is said to be difficult to cope with.

The current modular A levels are made up of AS and A2 units and the A* grade is awarded to those students who achieve a grade A on the A level overall and also achieve 90 per cent or more of the maximum uniform mark on their A2 units.