Ofqual has confirmed how the top GCSE grades for reformed 9-1 qualifications will be awarded in 2017.

In its original consultation, Ofqual had proposed that the top 20% of grades at 7 or above in each subject would be a grade 9.  However, this would have meant that some subjects would have had many more grade 9s than current A grades, and some subjects would have had many fewer.  

To allow for the natural variations across subjects, a formula will be used that means that about 20% of all grades across subjects at 7 or above will be a grade 9.  This will more accurately reflect the differentiation of students’ achievements in each subject.

The grade 8 boundary will be equally spaced between grade 7 and 9 boundaries. To carry forward the current standard, the number of grades 7, 8 and 9 for a subject will be based on the proportion of the cohort who would have been expected to be awarded an A or A* had the qualification not been reformed.