Explanation of Results
GCSE
Single Awards
A pass in a GCSE subject is indicated by one of the eight grades A* (a*), A (a), B (b), C (c), D (d), E
(e), F (f) and G(g), of which Grade A* (a*) is the highest and Grade G (g) the lowest. Candidates
whose level of attainment is below the minimum judged by WJEC to be of sufficient standard to be
recorded on a GCSE certificate will receive an UNCLASSIFIED (U(u)) result.
Double Awards
The results in these specifications are reported on a 15-point scale of grades: A* A* (a*a*), A* A (a*a),
AA(aa), AB (ab), BB (bb), BC (bc), CC (cc), CD (cd), DD (dd), DE (de), EE (ee), EF (ef), FF (ff), FG
(fg), GG (gg). The grade is recorded twice on the certificate to indicate that the results in these
specifications have the same status as GCSE grades in two other single-certificate subjects.
GCSE Short Course
The Short Course is designed to cover not less than half the specification content of the
corresponding full GCSE subject course of study and the same grading standards are applied. The
GCSE (Short Course) is, therefore, broadly equivalent to half the corresponding full GCSE.
Speaking and Listening
Speaking and listening assessments will not be counted towards final grades in GCSE English
(4190/LA) and English Language (4170/LA). Results for speaking and listening are therefore reported
alongside the overall grade on a 5 point scale of grades: 5 (the highest grade achievable), 4, 3, 2, 1.
This ruling does not apply to English Language (4940/SA or 4170/SA), where speaking and listening
will continue to be part of the overall assessment of the GCSE English Language qualification.
GCSE UNIT RESULT
All unitised GCSE schemes use a nationally agreed uniform mark scale (UMS) to report the result of each
unit and subject awards. The maximum uniform mark for a subject depends upon the total number of units
contributing to the qualification and the maximum uniform mark for a unit depends upon the importance
(weighting) of the unit within the qualification.
There are a number of separate UMS, each with a different maximum unit mark. The maximum uniform
mark for each unit is given overleaf. The minimum uniform mark required for each grade of a Unit Result
for each UMS are:
A*
18
36
45
54
63
72
81
90
108
Maximum Uniform Mark of 20
Maximum Uniform Mark of 40
Maximum Uniform Mark of 50
Maximum Uniform Mark of 60
Maximum Uniform Mark of 70
Maximum Uniform Mark of 80
Maximum Uniform Mark of 90
Maximum Uniform Mark of 100
Maximum Uniform Mark of 120
A
16
32
40
48
56
64
72
80
96
B
14
28
35
42
49
56
63
70
84
C
12
24
30
36
42
48
54
60
72
D
10
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
60
E
8
16
20
24
28
32
36
40
48
F
6
12
15
18
21
24
27
30
36
G
4
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
24
The maximum UMS for the foundation tier is set at one mark below the minimum UMS required for
grade b. In a foundation tier unit targeted at grades c – g, the maximum uniform mark available will be
equivalent to a top grade c. Unit results below the minimum judged by WJEC to be of sufficient
standard will receive an unclassified (u) notional grade. Candidates who narrowly fail to achieve grade
d on the higher tier will be awarded grade e. Unclassified results (u) will be issued to candidates in
higher tier units who fail to reach the standard for the award of grade e.
The maximum uniform mark for the subject and the minimum uniform mark required for each grade of
a subject Award are:
Short course GCSE
Full course GCSE
Applied GCSE Single
Applied GCSE Double
GCSE Science Suite
Max
100
A*
90
A
80
B
70
C
60
D
50
E
40
F
30
G
20
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
400
320
360
288
320
256
280
224
240
192
200
160
160
128
120
96
80
64
X indicates that a result is not being issued because of absence from all parts of the examination or
because of a decision not to issue a result for any other reason. The subject will not appear on a
certificate.
# indicates that the candidate was absent from part of the examination in the subject and was
awarded a zero mark for this part. The grade was awarded on the components actually taken.
MJ/LG/W28(11)
GCSE Units – Maximum UMS Mark for each subject unit
Subject Unit
*Additional Applied Science Unit 1
Additional Applied Science Unit 2
*Additional Science – Biology 2
*Additional Science – Chemistry 2
*Additional Science – Physics 2
Additional Science – Controlled Assessment
Applied Business Unit 1
Applied Business Unit 2
Applied Business Unit 3
Applied Business Unit 4
*Biology 3
Biology Controlled Assessment
*Chemistry 3
Chemistry Controlled Assessment
Computer Science Unit 1
Computer Science Unit 2
Computer Science Unit 3
Design & Technology Unit 1
Design & Technology Unit 2
Drama Unit 1
Drama Unit 2
Drama Unit 3
Electronics Unit 1
Electronics Unit 2
Electronics Unit 3
*English Language Unit 1 (Wales only)
*English Language Unit 2 (Wales only)
English Language Unit 3 (Wales only
English Language Unit 4 (Wales only
*English Unit 1 (Not available in Wales)
*English Unit 2 (Not available in Wales)
English Unit 3 (Not available in Wales)
*English Language Unit 1 (Not available in Wales)
*English Language Unit 2 (Not available in Wales)
English Language Unit 3 (Not available in Wales)
Eng Lang Unit 4 Spoken Lang (Not available in Wales)
*English Literature Unit 1
*English Literature Unit 2
English Literature Unit 3
*French Unit 1
French Unit 2
*French Unit 3
French Unit 4
*Geography A Unit 1
*Geography A Unit 2
Geography A Unit 3
*Geography B Unit 1
*Geography B Unit 2
Geography B Unit 3
*German Unit 1
German Unit 2
*German Unit 3
German Unit 4
Health & Social Care Unit 1
Health & Social Care Unit 2
Health & Social Care Unit 3
Health & Social Care Unit 4
History Unit 1
History Unit 2
History Unit 3
History Unit 4
Home Economics – Child Dev Unit 1
Home Economics – Child Dev Unit 2
Home Economics – Child Dev Unit 3
Home Economics - Food Unit 1
Home Economics - Food Unit 2
Home Economics - Textiles Unit 1
Home Economics - Textiles Unit 2
Hospitality & Catering Unit 1
Hospitality & Catering Unit 2
Max
UMS
80
120
80
80
80
80
120
80
120
80
80
80
80
80
90
60
50
80
120
120
40
40
70
80
50
60
60
40
40
60
60
80
60
60
60
20
70
80
50
40
60
40
60
80
70
50
60
90
50
40
60
40
60
120
80
80
120
50
50
50
50
80
60
60
80
120
80
120
120
80
Subject Unit
Max
UMS
120
80
50
50
50
50
40
60
40
60
120
80
120
80
60
60
80
100
100
100
100
80
120
60
60
80
120
80
120
80
80
120
80
120
40
60
80
80
80
120
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
80
80
80
80
100
50
50
100
100
40
60
40
60
80
60
60
Hospitality & Catering Unit 3
Hospitality & Catering Unit 4
Humanities Unit 1
Humanities Unit 2
Humanities Unit 3
Humanities Unit 4
ICT Unit 1
ICT Unit 2
ICT Unit 3
ICT Unit 4
Leisure & Tourism Unit 1
Leisure & Tourism Unit 2
Leisure & Tourism Unit 3
Leisure & Tourism Unit 4
*Mathematics Unit 1
*Mathematics Unit 2
*Mathematics Unit 3
*Mathematics (Applications) Unit 1
*Mathematics (Applications) Unit 2
*Mathematics (Methods) Unit 1
*Mathematics (Methods) Unit 2
Media Studies Unit 1
Media Studies Unit 2
Music Unit 1
Music Unit 2
Music Unit 3
Performing Arts Unit 1
Performing Arts Unit 2
Performing Arts Unit 3
Performing Arts Unit 4
Personal & Social Education Unit 1
Personal & Social Education Unit 2
Physical Education Unit 1
Physical Education Unit 2
Physical Education Short Unit 1
Physical Education Short Unit 2
*Physics 3
Physics Controlled Assessment
Preparation for Working Life Unit 1
Preparation for Working Life Unit 2
Psychology Unit 1
Psychology Unit 2
Religious Studies A Unit 1
Religious Studies A Unit 2
Religious Studies A Unit 3
Religious Studies A Unit 4
Religious Studies A Unit 5
Religious Studies A Unit 6
Religious Studies A Unit 7
Religious Studies A Unit 8
Religious Studies B Unit 1
Religious Studies B Unit 2
*Science – Biology 1
*Science – Chemistry 1
*Science – Physics 1
Science – Controlled Assessment
*Science B - Unit 1
*Science B - Unit 2
Science B - Unit 3
Sociology Unit 1
Sociology Unit 2
*Spanish Unit 1
Spanish Unit 2
*Spanish Unit 3
Spanish Unit 4
*Welsh Unit 1
Welsh Unit 2
Welsh Unit 3
Continued overleaf
*Welsh Literature Unit 1
*Welsh Literature Unit 2
Welsh Literature Unit 3
*Welsh 2nd Language Unit 1
Welsh 2nd Language Unit 2
*Welsh 2nd Language Unit 3
*Welsh 2nd Language Unit 4
*Welsh 2nd Language (Applied) Unit 1
Welsh 2nd Language (Applied) Unit 2
Welsh 2nd Language (Applied) Unit 3
*Welsh 2nd Language (Applied) Unit 4
90
60
50
50
50
50
50
40
60
60
40
* For those units marked with an asterisk, the figure given is for the higher tier. The maximum UMS for the foundation tier is set
at one mark below the minimum UMS required for grade B.