2nd July 2017 1:00
By Blue Tutors
With the first group of students to take the new GCSEs set to receive results in a few weeks’ time, more confusion has been generated as universities update their admissions information to accommodate the new system, as many universities include a requirement of a passing grade in maths and English at GCSE level for admission to most courses. However, under the new marking system, replacing letter grades to numbers from 1 to 9, there is a lack of clarity over what now constitutes a passing mark.
The previous system saw a C classes as the minimum passing grade, and therefore the cut off used by universities in their admissions process. The new system, on the other hand, has both a 4 and a 5 officially classes as passing marks. The secretary of education, Justine Greening, described the mark of 4 has been called a “standard pass” whereas the higher grade of 5 has been dubbed a “good pass”. This wording introduced some ambiguity as to what constituted a passing mark and although later clarified that 4 is equivalent to a C grade (previous passing threshold), employers and universities alike are choosing their own interpretation.
This has led to Universities deciding on an individual basis what they will use as their own equivalence for a pass mark. For example, Manchester has set a pass mark at 4, whereas UCL has decided that a 5 is necessary for a pass, when LSE, which previously required a B (now 6 equivalent) is also setting the bar at a 5. Disparate requirements will eliminate some universities for certain students, and some argue this will disadvantage students and disrupt the already cumbersome admission system.
Many have criticised the new system as unnecessarily confusing, with something as simple as a passing mark leading to confusion and uncertainty for an entire cohort. With such high stakes, with the results impacting A level choices and later University options, parents and teachers alike feel that there needs to be absolute clarity. With the first set or results yet to be announced and 18 months left until this year’s cohort apply to universities, we have yet to see what the final impact on admissions will be.