YR9 Options Booklet 2022

A Guide to Qualifications
GCSE
Most qualifications that you can choose are GCSEs, a General Certificate of
Secondary Education. GCSEs have an examination, or a number of
examinations, at the end of the course and some GCSEs include a Non-
Examined Assessment, or coursework. Increasingly, the amount of coursework
within GCSEs is reducing, and many of the new specifications have no
coursework element at all.
Your cohort will study with the new grades, which are numbered 1-9. 9 is the
top grade and 1 is the bottom grade. These numbers are what have replaced
grades A*-G. The old grade C is roughly equivalent to a grade 4, with a grade
5 being somewhere between a high C and a low B. Grade 9 is awarded to the
top 3% of students across the country in each subject each year, so you will
never be targeted or predicted a 9 as the criteria will change each time.
English and Mathematics
Please be aware that if you do not achieve a pass (Grade 4 or higher) in GCSE
English Language and Mathematics, it is a requirement that you continue to
work towards achieving this at Key Stage 5.
BTEC/ Level 2 Certificate
These are vocational qualifications which means that the knowledge and skills
developed within these courses directly relates to the world of work. They are
awarded at Level 1 or 2 and students achieve the following grades:
Level 1 Pass – equivalent of GCSE grade 2/3
Pass - equivalent of GCSE grade 4
Merit - equivalent of GCSE grade 5/6
Distinction - equivalent of GCSE grade 7/8
Distinction* - equivalent of GCSE grade 9
These courses include coursework pieces and an examination.
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