How Does Grading System Works in UK Colleges?

If a student is willing to pursue their future education in the United Kingdom it’s very important to understand the grading system that works in the UK. This is because it has a different grading system than the other countries.

Quick Takeaways

• The grading system of the UK is different for each of the qualifications taken. 
• Depending upon the qualification you will be getting the grades on the basis of A*- F or 9-1 grading systems.
• Your grading system will be different for GCSE, A-levels, and Undergrading systems.

However, you must read till the end so that you do not miss any important facts about how the grading system work in UK colleges.

What are the different stages of education in the UK?

The UK has a unique grading system as compared to other countries. the UK grading system basically depends on the education system which is divided into four stages:

1. Primary Education:

Age	School year
4-5	Reception
5-6	Year 1
6-7	Year 2
7-8	Year 3
8-9	Year 4
9-10	Year 5
10-11	Year 6*

2. Secondary Education:

Age	School year
11-12	Year 7
12-13	Year 8
13-14	Year 9
14-15	Year 10
15-16	Year 11*

3. Further Studies:

age	School year
16-17	Year 12
17-18	Year 13*

4.  Higher Education:

Ordinary bachelor’s degree	3 years
Bachelor’s degree in honors	3 years
Bachelor’s degree in medicine, veterinary, and architecture	5 years

In the United Kingdom, it is compulsory for all children from the age group of 5 to 16 to acquire an education.

Grading system in the UK

In the United Kingdom, there are three types of grading systems that have been used by their education system. The three types are

1. GCSE grading System
2. A level grading System
3. Undergraduate grading system 

1. GCSE grading System

GCSE stands for general certificate of Secondary Education. It is basically a qualification taken by UK students in England, Wales, and the North Island at the end of Secondary Education. This course generally takes 2 years and the final exam is taken by the students at the age of 16. The GCSE grading system has recently implemented some changes in this system. The changes include a 9-1 great system in which grading will be done between 9-1. 9 is considered the highest grade whereas 1 is the lowest grade.

The above changes have only been implemented in England, not in Wales and Northern Ireland. In Wales and North Island students are graded by letter grading system from A* to G, which means A* is the highest grade obtained by the student and G is the lowest grade obtained by the student whereas U is considered an ungraded student. The below table shows the grades given in three different countries.

England	North Ireland	Wales
9	A+	A*
8	A	A
7	A	A
6	B	B
5	C*	B
4	C	C
3	D	D
2	E	E
1	F	F

Grading System in the UK A-Level

This type of grading system is applicable for higher education qualifications. The age group of the students must be above 16 years. This type of grading system is considered for the final 2 years of High school. The final exams are taken at the end of 2 years of classroom studies.in this grading system, students are scared or graded from A to E level.

A grade is considered the highest grade obtained by the student whereas an E grade is considered the lowest one obtained by the student and if the student misses the exams, he will be marked as U, which means an unclassified grade. Further, you must also remember that your professors can change your grades even after the semester is over. The below table shows the grade and the percentage given:

Grade	Percentage
A*	90-100
A	80-89
B	70-79
C	60-69
D	50-59
E	40-49

Grading system in UK undergraduate degree

In the UK there are two types of undergraduate degrees:

1. Ordinary degree 
2. Honors degree

Ordinary degree

The ordinary degree includes regular undergraduate degrees. The most common examples are Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of art which come under ordinary degrees. If a student enrolls in an ordinary degree he should pass all the subjects to achieve a degree. If the student fails in any subject he/she will not get a degree.

Honors degree

The honors degree is considered the highest standard degree than an ordinary degree. The most common examples are BBA Honors or BA honors. The honors degree, not only specifies your percentage but also the performance level of the student. The below table shows the marks and degree classification.

Marks	Degree classification
	Honors degree	Ordinary degree
70% and above	First class honors	Distinction
60-69%	Upper second-class honors	Merit
50-59%	Lower second-class honors	Pass
40-49%	Third-class honors	Pass
0-39%	Fail	Fail

The UK grading system VS the US grading system

The UK and the US both are the most popular student designation for international students to pursue their higher education so below is the table of a comparison of the grading system of both different nations. The below table shows the difference between them.

	UK grading	col span	US grading
Percentage	Honors degree	Ordinary degree	Grade
80 and above%	First class honors	Distinction	A+
70-79%	First class honors	Distinction	A
65-69%	Upper second-class honors	Merit	A-
60-64%	Upper second-class honors	Merit	B+
55-59%	Lower second-class honors	Pass	B
50-54%	Lower second-class honors	Pass	C+
46-49%	3rd class honors	Pass	C
43-45%	3rd class honors	Pass	C
40-42%	3rd class honors	Pass	C-
0-39%	Fail	Fail	F

Conclusion

In the UK, education is compulsory for students aged from 5 to 16 years. The grading system in the UK has been explained above. It is different for each of the qualifications depending upon the area you are taking the exams.

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