Founded in 1903, AQA brings over 120 years of experience to every OxfordAQA qualification.
This means that our assessments are designed, marked and processed using the same systems
that AQA uses for its UK exams. AQA's qualifications are taught in 92% of schools in England,
and AQA marks over 10 million exam papers every year.
How are International GCSEs graded?
OxfordAQA International GCSEs are based on the latest
version of GCSEs taught in England, which are graded
from 9 to 1. Some exam boards still offer International
GCSEs based on the old system, graded from A* to G,
which was phased out in England in 2015 as part of a
nationwide educational reform.
The 9 to 1 grading system was designed to raise the
standard of UK education, with Grade 9 set above the level
of the outgoing A*, meaning truly exceptional students can
stand out when applying to competitive universities.
At OxfordAQA, we felt it was important that our
International GCSEs matched this updated approach
so that overseas students are not disadvantaged.
Universities and employers around the world recognise
9 to 1 as the primary approach to GCSE grading and have
aligned their expectations accordingly. The transition
has been smooth and is well understood by all
stakeholders.
New GCSE grading structure
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 U
A* A B C D E F G U
Old GCSE grading structure
We bring leading UK assessment
expertise to international schools
AQA
Pearson Edexcel
Cambridge
Assessment (OCR)
Other
Data sourced from the
UK government, 2023
62.6%
24.5%
6.2%
6.7%
GCSE
market share
20.5%
6.4%
26.7%
46.4%
A-level
market share
AQA's market share in England
7