Most students will now study both the English language of gcse and the English literature of GCSE. These are two separate GCSE ratings. Both subjects are evaluated by examination only. English is made up of two subjects, English language and English literature.
This would give you a GCSE each, which means you will receive two grades for the course. Even if you don't have an independent teacher or they don't teach you two easily distinguishable courses, they are different; you'll take different exams for each one. English has been divided into two distinct and separate GCSEs; English language and English literature. There is no longer a GCSE that mixes the two.
The course work no longer counts at all for the final grade. All students will take the same exam and, unlike the new GCSE in mathematics, there will be no levels. These grades correspond to the old GCSE grades D, E, F and G. Grade 3 is somewhere between a D and an E, while grade 2 is somewhere between an E and an F.
A grade 1 is similar to an old G grade, and a U grade still refers to an exam that has been “unscored”; it just didn't score enough to enter the scale. Unlike GCSE Maths, there is no basic or higher work for GCSE English exams. All students will sit on the same papers and will be graded based on the results. While the content of the review boards may differ slightly, the structure of the courses and the topics covered are the same.
In comparison, English literature GCSE focuses more on the development of knowledge and comprehension of texts in prose, poetry and theater. Most universities, in addition to their requirements beyond age 16, seek to have their candidates grades of C or 4 or higher in GCSE English and Mathematics. Some subjects will retain coursework without evaluation, with the completion of certain experiments in scientific subjects that will be assumed in the exams, and the teacher's report on participation in the spoken language for the English GCSEs as a separate report. The English language gcse focuses more on developing students' reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
In Northern Ireland, the A* grade has been adjusted upwards with the introduction of the numerical scheme in England, so that an A* is equivalent to a new English grade 9.A core subject leading to a compulsory GCSE, English will generally be taught in skill sets that are different from most other KS3 subjects. In addition, there are several subjects in which only one board offers qualifications, including some that are only available in one UK country for that reason. All exam results are taken into account when deciding on the overall GCSE score, and you only get one grade. In the past, they were available in a variety of subjects, including extended writing in English, science, business and foreign languages; practical assessment in science and technology subjects; and language speaking assessments.
Many who fall below this standard will retake the GCSE for English and Mathematics to improve their grades. The UK government has drawn up a list of preferred subjects, known as the English Baccalaureate, and the benchmark Progress 8 is calculated on results in eight GCSEs, including English, Mathematics and Science. It is important to note that it now only appears as a single letter next to your English language result as Approved (P), Merit (M) or Distinction (D) and does not contribute to your overall English language score. Most English board qualifications are also available, with the exception of English language and science, due to requirements for oral and practical assessment, respectively.
There is also a U grade that means “no score”, and technically it is the lowest grade you can get when taking a GCSE English test. In English, the oral language assessment has been downgraded to an approval that is reported separately in the English certificate, without contributing to the qualification. They are also accepted by homeschooled students in the UK as private candidates and students from all over the world (although other countries are more likely to take IGCSE; you can find information on these specific exams at this link).
