A-Level Results day 2018Thursday 16th AugustGrade Boundaries DiscussionAfter what seems like forever, results day is now less than 48 hours away!
This thread has been put together for all your grade boundary needs. You will find all the relevant links to the grade boundaries released by the exam boards below. Although unlike in previous years, the vast majority of grade boundaries are released on results day, they are still incredibly valuable tools to determine if you are suitable for a remark.
I know it says GCSE, but I just couldn't resist **Guilty**Before we jump into this stressful day, make sure you all take some time to yourself to relax and reflect on your hard work throughout the past 2 years. Although my Alevels may seem like a distant memory, I remember working harder than ever before. You have earned a chance to blow off some steam and whatever grades show up on those papers remember you have worked so incredibly hard to further yourself for your future. Be proud!
Alongside this thread make sure you check out the
official results day 2018 thread. We also have an amazing post your results thread for
A2 this year, and if you managed to bag yourself a place at uni make sure you shout it from the rooftops
here... you have earned it! Lastly if things didnt go to plan and you want some advice then head over to
advice thread.
When are grade boundaries released?It always used to be the case that A-level grade boundaries were released the day/night before results day, and many would use these to try and predict their grades. Unfortunately this year the exam boards are not releasing the grade boundaries until the morning of results day... this means there is little time left for guesstimating. Dont stress though, your teachers will still have had access to the boundaries alongside your results in advance, so they will be able to advise you about remarks.
Now down to the real business:
The Grade BoundariesBelow you will find the links to each exam boards grade boundaries page, where they will post the grade boundaries when they are availible:AQA: AS / linear A levels / modular A levelsEdexcel: AS/ A levelOCR: AS| A levelWJEC: All qualificationsRaw Mark to UMS ConvertersRaw marks and UMS can be confusing, below are the conversion tools for each exam board to make your marks easier to understand:
Edexcel: can be downloaded (excel file)AQAOCRWJECIf you need anymore help, myself and all the other lovely TSR helpers will be able to lend you a hand over the next few days, please dont hesitate to get in touch. If you need anymore information about grade boundaries TeeEff put together some great info last year which I have adapted slightly and left below. Best of luck for results day on thursday, and as always:
FAQ:1) What are grade boundaries and why do they even exist?Grade boundaries (love them or hate them) outline the minimum raw marks needed to be awarded a certain grade for a unit (or exam) within your subject. Each subject will often be organised into a table like the one below to make it easier to understand:
Newly reformed Alevels (exams taught after September 2015) no longer use UMS marks. These were used to ensure that each exam paper has the same difficulty from year to year, and took into consideration the difficulty of one exam paper compared with previous papers. UMS grade boundaries are different from raw grade boundaries which are the actual number of marks needed to get a certain grade, this is because they often add together in a weighted fashion to make an overall A-level which fairly reflects your performance.
if you want more information about UMS check the spoiler below:
In terms of UMS marks, the grade boundaries are usually:
New specification Alevels now follow a linear format, meaning exam boards will no longer need to combine marks from different exam seasons to make an overall Alevel. Hence UMS marks will not be published for these so dont panic if you cannot find them.
For all exams which dont count towards your subjects final grade, exam boards now publish a notional grade boundary which shows the minimum mark needed if the unit was graded. These are for illustration only and will not affect your subject grades.
2) what if I am close to the next grade boundary?I remember being fully of worry on results day looking through my marks to see how close I was to the next grade boundary. Many of my friends were disappointed when they were 1/2/3 marks off the next grade up, it can be incredibly frustrating especially when it may mean the difference between a place at uni or being sent into clearing.If this happens to you firstly dont panic. You may be thinking about getting your paper reviewed, but this can be expensive so make sure you think carefully about this option and if you can discuss it with your teachers. Remember reviews of marking are different to the old remark system, and more often than not your marks will not change so make sure you think your decisions through.