Parents' corner
You don't need to know the subjects to help. Here's how GCSE grading and tiers actually work, what genuinely helps at home, and how to get the most from the free tools on this site.
Browse all free revision resources
Choose by level and subject, then open the tool or reference page your child needs.
How GCSE grades work
GCSEs are graded 9 down to 1 instead of A* to G. Grade 9 is the highest — set above the old A* — and grade 1 is the lowest. A grade 4 is a “standard pass” and a grade 5 a “strong pass”.
| Grade | What it means |
|---|---|
| 9 | The very top grade, set above the old A* to separate the highest-achieving students. Only a small percentage of entries earn it. |
| 8 | Sits between the old A* and A. |
| 7 | Aligned to the bottom of the old grade A (an Ofqual anchor point). |
| 6 | A high B, near the top of the old grade B. |
| 5 | A 'strong pass'. Sits between the old B and C. Some employers and sixth forms ask for a 5. |
| 4 | A 'standard pass', aligned to the bottom of the old grade C (an Ofqual anchor point). The grade most colleges and sixth forms ask for. |
| 3 | Sits between the old D and E. |
| 2 | Sits between the old E and F. |
| 1 | The lowest grade, aligned to the old grade G (an Ofqual anchor point). |
| U | Ungraded — below the standard for a grade 1. |
Grades 7, 4 and 1 are Ofqual's official anchor points to the old A, C and G; the grades between are described in relation to them.
Foundation or Higher tier?
Foundation
- Questions target grades 1 to 5 and are more accessible, which can build confidence.
- A student cannot score above a grade 5, even with full marks.
- There is less content to cover in the harder topics.
Best for: Students working securely around grades 1 to 5.
Higher
- Questions are harder and target grades 4 to 9.
- There is a safety net: a student who narrowly misses grade 4 can still be awarded a grade 3.
- Fall too far below the safety net and the result is ungraded (U).
Best for: Students working confidently at grade 4 and above.
Tiering applies to GCSE Maths, the Sciences (both Combined and Separate), Modern Foreign Languages and Statistics. Subjects like English Language and English Literature are not tiered — everyone sits the same papers. The tier is the school's decision, usually finalised in Year 11 from mock results, so it is worth a conversation with the teacher if you are unsure.
Supporting revision at home
Help them build a realistic timetable
Short, regular sessions beat last-minute cramming. Spread subjects across the week and put the hardest topics when they are freshest, not last thing at night.
Push active recall over re-reading
Testing yourself — flashcards, past questions, writing an answer from memory — fixes knowledge far better than reading notes over and over. If they can only re-read, they don't know it yet.
Make past papers the core activity
Working through past papers under timed conditions, then marking honestly against the mark scheme, is the single highest-value revision there is. It shows exactly where the marks are being lost.
Watch the 6-markers and the maths in science
In science, the long extended-response questions and the maths skills are where marks quietly disappear. They are worth targeting directly rather than hoping they come good on the day.
Keep it sustainable
Sleep, breaks and some exercise are part of revision, not a distraction from it. A tired, burned-out student revises badly — protecting the basics pays off in the exam.
What the free tools are for
Revision checklists
Rate every point on the exam-board spec Red/Amber/Green, so your child can see exactly what is left to revise.
6-marker trainer
Practise the science extended-response questions and self-mark against the real level-of-response mark scheme.
Maths in science
The maths skills GCSE science tests — standard form, rearranging equations, graph gradients — drilled in a science context.
All resources
The full set of free tools and revision sheets across Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Biology.
Thinking about a tutor?
One-to-one, online, with Oscar Song. The first lesson is free — a no-pressure way to see if it helps your child.