Cambridge IGCSE results are reported on one of two scales, and which one a student gets is decided by the school, not by how well they do.
The two scales
The long-standing scale runs A* A B C D E F G, with U for ungraded. The newer scale runs 9 down to 1, again with U below it. Around twenty-one Cambridge subjects are offered in both, and each version has its own syllabus code — Biology is 0610 on the letter scale and 0970 on the number scale; English as a Second Language is 0510 and 0511 on letters, 0993 and 0991 on numbers.
The teaching is identical. The content, the papers and the standard are the same; only the way the result is reported changes. In Malaysia most schools use A*–G. Pearson Edexcel International GCSE is 9–1 only.
How the two line up
Cambridge benchmarks the two scales at three points, and only three:
| Number | Letter | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | A | Anchored: the standard is the same |
| 4 | C | Anchored: the standard is the same |
| 1 | G | Anchored: the bottom of the graded range |
Everything between those points is a matter of where the boundaries fall, not a fixed conversion. Grade 9 in particular is not simply A* renamed — it sits above the old A* standard and is deliberately harder to reach. Anyone converting a transcript should quote the three anchors and leave the rest alone.
The school chooses, once
The grading scale is fixed by the entry code the school uses. Once entries close it cannot be changed, and the papers a candidate sits have to match the scale they were entered for. This is one more reason to ask which syllabus code a student is on well before the entry deadline.
What counts as a pass
The board does not define a pass. It reports a grade, and the institution reading it decides what is good enough.
In practice most entry requirements are written around grade C, or grade 4 on the number scale — and some UK universities use grade 5 instead of 4 for the same purpose. A course that names a subject usually wants a grade in that subject, not an average across the certificate. The requirement worth reading is always the one published by the college or university being applied to, for the year of entry.
Grade boundaries move
A grade is not a fixed percentage. Boundaries are set for each paper in each series after the papers have been marked, so the mark that earned an A in one sitting is not necessarily the mark that earns an A in the next. Cambridge publishes the boundary tables after each series, which is why comparing raw marks between years tells you very little.
剑桥 IGCSE 的成绩以两套等级之一呈报，用哪一套由学校决定，与学生考得如何无关。
两套等级
沿用已久的一套是 A* A B C D E F G，最低为 U（不予评级）。较新的一套是 9 至 1，下方同样是 U。约二十一个剑桥科目两套皆有，而且各自拥有独立的考纲编号——生物在字母制是 0610，在数字制是 0970；第二语言英文在字母制是 0510 与 0511，在数字制则是 0993 与 0991。
教学内容完全相同。课程、试卷与标准一致，改变的只是成绩的呈报方式。马来西亚多数学校使用 A*–G。培生爱德思国际 GCSE 只有 9–1。
两套如何对照
剑桥只在三个点上为两套等级设定共同标准：
| 数字 | 字母 | 说明 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | A | 对齐点：标准相同 |
| 4 | C | 对齐点：标准相同 |
| 1 | G | 对齐点：评级范围的最低点 |
这三点以外的部分取决于每次的分界线，并没有固定换算。尤其是 9 等，并不是 A* 换个写法——它高于原本的 A* 标准，是刻意设得更难达到的。换算成绩单时，只应引用这三个对齐点，其余留白。
学校只能选一次
等级制度由学校报名时使用的报考代码决定。报名截止后无法更改，考生所考的试卷也必须与所报的等级制度相符。这也是又一个理由：请在报名截止前问清楚学生被报了哪一个考纲编号。
什么算“及格”
考试局并不定义“及格”。它只呈报等级，至于多少才够，由阅读成绩的院校决定。
实务上，大部分入学条件围绕 C 等、或数字制的 4 等来写——部分英国大学则以 5 等取代 4 等。指明科目的课程通常要求该科目的等级，而不是整张证书的平均。真正要读的，永远是所申请院校针对入学年份公布的那一份要求。
分界线会浮动
等级不是固定的百分比。分界线在阅卷之后，按每一份试卷、每一个考期分别订定，因此上一次考期拿到 A 的分数，下一次未必仍是 A。剑桥在每个考期后公布分界线表，这也是为什么跨年比较原始分数意义不大。
More in this section本部分其他文章
IGCSE剑桥 IGCSE
- What is IGCSE, and who runs it?什么是 IGCSE？由谁主办？
- What do Core and Extended mean?Core 与 Extended 是什么意思？
- How many subjects, and how are they grouped?要考几科？科目怎么组合？
- Which subjects make up the pure science group?纯理科包含哪些科目？
- Which subjects make up the commerce group?商科包含哪些科目？
- Which English subject is which?三科英文，哪一科是哪一科？
- When are the exams, and can I sit as a private candidate?考期在什么时候？可以以自修生身份报考吗？
- Can a subject be retaken, or changed?可以重考或换考纲吗？
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