Expanded grade descriptors (1-9) for Summer 2021

JCQ issued new grade descriptors in March 2021. These gave a little more information on the grades outside the 8/5/2 found in Specifications. Some are simply saying that the evidence is ‘stronger than…’. At a time when schools need to be confident about the grades they submit as Teacher Assessed or Centre Assessed Grades, the published grade descriptors do not give much detail. This document unpacks each of the grades giving a strong picture of what each of the grades look like in easily understood language, giving confidence to the correct assessment of any portfolio of evidence. This detail includes the quality of the written expression, use of key language, style of writing, as well as encompassing the spirit of each of the elements of the actual descriptors. JCQ descriptors sit alongside expanded descriptors. Use of this document will help create confident grades, which stand up to any scrutiny.