GCE Ordinary level ( United Kingdom ) - wikipedia GCE Ordinary level ( United Kingdom ) This article is about the secondary school leaving exam once taken in the United Kingdom. For the O Level qualification worldwide, see GCE Ordinary Level. O - level logo The General Certificate of Education ( GCE ) Ordinary Level, also called the O - level or O level, was a subject - based academic qualification. Introduced in 1951 as a replacement for existing 16 + School Certificate ( SC ), the O - level would act as a pathway to the new, more in - depth and academically rigorous A-level ( Advanced Level ), in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Later the complementary and more vocational Certificate of Secondary Education ( CSE ) was added to broaden the subjects available and offer qualifications in non academic subjects. The O - Level and CSE were replaced in the United Kingdom in 1988 by the GCSE and later complementary IGCSE exams. The Scottish equivalent was the O - grade ( replaced, following a separate process, by the Standard Grade ). An O - level branded qualification is still awarded by Cambridge International Examinations in select locations. Contents 1 Structure 2 Grading 3 Entrants 4 Exam Boards 5 Later developments 6 See also 7 References Structure O - levels were predominantly exam - based ; this had advantages for students in part - time or evening education. Some commentators criticised this mainly exam - based approach as offering only partial proof of the student 's overall ability in comparison with other methods ( e.g., coursework - based assessment ). There was no summative `` school certificate '' : each subject was a separate O - level in its own right. Madsen Pirie found that the O - level was advantageous to boys because of exam - based learning. Pirie also observes that the GCSE focus on coursework has disadvantaged boys, reversing the gender gap in attainment, to the degree where in all subjects girls outperform boys, including traditionally male subjects such as sciences and physical education. Grading Initially candidates were only awarded a pass or fail classification, though the independent exam boards soon offered competing numeric and alphabetic classifications, for example 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 would be a pass, while grades 7, 8 and 9 were fails from the JMB. From 1975 standardized alphabetic grades where introduced with grades A, B, C, D, and E were passes, and f and U ( Unclassified ) were fails. Between 1965 and 1985 grades were allocated primarily on a norm - referenced basis, assigning a fixed proportion of each cohort to each grade ( A 10 %, B 15 %, C 25 - 30 %, D 5 - 10 %, E 5 - 10 %, U 15 - 20 % ). Though some exceptions existed, both at the subject and Exam Board level, with Latin and Greek pass rates being consistently higher than other subjects, with 75.4 % passing in 1976, in contrast to an average 59 % pass rate across all subjects e.g. Biology 56.4 %, History 57 %. The pass rate and top awards by the Oxford & Cambridge board were also consistently higher than the other boards e.g. In 1976, 27 % of Latin entrants gained an A, and ~ 17 % of French, German and Music candidates, this was attributed to the O&C board being primarily used by the Independent schools. The proportion obtaining a pass, A-D, or equivalent was initially fixed at 57 % - 58 %, and remained under 60 % through the 1970s, though there was regional variation with Northern Ireland awarding consistently more pass grades than Wales e.g. In 1982, the pass rates were : Northern Ireland 62 %, England 58 % Wales 53 %. In 1984 a decision was taken, by the Secondary Examinations Council, to replace the norm referencing with criteria referencing, where 16 + and 18 + grades would in future be awarded on Examiner Judgement, this change was implemented, at O - Level, in June 1986. In the final year DES statistics were available 6.8 % achieved an A, and 39.8 % an A-C grade. O - levels incorporate an element of negative marking, with marks deducted for incorrect answers, poor spelling, grammar or handwriting. The table below compares the grading under the O Level / CSE system and GCSE system, at the time of the June 1988 introduction and June 1994 / June 2017 revisions of GCSE grading : GCSE Grade O Level Grade CSE Grade 2017 -- 1994 -- 2019 1988 -- 1993 1975 -- 1987 1965 -- 1987 9 A * 8 7 6 5 U 5 U U U U Note that this table does not display correctly on the mobile version of Wikipedia, as it incorrectly shows the match between the 2017 grades and the 1994 grades Green background -- certificate and qualification awarded and considered a ' good pass ' Blue background -- certificate and qualification awarded Red background -- no certificate or qualification awarded Jump up ^ 9 -- 1 grades phased in from 2017 to 2020, depending on subject Jump up ^ A * -- G grades last used 2016 to 2019, depending on subject Jump up ^ Before 1975, each exam board had its own grading system ( some used letters, others numbers ), with grades only given to schools and not recorded on students ' certificates Entrants The 1978 Waddell Report, when comparing O - Level and CSE entrants stated : `` the O Level examination tending to be aimed at the upper 20 per cent of the full ability range and CSE catering for the next 40 per cent '', is partially supported by the statistics. For subjects where an equivalent O - level paper existed approximately 36 % of the pupils entered for either exam, after 1976, sat the O - Level, the remainder ( 64 % ) sat the CSE paper. The proportion taking CSE exams increased following the raising of the minimum school leaving age to 16, in 1973, and the subsequent fall in the proportion sitting neither exam e.g. English O - Level and CSE Mathematics entrants 1976 - 9 Year Pupils O - Level Maths Candidates CSE Maths Candidates Total Candidates % Maths Papers : O - Level % Maths Papers : CSE % Pupils entered for Maths - - - - - - 74 1976 - 270,297 377,731 631,927 42.8 57.2 - 1977 751,070 217,560 392,020 609,580 35.7 64.3 81.1 1978 768,460 230,660 414,950 645,610 35.7 64.3 84 1979 781,240 245,500 438,220 683,720 35.9 64.1 87.5 Exam boards The O - Level syllabi, examinations and awards were made by 9 independent boards : Associated Examining Board, Durham University Examinations Board ( dissolved 1964 ), Joint Matriculation Board, Oxford and Cambridge, Oxford, Southern, Cambridge, London, and Welsh Joint Education Committee Unlike CSE examinations the participating schools had a choice of syllabi and awarding body, and were not required to use a designated local board. Later developments The O - level qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were replaced by the General Certificate of Secondary Education ( GCSE ). However, the O - level brand is still used in many Commonwealth countries, such as Bangladesh, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, and Singapore, instead of or alongside the IGCSE qualifications. Some British schools also reverted to exams based on the O - levels. The Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination was also benchmarked against the O - levels for comparable subjects. But it has switched to benchmark against the IGCSE. The School Certificate of Mauritius continues to use the O - level exams. O - levels continue to thrive as well respected international qualifications for students in other countries, who use them for preparation for advanced study in their own country and / or access higher education overseas. Approximately 12 million candidates from more than 200 countries register annually for O - level examinations across the world. Institutions that offer O - levels include Cambridge International Examinations ( CIE ). Cambridge International Examinations offers curricula for approximately 40 different subjects. See also Certificate of Secondary Education ( CSE ) Certificate of Secondary Education ( United Kingdom ) ( CSE ) GCE Advanced Level ( A-Level ) ; GCE Ordinary Level ( International ) ( O - Level ) Ordinary Level ( Sri Lanka ) Cambridge International Ordinary Level ( Singapore ) Cambridge International O - Level subjects General Certificate of Secondary Education ( GCSE ), which replaced the O Levels and CSE International General Certificate of Secondary Education ( IGCSE ), which is offered with or instead of O Levels internationally General Certificate of Education ( GCE ), which comprises O Levels and A-levels School certificate ( SC ), predecessor to the GCS O - Level and CSE qualifications School Certificate ( United Kingdom ) School Certificate ( Australia ) School Certificate ( New Zealand ) School Certificate ( Mauritius ) References Jump up ^ Levy, Andrew. `` A * to G grades will be abolished in revamp of GCSEs : Exams will given numbers from one to nine while papers based on pupils ' ability will also be axed ''. Mail Online. Daily Mail. Retrieved 28 August 2015. Jump up ^ Brooks, Ron ( 2014 ) ( First published 1991 ). `` A decade and more of debate ''. Contemporary Debates in Education : An Historical Perspective. New York : Routledge. pp. 21 -- 23. ISBN 978 - 0 - 582 - 05797 - 5. OL 1863538M. Jump up ^ Pirie, Masen. `` How exams are fixed in favour of girls '', The Spectator, 20 January 2001. Jump up ^ http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/Images/tcm21-94640.pdf Jump up ^ In particular see page 88 of the definitive UCAS document at http://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/ug.admissions/ucasinfo/ukquals07.pdf ^ Jump up to : Geddes, Diana ( 1977 - 08 - 16 ). `` From borderline to pass, how O level papers are marked ''. The Times ( 60319 ). Times ( London, England ). Times ( London, England ). Retrieved 12 September 2015. Jump up ^ Diana, Geddes ( 1978 - 06 - 05 ). `` Comparison of GCE examination standards gives reassuring evidence, review of 34 studies says. ''. The Times ( 60319 ). Times ( London, England ). Times ( London, England ). Retrieved 12 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` THE BACKGROUND TO THE A LEVELS DEBATE ''. UK Parliament. UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 August 2015. Jump up ^ `` O - levels v GCSEs - how do they compare ? ''. The Telegraph. The Telegraph. 2012 - 09 - 17. Retrieved 1 September 2015. ^ Jump up to : Waddell, James. `` The Waddell Report - School Examinations ''. Education In England. London : Her Majesty 's Stationery Office 1978. Retrieved 4 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` The Swann Report ( 1985 ) - Education for All ''. Educationengland. Retrieved 22 August 2015. Jump up ^ `` The Cockcroft Report ( 1982 ) - Mathematics counts ''. Education England. Retrieved 22 August 2015. Jump up ^ Clark, Laura. `` Private schools dump GCSEs in favour of old - style O Levels '', Daily Mail, 9 August 2006. Jump up ^ Cambridge O Levels described at CIE 's website Jump up ^ http://www.cie.org.uk/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-secondary-2/cambridge-o-level/ Education in England Key Stages Foundation Stage Nursery Playgroup Reception Key Stage 1 Year One Year Two Key Stage 2 Year Three Year Four Year Five Year Six Key Stage 3 Year Seven Year Eight Year Nine Key Stage 4 Year Ten Year Eleven Key Stage 5 Year Twelve Year Thirteen Schooling State - funded schools Independent schools Primary school Infant school Junior school Preparatory school Middle school Secondary school Sixth form college Exams and qualifications 11 - plus GCSE A-Level English Baccalaureate BTEC Regulation Department for Education Ofqual Ofsted Special measures Other Common Entrance Examination Schools ( category ) Former SATs O - Level CSE School Certificate Higher School Certificate GNVQ Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=GCE_Ordinary_Level_(United_Kingdom)&oldid=798153389 '' Categories : Educational qualifications in the United Kingdom Secondary school qualifications Secondary education in England Secondary education in Wales Secondary education in Northern Ireland Hidden categories : All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2011 Use dmy dates from January 2011 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 31 August 2017, at 08 : 41. 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Question: when did o level grades change from numbers to letters
Answer: 1975