Video: GCSE reforms will help employers, says exam regulator An extra grade will be added to GCSEs for the first time in 20 years as part of major reforms the qualifications system in England, it was announced today. GCSEs will be graded on a nine-point scale - rather than eight at the moment - because of concerns that the existing system fails to properly differentiate between bright, average and weak pupils. The move coincides with a decision to ditch traditional A* to G grades in favour of a system based on numbers. In the future, pupils will be marked from one to nine, with nine being the highest grade.