▁can ▁vary ▁in ▁their ▁grad ing ▁systems ▁as ▁well . ▁However , ▁several ▁international ▁standards ▁for ▁grad ing ▁have ▁ar isen ▁recently , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁European ▁Bac cala ure ate . ▁ ▁England ▁and ▁Wales ▁In ▁the ▁General ▁Cert ificate ▁of ▁Second ary ▁Education ▁( GC SE ) ▁exam ▁taken ▁by ▁secondary ▁school ▁students ▁in ▁England ▁and ▁Wales , ▁gr ades ▁generally ▁range ▁from ▁ 9 ▁( high est ) ▁to ▁ 1 ▁( low est ). ▁However , ▁in ▁GC SE ▁Science , ▁Mathemat ics ▁Statistics , ▁and ▁any ▁Modern ▁Foreign ▁Language , ▁there ▁are ▁two ▁t iers ▁( high er ▁and ▁foundation ). ▁In ▁the ▁higher ▁tier , ▁gr ades ▁ 9 ▁to ▁ 4 ▁can ▁be ▁achieved , ▁while ▁in ▁the ▁foundation ▁tier , ▁only ▁gr ades ▁ 5 ▁to ▁ 1 ▁can ▁be ▁awarded . ▁The ▁new ▁ 9 – 1 ▁qual ifications ▁saw ▁some ▁more ▁subjects ▁such ▁as ▁English ▁language ▁and ▁English ▁literature ▁go ▁' t ier less ,’ ▁with ▁the ▁same ▁paper ▁covering ▁all ▁levels ▁of ▁demand . ▁Gener ally , ▁a ▁ 4 ▁or ▁above ▁would ▁be ▁considered ▁a ▁pass ▁and ▁a ▁ 3 ▁or ▁below ▁would ▁be ▁considered ▁a ▁fail ▁by ▁most ▁institutions : ▁for ▁Mathemat ics ▁and ▁English ▁Language ▁and ▁English ▁Liter ature , ▁and ▁possibly ▁Science , ▁this ▁would ▁require ▁a ▁res it . ▁ ▁If ▁a ▁candidate ▁does ▁not ▁score ▁highly ▁enough ▁to ▁get ▁a ▁grade ▁ 1 , ▁their ▁results ▁s lip ▁will ▁have ▁the ▁letter ▁U , ▁or ▁'