<P> 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 . </P>
<P> 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 . </P>
when did o level grades change from numbers to letters
when did o level grades change from numbers to letters
1975
1975