GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education, which is an academic qualification in a range of particular subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. GCSEs are awarded on a graded scale, and cross two levels of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF): Level 1 and Level 2. The grading system for GCSEs in England runs on a scale from 9 to 1, with 9 being the highest grade and 1 being the lowest. The new grading system was introduced in 2017, replacing the old GCSE grading system that awarded students letter grades from A* to G. The bottom of grade 4 is aligned with the bottom of grade C, and the bottom of grade 1 is aligned with the bottom of grade G. The new system is designed to allow more differentiation among the higher grades, with grades 4-6 covering what were grades B and C and grades 7-9 covering what were the top grades of A and A* in the old grading system. The grade 9 is considered to be higher than an A* and roughly the top 20% of GCSE students who achieve a grade 7 or above will achieve a grade 9. A grade 4 is accepted as a pass for most Level 3 college courses and a grade 5 is regarded as a strong pass.