Edexcel 4AC1 and 4XAC1 · 9 to 1

Edexcel 4AC1 and 4XAC1 grade guide

Completed practice papers and study notes ready for review

Edexcel is graded 9 to 1. For 4AC1 the grade comes from the total mark. For 4XAC1, marks convert to uniform marks with fixed boundaries.

The scale and how it works

Graded on a nine-grade scale from 9 to 1, with 9 the highest; below the minimum is an unclassified U result.
Grades come from the total subject mark; individual components are not graded.
Graded on a nine-grade scale from 9 to 1; below the minimum is an unclassified U result.
Unit 1 is reported out of 120 uniform marks.
Unit 2 is reported out of 60 uniform marks.
The qualification is reported out of 180 uniform marks; 0 to 17 is unclassified.

Sources: Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Accounting (4AC1) specification (FT Sept 2017) (Issue 1, October 2016), page 29; Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Accounting (Modular) specification (FT Sept 2023) (Issue 1, August 2023), page 24. See all sources.

Fixed UMS grade boundaries for 4XAC1

4XAC1: minimum uniform marks for each grade
	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
Unit 1 (out of 120)	108	96	84	72	60	48	36	24	12
Unit 2 (out of 60)	54	48	42	36	30	24	18	12	6
Qualification (out of 180)	162	144	126	108	90	72	54	36	18
Share of the maximum (our arithmetic)	90%	80%	70%	60%	50%	40%	30%	20%	10%

Table from: Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Accounting (Modular) specification (FT Sept 2023) (Issue 1, August 2023), page 24. See all sources.

Reading the numbers

Under 4AC1 the specification says the qualification is graded from the total subject mark and that individual components are not graded. The specification does not list raw-mark boundaries, because they vary from series to series. The 4XAC1 specification does publish fixed boundaries on the uniform mark scale (UMS). Unit 1 is out of 120, Unit 2 out of 60 and the qualification out of 180, with each grade a regular step of 10% of the maximum.

A uniform mark scale exists so that a unit sat in one series keeps its value if the other unit is sat in a different series. The raw marks on the paper (100 for Unit 1 and 50 for Unit 2) are converted to UMS before grading. The table shows the result, not the conversion.

Planning from a target grade

On the modular route the target is simple to state. To reach a grade 7 the qualification needs 126 of 180 UMS, which is 70%. Our teachers turn that into a target UMS on each unit, remembering that Unit 1 carries two thirds of the total. Because only the better of the two most recent attempts at a unit counts, a resit of Unit 1 can be a planned part of the route.

Unsure what target to set? A teacher can review your child's recent answers and turn the table above into a mark target for each paper. Book a trial class.

Edexcel 4AC1 and 4XAC1 grade questions

What is UMS?

The uniform mark scale converts a unit's raw mark to a mark out of that unit's maximum, so results can be combined across series. The raw-to-UMS conversion varies by series and is published by Pearson.

Are grade boundaries listed in the 4AC1 specification?

No. It states the grading scale and says grades come from the total subject mark.

What happens below grade 1?

The student receives an unclassified result, U. On the modular route a qualification UMS from 0 to 17 is unclassified.

Can I resit a unit?

Yes. Learners can resit any unit, and if a unit is resat more than once, only the better of the two most recent attempts counts towards the qualification grade.

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