Grade Targets

Understand your grade, set your target, and know exactly how to get there

Understanding Your Grades

In GCSE English, you will see three different grades on your reports. Understanding what each one means helps you set realistic targets and focus your revision.

Working At Grade

This is the grade your current work is at right now. It is based on your classwork, homework, and assessments so far. Think of it as a snapshot of where you are today. This grade can change with effort and targeted practice.

Predicted Grade

This is the grade your teacher thinks you will get in the actual exam, based on your trajectory. It factors in your current level plus how much progress is expected. If your predicted grade is lower than your target, it means you need to change something.

Target Grade

This is the grade your school expects you to achieve, usually based on your KS2 SATs results or baseline tests. It is the minimum you should be aiming for. Many students exceed their target grade with consistent revision and exam practice.

Key insight: Your working at grade is not fixed. Students regularly jump one or two grades between mocks and the real exam. The difference is almost always revision quality and exam technique, not natural ability.

Grade-Specific Guides (9-1)

Each guide tells you exactly what markers want at that grade, what skills to practise, and how to level up from where you are now.

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How to Get a Grade 5

The "strong pass" - what you need to secure it

Clear explanations with evidence
Relevant use of subject terminology
Understanding of writer's methods

Read the guide

What Grade Am I Working At?

Answer five quick questions about how you currently write and analyse texts for Literature Paper 1 / Paper 2. This is not a test - it helps you identify which guide to start with.

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