Guidance

Food preparation and nutrition: grade descriptors for GCSEs graded 9 to 1

Updated 6 September 2017

Applies to England

1. Grade 8

1.1 To achieve grade 8 candidates will be able to:

  • demonstrate relevant and comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the concepts, principles and properties of food science, cooking and nutrition
  • safely and effectively apply precise and sophisticated technical skills when using a wide range of equipment and ingredients to plan, prepare and present complex dishes
  • critically analyse and evaluate, to draw well-evidenced conclusions:
    • issues relating to food choices, provenance and production
    • food made by themselves and others

2. Grade 5

2.1 To achieve grade 5 candidates will be able to:

  • demonstrate mostly accurate and appropriate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, principles and properties of food science, cooking and nutrition
  • safely and effectively apply competent technical skills to a range of equipment and ingredients to plan, prepare and present dishes with some degree of complexity
  • analyse and evaluate, to draw coherent conclusions :
    • issues relating to food choices, provenance and production
    • food made by themselves and others

3. Grade 2

3.1 To achieve grade 2 candidates will be able to:

  • demonstrate some relevant knowledge and understanding of the concepts, principles and properties of food science, cooking and nutrition
  • safely apply limited skills to some equipment and ingredients to plan, prepare and present simple dishes
  • make straightforward and obvious comments on:
    • issues relating to food choices, provenance and production
    • food made by themselves and others