Statistics: grade descriptors for GCSEs graded 9 to 1
Updated 6 September 2017
Applies to England
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1. Grade 8
To achieve grade 8, candidates will be able to:
- demonstrate a sophisticated knowledge and understanding of how the full statistical enquiry cycle is used in a statistical investigation, including understanding how the cycle fits together as a whole, and the inter-relation of parts
- recognise constraints involved in sourcing appropriate data and understanding strategies to combat these constraints
- use distributions, including the Binomial and Normal, to model real life situations
- use appropriate techniques to represent data while understanding their advantages and limitations
- derive relevant sophisticated statistics and interpret their numerical values
- evaluate the reliability and validity of the conclusions of a statistical enquiry
2. Grade 5
To achieve grade 5, candidates will be able to:
- demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the full statistical enquiry cycle, including how the cycle fits together as a whole, and how this may be used in a statistical investigation
- recognise constraints involved in sourcing appropriate data
- know and apply the formal notation for independent events and conditional probability
- represent data in pictorial and tabular form using appropriate techniques
- derive relevant statistics and interpret their numerical values
- identify factors which might affect the reliability of the conclusion of a statistical enquiry
3. Grade 2
To achieve grade 2, candidates will be able to:
- demonstrate a basic knowledge and understanding of some elements of the statistical enquiry cycle and how these may be used in a statistical investigation
- understand some of the difficulties involved in collecting data
- calculate probabilities for simple and combined events
- interpret and produce frequency tables and diagrams
- use tables and diagrams to produce summary statistics including measures of central tendency and measures of dispersion
- draw simple statistical conclusions and communicate these in writing