Guide to Cambridge grades

This guide is intended to help US high schools interpret and explain the grades, scores, marks, and outcomes that may be included in results reporting for Cambridge International AS & A Level and IGCSE exams and Cambridge AICE Diploma. These appear in student results documents and the Report Maker online platform for schools.

Grades and outcomes

The US letter grade equivalents shown are intended to be used as a general guideline and have not been formally validated. More information is available in our guide to Cambridge for US higher education. Cambridge International Education considers an E grade in A Levels, an e grade in AS Levels, and a G grade in IGCSEs as meeting the minimum required performance for these qualifications.

Cambridge International AS Level grade chart

Note: AS Level grades are always given in lowercase.

Cambridge International A Level grade chart

Cambridge IGCSE exam grade chart

Other possible outcomes

Student results may show an outcome of Q or X. The details of these outcome is provided to exams officers. 

Special case: Compensatory AS Level

Students awarded a U (Ungraded) for a Cambridge International A Level are automatically re-graded as Cambridge International AS Level students using the components common to both the AS Level and A Level. These students are then awarded a compensatory AS Level grade (a through e) if they achieve the required standard. Compensatory AS Level grades can only be awarded when students take all components for the AS Level in the same series.

Compensatory AS Level grades appear in Report Maker alongside A Level grades because the student entered for an A Level. A compensatory AS Level is not a passing grade (E or above) at A Level.

Cambridge AICE Diploma

Learn about Cambridge AICE Diploma.

Cambridge ICE certificate

Learn about Cambridge ICE.

Pass rates in Report Maker

US schools using our online results platform, Report Maker, will see group (e.g., school or district) pass rates along with national pass rates. Pass rates are provided to give US schools context for group performance.

Pass rates reflect the proportion of students awarded a grade E(e) and above, or grade C(c) and above. The calculation includes students awarded a U (Ungraded), but not students with an outcome of X or Q.

Component marks and grades

Schools receive Component Mark Reports and can access Report Maker’s ‘Syllabus marks and grades’ with component-level information. The table below explains the meaning of terms used in these reports.