Challenge Points are used to calculate Headline measures, such as L2 English Progress, L2 Maths Progress, and L3 Maths. The DfE provide tables showing which challenge points relate to each grade for each cohort.
The latest Challenge Points
From the 2020 performance tables, the DfE had provided challenge points for qualifications, shown in the table below (taken from page 115 of the DfE’s KS5 Technical Guidance linked in this article).
These are the latest Challenge Points currently available. As an example, if a student achieves a grade 6 in GCSE English, this would officially be worth 6 challenge points.
2019 Challenge Points
For 18/19 Leavers and earlier, the DfE provided the following table for a number of qualification types (taken from the DfE’s KS5 Technical Guidance linked in this article).
They also provided a more comprehensive list of challenge points for these, and further qualifications in the Base and Progress tabs in their spreadsheet (see Sisra Analytics: KS5 - DfE's 16 to 18 English and maths progress measure qualifications (Challenge Points)).
Challenge Points used for other qualifications (from 2020)
There isn’t any official guidance for qualifications other than those in the table above. However, comparing the challenge points each grade was awarded in 2019 and mapping these to the 2020 equivalent may be the best solution until such information becomes available. For example, a grade C at AS was worth 8 points (the same as a grade 9) in 2019, so this could be worth 9 Challenge Points in 2020.
Related information
- Sisra Analytics: KS5 - DfE's 16 to 18 accountability headline measures: Technical Guidance
- Sisra Analytics: KS5 - DfE's 16 to 18 English and maths progress measure qualifications (Challenge Points)
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