Yes — Ofqual's own research found French and German are consistently among the five most severely graded GCSEs, with Spanish not far behind. Grade boundaries were adjusted in 2023 and 2024 to correct some of this, but language-teaching body ALL says a gap still remains.
The finding: it isn't a parental myth
Parents of language students have long suspected that a grade 6 in French takes more work than a grade 6 in history or religious studies — and Ofqual's own investigation backs that up. In its 2019 research into grading standards, Ofqual found that French and German were consistently among the five most severely graded GCSEs in the entire system, with Spanish coming in seventh. In plain terms: for a comparable level of ability, a student was less likely to achieve a given grade in these languages than in most other GCSE subjects.
This is a genuinely useful thing for parents to know when comparing a child's results across subjects, or deciding whether a lower-than-expected grade in French reflects the student's actual ability or the way the subject happens to be graded.
What's actually been done about it
Ofqual and the exam boards haven't ignored this. Grade boundaries have been adjusted twice in recent years specifically to correct language grading severity:
| Year | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| 2023 | French and German grade boundaries adjusted at grades 9, 7 and 4 |
| 2024 | French adjusted at grades 7 and 4; German adjusted at grades 9, 7 and 4; computer science also adjusted at grades 9, 7 and 4 |
According to Schools Week's coverage of the 2024 results, these changes were explicitly framed as making French and German grading more generous, continuing a process of aligning severity across the three main modern foreign languages towards Spanish, which had been graded comparatively more fairly. Language GCSEs are also moving to new specifications, with 2026 the first year of award and a first-cohort protection in place to cushion the transition.
The gap hasn't fully closed
Despite these adjustments, the language-teaching body ALL (the Association for Language Learning) maintains, in its statement on 2026 GCSE results, that MFL grades still sit marginally below equivalent grades in other EBacc subjects such as history or religious studies. The correction has narrowed the gap, not eliminated it. So the honest picture for a parent today is: better than it was, still not fully level with the humanities.
What this means for your child's results
If your child holds a grade 6 in French alongside a grade 6 in history, it's reasonable to treat the language grade as representing at least as much — arguably more — underlying achievement, given the grading severity research. This matters in a few concrete ways:
- When comparing results across subjects, don't read a lower language grade next to a higher humanities grade as evidence the child is simply "better" at the humanity — some of that gap can be attributed to how the subjects are graded, not just performance.
- When deciding whether to continue a language into sixth form, a grade that looks middling next to other subjects may still represent strong underlying ability, particularly if language learning has historically been a harder-graded route for that student.
- When a school or teacher raises a lower-than-hoped language grade, it's worth asking whether the grade boundaries for that year's specification and exam board reflect the corrections described above, since boundaries have moved meaningfully in the last two award cycles.
The practical takeaway
Grading severity in GCSE French and German is a documented, Ofqual-acknowledged pattern, not a parent's imagination — and it has been actively corrected, though not fully resolved, over 2023–2024. When weighing a language GCSE grade against other subjects, or deciding whether to keep a language going, factor in that the grade may understate the effort and ability behind it relative to an equivalent grade in a humanities subject.
FAQ
Is it actually true that GCSE French and German are graded more harshly than other subjects?
Yes. Ofqual's own research identified French and German as consistently among the five most severely graded GCSE subjects, with Spanish close behind at seventh. This isn't a matter of anecdote or parental perception — it's a documented finding from the regulator responsible for exam standards.
Has anything been done to fix harsh grading in GCSE languages?
Yes. Grade boundaries were adjusted in both 2023 (French and German, at grades 9, 7 and 4) and 2024 (French at 7 and 4; German at 9, 7 and 4), specifically to correct grading severity and bring these languages closer in line with Spanish and other subjects. Language-teaching body ALL says a modest gap against subjects like history and RS still remains, even after these corrections.
Should I let my child drop French or German if their grade seems low compared to their other subjects?
It's worth factoring in that a language grade may represent more underlying achievement than the number alone suggests, given the documented grading severity. Rather than comparing the raw grade directly against a humanity, consider effort, engagement and the value of continuing a language before deciding — and remember that dropping a language at GCSE forecloses the A-level route in that language later.
If your child is working hard at GCSE French or German and the grade doesn't seem to reflect the effort, one-to-one AI tutoring can help build confidence and fluency — explore aitutors.me to find out more.