Approval Criteria outline the prerequisites awarding bodies must meet in order for us to approve a qualification for use on publicly funded courses of education in Wales. 

There are two types of criterion documentation for GCSE qualifications: 

1. GCSE Qualification Approval Criteria: This is suite level approval criteria that applies to all GCSE subjects. 

2. GCSE Subject-level Approval Criteria: These documents set out our design requirements for GCSE qualifications on a subject level. This includes:  

  • the purpose and aims  
  • content 
  • assessment arrangements 
  • grading  
  • reporting

These documents are available for subjects that we have approved for first teaching since September 2025. 

GCSE qualification Approval Criteria 

Suite level Approval Criteria 

 

GCSE subject level Approval Criteria 
Expressive Arts 
GCSE Art and Design GCSE Dance GCSE Digital Media and Film
GCSE Drama GCSE Music  

 

Humanities
GCSE Business GCSE Geography GCSE History
GCSE Religious Studies GCSE Social Studies  

 

Health and Wellbeing
GCSE Food and Nutrition GCSE Health and Social Care, and Childcare  GCSE Physical Education and Health

 

Language, Literacy and Communication
GCSE Core Cymraeg  GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature GCSE English Language and Literature 
GCSE French   GCSE German GCSE Spanish 
Level 2 Award in Additional Core Cymraeg     

 

Mathematics and Numeracy
GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy Level 2 Additional Mathematics

 

Science and Technology
GCSE Computer Science GCSE Design and Technology GCSE Digital Technology
GCSE Integrated Science (Single Award)  GCSE The Sciences (Double Award)  

 

Please note the overarching criteria for our reformed GCSEs does not apply to the GCSE English Language (Post-16).

GCSE (Post-16)
GCSE English Language (Post-16)