How CQC Reaches a Rating, Step by Step

Most managers know their rating. Far fewer know how CQC reaches a rating. So they cannot tell whether they sit at the top of good, or one weak area away from requires improvement.

The mechanism below uses CQC's published figures.

How CQC reaches a rating, step one: each quality statement scores out of 4

When CQC assesses a quality statement, it assigns a score on a scale of 1 to 4:

• 1, evidence shows significant shortfalls

• 2, evidence shows some shortfalls

• 3, evidence shows a good standard

• 4, evidence shows an exceptional standard

An inspector uses professional judgement to assign that score, based on the evidence categories they looked at.

Step two: scores become a percentage for the key question

Add up the quality statement scores under a key question. Then divide by the highest score possible, which is the number of quality statements assessed times four.

That gives a percentage for the key question.

Step three: the percentage becomes a rating

CQC publishes the thresholds:

• 25 to 38 per cent, inadequate

• 39 to 62 per cent, requires improvement

• 63 to 87 per cent, good

• 88 per cent and above, outstanding

This is why the score matters even when the rating does not change. A good at 65 per cent and a good at 85 per cent are very different positions. The score tells you which one you are.

The two rules that cap a rating, whatever the score

These stop one weak area hiding inside a decent average, and they catch services out.

If the key question lands in the good range but any single quality statement scored 1, the rating is capped at requires improvement.

If it lands in the outstanding range but any statement scored 1 or 2, the rating is capped at good.

So you can do almost everything well, score comfortably in the good band, and still be rated requires improvement because one statement scored 1.

For most services, the highest-value work is not raising your threes to fours. It is finding your ones.

Step four: key questions become an overall rating

At location level, the five key questions carry equal weight. CQC's aggregation principles:

• Outstanding overall normally needs at least two key questions rated outstanding and three rated good.

• Good overall is normal where there are no inadequate key questions and no more than one requires improvement.

• Two or more requires improvement normally gives requires improvement overall.

• Two or more inadequate normally gives inadequate overall.

What changed in December 2024

CQC used to score at evidence category level as well as quality statement level. It stopped.

In its own words: "Since 2 December 2024, we no longer score and report findings for registered health and care providers at evidence category level, we now only score at quality statement level." The way scores aggregate into a key question rating did not change.

Evidence categories still matter. CQC still considers all the relevant ones when judging a quality statement. They just are not scored separately any more.

Moderation on a draft report may mean nothing

CQC's IT system has not kept pace with its method. Inspectors still have to enter a nominal score against one evidence category to make the system produce a quality statement score.

CQC is explicit that this "is not a judgement and does not have any influence on quality statement scores". The same workaround means a draft report "may indicate that 'moderation' has taken place" when no moderation of judgement took place.

So if you see moderation on your draft report, ask what it refers to before assuming an inspector overrode a score. That is a fair question to raise at factual accuracy stage.

When a percentage is not published

Sometimes CQC shows no percentage at all. That happens where it has not yet assessed every quality statement under that key question, and there is no previous rating to work from.

For a newly registered service, CQC will usually assess all quality statements within 12 months.

Find your ones first

Three things:

1. Find your ones. A single quality statement scored 1 caps your key question. Nothing else moves your rating as much.

2. Know your position inside the band. Good at 64 per cent and good at 86 per cent need different plans.

3. Read draft reports carefully. Moderation may be an artefact. Ask.

If you want to know which areas your own documents currently cover, HeroDocs maps them against the CQC areas and shows what is missing from each. Our guide to the 24 key lines of enquiry covers what is coming next.

Sources

• CQC, "How we reach a rating (assessments from December 2024)".

• CQC, "Update to our current scoring approach", published 19 May 2025.

• CQC, "Evidence categories".

Note that CQC is developing sector-specific assessment frameworks, with final versions expected in summer 2026 and implementation from the end of the year. How scoring works under those is not yet published.

Last checked: 21 September 2026.