Grade (education)

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A grade in education can mean either a teacher's evaluation of a student's work or a student's level of educational progress, usually one grade per year (often denoted by an ordinal number, such as the "3rd Grade" or the "12th Grade"). This article is about evaluation of students' work and various systems used in different countries.

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Albania

In Albania, grades from 1 (sometimes 0) up to 10 are used, with some schools allowing decimals (up to 2) and some others only allowing whole numbers where:

  • 10 (excellent) is the best possible grade
  • 8-9.99 (very good)
  • 6-7.99 (good)
  • 4-5.99 (sufficient)
  • up to 3.99 (insufficient)

Most universities evaluate classes with two mid exams and a final. The final exam encompasses the whole course syllabus whereas the mid exams usually take just half. In some schools, if the average grade of the two mid exams is equal to or higher than 7, the student passes the class without the need for a final exam (since there are only two exams, some teachers also pass students who average 6.5, others weigh in that decision the student's performance in class). An average of less than 4 is failing, the student doesn't even have the chance to take that final exam.

In High Schools, the year is divided into three trimesters and classes are usually year-long. The student needs an average of 6 or higher in the three trimestral exams to avoid having to take a final to pass the class. In the event of a student scoring less than 6 in the 3rd trimester he will have to take a final exam regardless of his average.

This last point is considered controversial since the last trimestral exam is not more important than the first two but the rule stands to prevent students that already reached the minimum average (e.g.: two 10 in the first two give you a lowest possible average of 6.33) from not making an effort the last three months of the year.

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Austria

In Austria, a 5-point grading scale is used, where:

  • 1 (very good) is the best possible grade.
  • 2 (good) is the next-highest.
  • 3 (satisfactory) indicates "average" performance.
  • 4 (sufficient) is the lowest passing grade.
  • 5 (insufficient) is the lowest possible grade and the only failing grade (usually earned for 50% or less of maximum achievable credit).

The textual form of the grades is:

  • 1 sehr gut
  • 2 gut
  • 3 befriedigend
  • 4 genügend
  • 5 nicht genügend
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Belgium

In France, Belgium, Peru, Venezuela and Iran a 20-point grading scale is used, in which 20 is the highest grade and 0 is the lowest. A score of 20 is considered perfect; accordingly, it is rarely if ever awarded in courses that are graded subjectively. The "passing" grade is usually 11; in contrast to the U.S. system, grades of 12 or 13 out of 20 are usually not considered bad. 16 and 17 are regarded as excellent and outstanding, respectively.

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Canada

In Canada, % averages vary by province.

In British Columbia:

  • A: 86 and above
  • B : 73-85
  • C+: 67-72
  • C: 60-66
  • C- : 50-59
  • F : 49 and below

In Ontario:

  • A (Level 4, above government standards) 80%+
  • B (Level 3, at government standards) 70-79%
  • C (Level 2, below, but approaching government standards) 60-69%
  • D (Level 1, well below government standards) 50-59%
  • R- used in elementary schools, F- used in high school, 49% or below.
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Central and Eastern Europe

In Russia, Ukraine, Hungary and likely the rest of the former Soviet Union and some countries formerly associated with the Eastern Bloc, a five-point grading scale is used, where:

  • 5 (very good or excellent) is the best possible grade,
  • 4 (good),
  • 3 (satisfactory) indicates "average" performance,
  • 2 (unsatisfactory),
  • 1 (poor) is the lowest possible grade.

Qualifiers `+' and `–' are often used to add some degree of differentiation between the grades, eg. 4+ is better than 4 but a little worse than 5–. Grading varies greatly from teacher to teacher and tends to be entirely subjective even for courses that lend themselves to objective marking such as mathematics and applied sciences. Even though the grades technically range from 1 to 5, 1 is uncommon and is rarely given for academic reasons—in many cases a failure to show up for an exam or to answer any questions only results in a 2.

Students in these countries may be labeled by their teachers according to their average grade, the labels stemming from the respective digits. For example, someone with a 5-point average is a пятёрышник (m) (pronounced: pyatyorishnik, from Russian "5", пять (pyat'))/ пятёрышница (f) (pyatyorishnitsa), while someone with a 1-point average is a еденишник (m) (yedyenishnik, hard to see if you don't know Russian, but from Russian "1", один (adin))/еденишница (f) (yedyenishnitsa).

In Hungary is the 5-point grade system used. There are only whole numbers in the report cards, but to grade exams, there are fractions (like 3/4, which is between 3 and 4), too. Some teachers use lines above or under the numbers to draw a clearer distinction: 4, (4-minus) is worse than a 4 but better than a 3 or a 3' (3-plus); sometimes they even use multiple lines, like 5,, . 1 is the only failing grade. When grading one's attitude or diligence, only the grades 2-5 are used.

The grading system in Latvia has been changed to a 10-point grading system. 10 is the highest achievable grade, while 1 is awarded for extremely poor performance. The minimal passing grade is 4. The absence of any kind of performance is awarded with 'nv' (nav vērtējuma - no grade). Teachers in lower classes are encouraged to award one of two grades 'i' (ieskaitīts) for a passing grade and 'ni' (neieskaitīts) when the performance is not acceptable; however, the benefits of this system are questionable.

Romania uses a 10-point grading system. 10 is the highest achievable grade, while 1 is awarded for extremely poor performance. The minimal passing grade is 5.

At Poland's primary, middle and high schools a 1 to 6 point grade system is used, with 1 - fail, 2 - pass but very low performance, 3 - satisfactory, 4 - good, 5 - very good and 6 - above requirements (the student's knowledge exceeds what is taught). Until the 1990's, there was 2 to 5 grade system with plus and minus marks, such as: 3- (passed but barely), 4+ (between good and very good). Since the mid-90s, Polish primary and secondary schools expanded this system to include the 6 grade. At universities, a traditional four-point system is used; the grades are: 2.0 (fail), 3.0 (pass), 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 (very good, the highest grade). Some universities use non-standard, additional 5.5 and 6.0 grades.

In the Czech Republic, primary and secondary schools use a 5-point grade system with 1 as the best and 5 as the worst. There are only whole numbers in the report cards, but tests or oral exams are often marked by additional distinctive signs: 3+ is slightly better than 3, 2- is slightly worse than 2, 1-2 or 1/2 means halfway between 1 and 2, and 1* means exceptionally excellent.
Universities use a 4-point grade system where 1 is the best and 4 means fail, or an expanded version of this, a six-grade system with half-grades between 1 and 2, and 2 and 3. The grades are then 1 (also A), 1.5 (B), 2 (C), 2.5 (D), 3 (E), and 4 (F, or fail).

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Chile

In Chile, grades from 1.0 up to 7.0 (with one decimal place) are used, where:

  • 7.0 (excellent) is the best possible grade
  • 6.0-6.9 (very good)
  • 5.0-5.9 (good)
  • 4.0-4.9 (sufficient); 4.0 is the lowest passing grade
  • 1.0-3.9 (insufficient) are failing grades; 1.0 is the worst possible grade.

Generally, it's a linear scale, with 1.0 meaning 0% achievement, 4.0 meaning 50% or 60% achievement (depending of the scale used), and 7.0 meaning 100% achievement. Rounding of averages is generally done to the second decimal; hence, a 3.95 is rounded up to a 4.0, whereas a 3.94 is rounded down to a 3.9.

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Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, the classification systems occur in a range between 0 and 100, generally it is required at least a 70 to pass a course.

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Croatia

For system used in Croatia please see the entry in the Yugoslavia (former) section.

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Denmark

The current Danish gradation scale is called the 13-scale consists of 10 grades ranging from 00 to 13, with 00 being the worst.

Grade Given for... Notes
00 the completely unacceptable performance.
03 the very hesitant, imperfect and unsatisfactory performance.
5 the hesitant and non-satisfactory performance.
6 the somewhat hesitant but more or less satisfactory performance. Minimum passing grade'''
7 the performance slightly below average.
8 the average performance.
9 the performance slightly above average.
10 the excellent but somewhat routinized performance.
11 the independent and excellent performance.
13 the exceptionally independent and excellent performance.

The gaps between 00 & 03, 03 & 5 and 11 & 13 are there to signify a larger difference between those grades. The leading 0 in 00 and 03 are used to prevent fraud with grades.

The highest grade 13 and the lowest grade 00 are the grades most rarely given.

00 is nearly impossible to achieve, presuming one knows even a single fact taught in that particular class, it is given for the truly incompetent performance. At exams, 00 is given to absentees.

13 is a fairly rare grade outside of exams and requires a performance way beyond the expected.

The average of grades given in Danish secondary schools in 2003 was 8.22.

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Finland

Several systems are in use in different educational institutions in Finland.

The "school grade" system has historically been a scale of 0 to 10, but all grades lower than 4 were discarded. Thus, it is divided between 4, the failing grade, and 5–10, the succeeding grades.

  • 10 (excellent), represents about 5% of the top
  • 9 (excellent)
  • 8 (good)
  • 7 (satisfactory), the mode
  • 6 (satisfactory)
  • 5 (mediocre)
  • 4 (fail)

In the individual exams, but not in the final results, it is also possible to divide the scale further with '½', which represents a half grade, and '+' and '–', which represent one-fourth a grade better or inferior. For example, the order is "9 < 9+ < 9½ < 10– < 10". The grade '10+' can also be awarded to represent perfect performance added with extra effort by the student.

The matriculation examination grades are similar to the above, but in Latin.

Grade Abbrv. Gloss Translation Percentage of grades
laudatur L excellent praised Top 5%
eximia cum laude approbatur E excellent accepted, with extraordinary commendations 15%
magna cum laude approbatur M good accepted, with many commendations 20%
cum laude approbatur C satisfactory accepted, with commendations 24%
lubenter approbatur B satisfactory readily accepted 20%
approbatur A mediocre accepted 11%
improbatur I fail disapproved bottom 5%

Universities and vocational institutions use a scale of 0 (fail) and 1-5 (pass), or fail/pass. The professor selects which grading scheme is used; short, compulsory courses typically have pass/fail grades.

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France

The French grading system is similar to that of Belgium in secondary schools and universities; the passing grade is 10. Primary schools generally use a 10-point grading scale.

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Germany

In Germany, a 6-point grading scale is used, where:

  • 1 (excellent) is the best possible grade.
  • 2 (good) is the next-highest.
  • 3 (satisfactory) indicates "average" performance.
  • 4 (sufficient) is the lowest passing grade.
  • 5 (deficient) is the higher of two failing grades.
  • 6 (insufficient) is the lowest possible grade.

Five and six are both considered to be failing grades, though in earlier years students are not required to repeat classes with '5' grades if they perform well in other classes. Grades '1' to '6' can be suffixed with '+' and '-'. To calculate averages of suffixed grades, they are assigned fractioned values, where '1' is 1.0, '1-' is 1.3, '2+' is 1.7, '2' is 2.0, '2-' is 2.3 and so on. As a 1.0 average is considered perfect, there is no such thing as an '1+' (nor a '6-' for similar reasons).

As schools are governed by the states, not by the federal government, there are slight differences. Sometimes there is '1-' equal to 1.25, '1-2' = 1.5, '2+' = 1.75 and so on. And sometimes the grades are in tenth of a number, '1.0', '1.1', '1.2' and so on.

In school reports, only unmodified integer grades may be used; they are written in text form:

  • 1 sehr gut
  • 2 gut
  • 3 befriedigend
  • 4 ausreichend
  • 5 mangelhaft
  • 6 ungenügend

"In-between" grades such as '1-2', '2-3', '3-4' etc., which used to count as 1.5, 2.5 and so on, have largely been discontinued due to ambiguities when converting the averages back to integer values.

In the final classes of Gymnasiums the grades are converted to numbers ("points") in order to calculate the average for Abitur. In this case an '1+' exists (and counts as 15), '1' is 14, '1-' is 13, '2+' is 12, etc. up to '5-' is 1 and finally '6' is 0. Although 1+ exists in this system, "ultra-perfect" Abitur averages below 1.0 are NOT possible, even if one has got an '1+' in every subject. When the point system is used, 4 (5 points) is the lowest passing grade, and 4- (4 points) the highest failing grade.

For law students at German universities, a similar system is used that comprises one more grade that is inserted between 2 ("gut") and 3 "befriedigend," named "vollbefriedigend." This is due to the fact that the grades "gut" and "sehr gut" are extremely rare, so an additional grade was created below "gut" to increase differentiation. Every grade is converted into points very much like the Gymnasium system described above, starting at 18 points (excellent) down to 0 points (poor). 4 points is the lowest passing grade.

In converting German grades to the A-F scale, a 1 = A, ... 4 = D scale is often used (with 5 and 6 both converted to Fs) but this conversion is nearly never accurate, since, for example, a grade of '2' is usually more difficult to obtain in Germany than a 'B' in the United States. In the U.S., students usually get an A if their score is greater than 90%. In Germany, students scoring more than 90% usually are in the upper B range. (The average grade in Germany is normally supposed to be around or a bit above 3, whereas in the US average grades are often supposed to be between B- and B.)

For the conversion of Gymnasium grades, the following must be taken into account: Only 23% of the German population obtain the "Abitur - Allgemeine Hochschulreife" ("General Maturity for University"), implying that a 4.0 (passed) is applied to students within the best 23% of the population. Another 17-21% obtain a "Fachabitur" limiting their university choices to more application oriented studies at a "Fachhochschule" in a field they majored in for their "Fachabitur". Consequently, even a 4 ("pass") in a university exam is awarded to students within the top 23% (or top 40% for "Fachhochschule") group of the German population.

In former East Germany, a 5-point grading scale was used until July of 1991, where:

  • 1 (very good) was the best possible grade.
  • 2 (good) was the next-highest.
  • 3 (satisfactory) indicates "average" performance.
  • 4 (sufficient) was the lowest passing grade.
  • 5 (insufficient) was the lowest possible grade and the only failing grade.

The textual form of the grades was:

  • 1 sehr gut
  • 2 gut
  • 3 befriedigend
  • 4 genügend
  • 5 ungenügend

This scale is identical to the current Austrian grading scale.

In German universities (besides the law schools) also the 1 to 5 scale for the grade (Note / Zensur) is used:

  • 1 sehr gut (very good: an outstanding achievement)
  • 2 gut (good: an achievement, which lies substantially over average requirements)
  • 3 befriedigend (satisfactory: an achievement, which corresponds to average requirements)
  • 4 ausreichend (sufficient: an achievement, which still meets the requirements)
  • 5 nicht ausreichend / nicht bestanden (not sufficient / failed: an achievement, which does not meet the requirements)

Often the grades are treated like an interval scale to calculate means and deviations for comparisons. Despite it lacks any psychometric standardization, the grading system is also used like a normal distributed statistical scale for norm-referenced assessments (with an expected value of 3 and a standard deviation of 1). So, transformations into other statistical measures like Percentiles, IQ, T, Stanine etc. are then possible, here e.g. a transformation into Percentiles and IQ:

  • 1.0: 98%, 130
  • 2.0: 84%, 115
  • 3.0: 50%, 100
  • 4.0: 16%, 85
  • 5.0: 2%, 70

This transformation into an IQ should not be applied, as the grade depends on memorizing skills as well as work organization skills, time invested into studying and personal motivation far more than on a student's IQ. Also, substantially more than 2% of German students at universities fail in an exam (usually about 10-40%, in very rare cases at technical universities up to 98% fail an individual exam as they first try and know they are entitled to a second chance). A person with an IQ of over 130 can easily end up with a grade of 3.7 in an individual exam and with an average of 2.5, both at Gymnasium and at university. Grades awarded vary widely between fields of study and between universities/schools.

Sometimes, esp. with a Dr.phil. (D.Phil. / Ph.D.) also the Latin versions are used for the grading (here then the grade (Note / Zensur) is called "Prädikat"):

  • summa cum laude (0 = mit Auszeichnung, "with honor")
  • magna cum laude (1 = sehr gut, "very good")
  • cum laude (2 = gut, "good")
  • rite (3 = bestanden, "passed")

There is no grade for failing then, because in that case the dissertation is just formally rejected, without any kind of grading.

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India

The grading system in India varies somewhat as a result of being a large country. The most predominant form of grading is the percentage system. An examination consists of a number of questions each of which give credit. The sum of credit for all questions generally counts up to 100. The grade awarded to a student is the percentage obtained in the examination. The percentage of all subjects taken in an examination is the grade awarded at the end of the year. The percentage system is used at both the school and university. Some universities also use the grading system and a CGPA on a 10 or 4 point scale. There are several universities and recognized school boards in India which makes an objective comparison of percentage grades awarded by one examination difficult with those for another, even for an examination at the same level. At the school level percentages of 80-90 are considered excellent while above 90 is exceptional and not uncommon. At the university level however percentages between 70-80 are considered excellent and are quite difficult to obtain. It should be pointed out that the percentage of marks at university vary from one to another which makes direct comparison of percentages obtained at different universities difficult.

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International Baccalaureate

The International Baccalaureate uses an integer scale ranging from 1 through 7.

  • 7: Excellent
  • 6: Very Good
  • 5: Good
  • 4: Satisfactory
  • 3: Mediocre
  • 2: Poor
  • 1: Very Poor

The Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay are graded on an A to E scale.

  • A: Excellent
  • B: Good
  • C: Satisfactory
  • D: Mediocre
  • E: Elementary

Up to three bonus points (for an A and a B) can be awarded for good performance on these essays. An E on both Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay is a failing condition, preventing a diploma from being awarded.

Students in the IB Diploma Programme are graded in six subjects for a total of 42 points, and the possible three points which are awarded for the Theory of Knowledge subject and the Extended Essay bring the maximum up to 45. For the diploma to be awarded students must accumulate at least 24 points, and there are restrictions on the number of grades below 4 which are tolerated. This requires an average grade of 4, but in some cases a grade of 3 or 2 can be compensated by a grade of 5 or better in an other subject, or by bonus points from good performance on the Extended Essay and/or Theory of Knowledge. In admission to university programs, the IB grades are often converted to a local or national assessment system by some appropriate formula.

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Ireland

In Irish secondary schools grades are awarded using letters along this scale:

  • A: 100% - 85%
  • B: 84% - 70%
  • C: 69% - 55%
  • D: 54% - 40%

Anything below 40% is considered a failing grade and is awarded an 'E' (40% - 25%) or 'F' (25% - 10%) grade. Any score below 10% is classed as 'NG' or 'No Grade'. At Higher Level a 'C' grade and above is considered an 'Honor' grade. For some purposes the grade letter ranges are further sub-divided from 15% ranges to 5% ranges yielding grades A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, etc. (or A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3...).

Leaving Certificate results are measured by the number of 'points' awarded to the student. It is usually the amount of points awarded to the student that forms the basis for the student's acceptance or otherwise into a course of higher education (e.g. a university degree course). A number of points between 0 and 100 are awarded to the student for each Leaving Certificate exam sat. The student then combines the points from his or her six top scoring exams giving a final total score between 0 and 600. The number of points awarded for a particular grade depend on whether the student sat the exam for the 'Higher Level' course or the 'Ordinary Level' course. The number of points awarded for each grade at the two levels are as follows:

Grade Percentage Range Points at Higher Level Points at Ordinary Level
A1 100% - 90% 100 60
A2 89% - 85% 90 50
B1 84% - 80% 85 45
B2 79% - 75% 80 40
B3 74% - 70% 75 35
C1 69% - 65% 70 30
C2 64% - 60% 65 25
C3 59% - 55% 60 20
D1 54% - 50% 55 15
D2 49% - 45% 50 10
D3 44% - 40% 45 5

Anything below a D3 is considered a failing grade, and no points are awarded.

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Italy

In Italian primary school, a 5-point grading scale is used, where:

  • Ottimo (excellent)
  • Distinto (good)
  • Buono (average)
  • Sufficiente (pass)
  • Non Sufficiente (non pass)

In high school a 10-point scale is used , being 6 the minimum grade for passing. Specifications such as + and -, half grades, and grades like 6/7 are often used. Note that the grades used in primary school are derived from this scale, with Non Sufficiente meaning "5 and under", and the other grades standing respectively for 7, 8, 9, 10.

Universities in Italy use a 30-point scale simply divided in two, non passing (0 to 17 points), and passing grades (18 to 30 points), for ordinary exams, and a 110-point scale, divided in two as well, being 66 the minimum grade for passing. For outstanding results the Lode "praise", is added at the maximum grade.

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Iran

The Iranian grading system is similar to that of Belgium in secondary schools and universities; the passing grade is 10. Graduate programs require 12 as passing grade.

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The Netherlands

In The Netherlands, grades from 1.0 up to 10.0 are used, with 1 being worst and 10 being best. Generally one decimal place is used and a +/- means a quarter, rounded to either .8 or .3. Thus, a 6.75 could be written as 7- and count as an 6.8, whereas a 7+ would be a 7.25 and count as an 7.3. The grade scale with the labels:

  • 10 (excellent)
  • 9 (very good)
  • 8 (good)
  • 7 (more than sufficient)
  • 6 (sufficient)
  • 5 (insufficient)
  • 4 (strongly insufficient)
  • 3 (very strongly insufficient)
  • 2 (bad)
  • 1 (very bad)

Depending on the grade, several honors are available: total avarage of grades 8 with no grade under 7 and finishing in time: cum laude. For an average better than 7, but not meeting the criteria for cum laude, met genoegen (with pleasure), is sometimes awarded. This honor system is typically only used at universities.

Usually 5.5 and up constitute a pass whereas 5.4 and below constitute a fail. If no decimal places are used, 6 and up is a pass and 5 and below a fail. Sometimes, when no decimal place is used, an additional grade, 6-, is used as "barely passed". This is what would have been a 5.5 if a decimal place was used.

A description (in Dutch) of the grading system in Dutch schools can be found at http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cijfer#Schoolcijfers

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Norway

Most of Norway's university-level study programs have now introduced the Bologna system of grading. Thus, in classes above high school, letter grades A, B,C, D,E and F are used. A is the highest and E is the lowest passing grade. F is fail. Students are distributed along the scale in a bell curve fashion, implying that the average grade of any given group of students will be C (even in graduate programs where students are granted admission according to the results they achieved in their undergraduate degree).

The formerly most common system of grades used at university level was based on a scale running from 1.0 (highest) through 6.0 (lowest), 4.0 being the lowest passing grade.

The way the new Bologna system was introduced implies that students who had started their studies while the old system still was in effect will graduate with transcripts containing grades from both systems (i.e. both numbers and letters).

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Peru

Peru's grading system is very similar to Belgian, please see that entry.

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Philippines

For some schools (e.g. De La Salle University)

  • 4 : 95-100%
  • 3.5 : 92-94%
  • 3.0 : 88-91%
  • 2.5 : 84-87%
  • 2.0 : 78-84%
  • 1.5 : 75-78%
  • 1.0 : 70-74% (passing grade)

A student who has a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0 is entitled to graduate With Honors. Those earning a CGPA from 3.4 to 3.599, Cum Laude, from 3.6 to 3.799, Magna Cum Laude, and from 3.8 above, Summa Cum Laude.

For other schools (e.g. the University of the Philippines), a reverse 5.0 scale is used with 1.0 the highest, 3.0 passing and 5.0 a failure.

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Poland

For the Polish system, please see section on Central and Eastern Europe.

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Portugal

Portugal's grading system in high-schools and universities is very similar to Belgian, please see that entry. For middle-schools the 5-1 central European system is used, please see that entry.

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Russia

For the Russian system, please see section on Central and Eastern Europe.

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Singapore

Singapore's grading system in schools, by far is one of the more complex because of the existence of many types of institutions with different education focus and systems. Here are the more fundamental grading systems that is used at Primary, Secondary, and Junior College levels.

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Lower Primary (Primary 1 to 3)

  • A Star: 91% and above
  • Band 1: 85% and above
  • Band 2: 70% to 84%
  • Band 3: 51% to 69%
  • Band 4: Below 50%
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Upper Primary (Primary 4 to 6)

  • A*: 91% and above
  • A: 75% to 90%
  • B: 60% to 74%
  • C: 50% to 59%
  • D: Below 50%

In rare instances, a U (ungraded) grade may be awarded for exceptionally poor quality work.

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Secondary Level (for GCE "O" levels)

  • A1: 75% and above
  • A2: 70% to 74%
  • B3: 65% to 69%
  • B4: 60% to 64%
  • C5: 55% to 59%
  • C6: 50% to 54%
  • D7: 45% to 49%
  • E8: 40% to 44%
  • F9: Below 40%

Note: Grades D7 and below are the failing grades.

Students taking Higher Mother Tongue (eg: Chinese, Malay, Tamil) may be awarded a Distinction, Merit, Pass, or a Fail grade.

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Junior College Level (GCE "A" and "AO" levels)

  • A: 75% and above
  • B: 60% to 74%
  • C: 55% to 59%
  • D: 50% to 54%
  • E: 45% to 49% (passing grade)
  • O: 40% to 44% (denotes standard is at "AO" level only), grade N in the British "A" Levels.
  • F: Below 40%

In addition, students who are taking Special Paper(s) ("S" paper in short) will be awarded either a Distinction, Merit, Pass, or a Fail grade.

Different JCs have different expectations and thus, the school reserves the discretion to moderate the marks when deemed necessary. For example, some JCs may regard 50% as the passing mark instead of 45% by others.

Note: "AO" level grades at Junior College level follows the "O" level system above.

All percentages with their corresponding grades shown here are just approximate guidelines because ultimately at the end of all major examinations (Primary School Leaving Examinations or PSLE in short, GCE "N", "O" and "A" Levels) the Ministry of Education, Singapore, will moderate the results. Hence, an "A" grade for instance may no longer be at 75%. It could possibly be 73% or even 77% depending on the performance of the cohort. This is usually done to prevent grade inflation.

In addition, some schools are also offering the International Baccalaureate diploma program.

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Slovenia

In Slovenia a five-point grading scale is used in elementary schools and high schools, where:

  • 5 (excellent) is the best possible grade
  • 4 (very good)
  • 3 (good)
  • 2 (sufficient) is the lowest passing grade
  • 1 (insufficient) is the lowest possible grade, and the failing one.

In universities a ten-point grading scale is used, where:

  • 10 (excellent) is the best possible grade
  • 9 (very good)
  • 8 (very good)
  • 7 (good)
  • 6 (sufficient) is the lowest passing grade
  • 5 or less are failing grades.
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Sweden

These grades are used in Grundskola and Gymnasium:

  • MVG - Mycket väl godkänd (Passed with special distinction)
  • VG - Väl godkänd (Passed with distinction)
  • G - Godkänd (Passed)
  • IG - Icke godkänd (Fail)

When grading tests, the following limits are sometimes used:

  • >90% - MVG
  • >75% - VG
  • >50% - G
  • <50% - IG

but the grades relate to stated goals and not to a certain percentile of students. Until the nineties relative grades on the scale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 were used. The scale was intended to have a national average of 3 and a standard deviation of 1. 5 was the highest grade.

Up until the sixties yet another scale was used:

  • A - Berömlig (Passed with great distinction)
  • a - Med utmärkt beröm godkänd (Passed with distinction)
  • AB - Med beröm godkänd (Passed with great credit)
  • Ba - Icke utan beröm godkänd (Passed with credit)
  • B - Godkänd (Passed)
  • Bc - Icke fullt godkänd (Not entirely passable)
  • C - Underkänd (Fail)

A was the highest grade, but rarely given.

Universities, with some exceptions, use:

  • VG - Väl godkänd (Passed with distinction)
  • G - Godkänd (Passed)
  • U - Underkänd (Fail)

The Stockholm School of Economics uses:

  • Ber - Berömlig (Excellent)
  • MBG - Med beröm godkänd (Pass with distinction)
  • G - Godkänd (Pass)

Engineering colleges and universities use (5 is the highest grade):

  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • U - Underkänd (Fail)
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Switzerland

In Switzerland, a 6-point grading scale similar to that in Germany is used, but in reverse order and with a higher failing grade.

  • 6 (very good) is the best possible grade.
  • 5 (good) is a good grade.
  • 4 (sufficient) is the lowest grade that suffices to pass an exam.
  • 3 (insufficient) is a failing grade.
  • 2 (poor) is a low failing grade.
  • 1 (very poor) is the worst possible grade.

Every grade below 4 is a failing grade, so a '3.9' is considered insufficient. In exams, quarter steps are usually used to indicate grades in between integer grades, for example '5.25'. Sometimes, finer grained systems are used with steps of one tenth. This is often the case in exams where the grade is a linear function of the number of achieved points (Grade = achieved_point/max_points*5 + 1). In certificates, grades are either rounded to integers or to half integers. After having rounded the individual grades, a weighted mean is used to calculate the overall result. The weight of a grade is normally proportional to the number of hours the according subject was taught per week. To pass a year, this overall result needs to be sufficient. Sometimes further conditions need to be fulfilled, such as a maximum allowed number of grades below four. At university level, classes can often be repeated individually in case of an insufficient grade, so not the whole year or semester needs to be repeated.

In a typical exam, the average result will be somewhat above 4 with a variance between 0.5 and 1. This of course varies depending on the kind of exam, the tested class, the school level, the region, the teacher and other factors.

Since education is in the responsibility of the cantons (except for the federal universities), grading notations may differ depending on the region. In some regions, '+' and '-' are used to indicate marks below or above an integer. Sometimes the '-' is used to indicate a better grade if it stands after the grade and a lower grade if it stands before the grade (in which case '-' is a symbol for "bis" 'to' rather than 'minus'), for example '-5' is lower than '5' which is lower than '5-' in that system.

At university level, Latin expressions are used in some cases. The lain grades for a passed final exam in law at the University of Zurich for example are "summa cum laude" (excellent), "magna cum laude" (very good), "cum laude" (good) and "rite" (sufficient). Template:Cite web

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Ukraine

For the Ukrainian system, please see section on Central and Eastern Europe.

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United Kingdom

The whole of the United Kingdom does not use the same grading ("marking") scheme.

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Scotland

Template:Seealso Scotland's education system uses the following structure:

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Standard Grade

Credit level

  • 1: best possible grade, excellent (around 80% and above)
  • 2: above average grade, very good (around 70% and above)

General level

  • 3: average grade, satisfactory (around 60% and above)
  • 4: below average grade (around 50% and above)

Foundation level

  • 5: basic understanding (around 40% and above)
  • 6: limited understanding (around 30% and above)
  • 7: fail (in exams, usually less than 50%)
  • 8: no award (when exam candidates do not attend the exam)

It should now be noted that Scotland is moving on from the old System, and now uses the Higher Still Programme, which is Part of the National Qualifications Package. These are as follows:

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National Qualifications

Advanced Highers

  • A: Best Possible Grade, excellent (around 75% and above)
  • B: Above Average Grade, very good (around 65% and above)
  • C: Minimum Pass, improvement needed (around 50% and above)
  • D: Close Fail, (between 45 and 49%)

Highers

  • A: Best Possible Grade, excellent (around 75% and above)
  • B: Above Average Grade, very good (around 65% and above)
  • C: Minimum Pass, improvement needed (around 50% and above)
  • D: Close Fail, (between 45 and 49%)

Intermediate 2

  • A: Best Possible Grade, excellent (around 75% and above)
  • B: Above Average Grade, very good (around 65% and above)
  • C: Minimum Pass, improvement needed (around 50% and above)
  • D: Close Fail, (between 45 and 49%)

Intermediate 1

  • A: Best Possible Grade, excellent (around 75% and above)
  • B: Above Average Grade, very good (around 65% and above)
  • C: Minimum Pass, improvement needed (around 50% and above)
  • D: Close Fail, (between 45 and 49%)

The Intermediate 1 Grading is equivalent to Standard Grade General Pass, Intermediate 2 Grading is equivalent to Standard Grade Credit, Highers are equivalent to the old Highers whilst Advanced Highers are equivalent to the old CSYS.

Most Secondary Schools have moved to this new system, however there are still some schools that use the old System of Standard Grades.

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National Courses

  • A: best possible grade, excellent (around 75% and above)
  • B: above average grade, very good (around 65% and above)
  • C: below average grade, improvement needed (around 55% and above)
  • D: fail (around 50% and above)

Any lower standard of work will simply result in the failing of an exam, which is not graded.

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England, Wales and Northern Ireland

England, Wales and Northern Ireland use a unified system for grading secondary school qualifications.

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General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)

General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is graded on scale of A*-G, with U as Unclassified (Fail).

NOTE: Grade % Averages are estimates

  • A*: Outstanding (Grade % Average: 80 and above)
  • A: Excellent (Grade % Average: 70 - 79)
  • B: Above average (Grade % average: 60-69)
  • C: Average (Grade % average: 50-59)
  • D: Below Average (Grade % average: 45-50)
  • E: Poor (Grade % average: 40-44 is the lowest passing % average
  • F:
  • G:
  • U: Ungraded (Grade % average: 0-40)
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Advanced Level

The Advanced Level (A level) is graded on a scale of A-E, with U as Unclassified (Fail).

NOTE: Grade % Averages are estimates

  • A: Excellent (Grade % Average: 80 and above)
  • B: Above average (Grade % average: 70-79)
  • C: Average (Grade % average: 60-69)
  • D: Below Average (Grade % average: 50-59)
  • E: Poor (Grade % average: 40-49 is the lowest passing % average
  • U: Unclassified (Grade % average: 0-39)
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United States

Template:Main

Classical five-point discrete evaluation is the system most commonly used in the United States, but there are many variations. There are also a few schools, colleges and universities that eschew discrete evaluation (letter grading) in favor of pure discursive evaluation.

Here is a common example of an American quality index, showing letter grade, qualitative definition and correlative quantitative value.

  • A = Excellent or Exceptional Good; or top 10% (90 to 100, of 100) = 4.00
  • B = Above Average or Above Average Expectation; or second 10% (80-89) = 3.00
  • C = Average or Average Expectation; or third 10% (70-79) = 2.00
  • D = Below Average or Below Average Expectation; or fourth 10% (60-69) = 1.00
  • E or F: Failure or Exceptionally Poor; or bottom 60% (0-59) = 0.00

Percentage ranges may vary from one school to another. In some schools, these ranges may even vary from one class to another.

Whether the failing grade is E or F typically depends on time and geography. Midwestern and northeastern states have tended to favor "E" since World War II while western and southern states still tend to use "F." Ultimately, the grade "F" traces to the days of two-point grading as "Pass" (P) and "Fail" (F). "E" is less common.

In schools, the grade point average is computed by multiplying the summing the quantitative values (4.0, etc.) and dividing the total by the number of factors. In colleges and universities that use discrete evaluation, the grade point average is calculated by multiplying the quantitative values by the credit value of the correlative course, and then dividing the total by the sum of all credits.

For example:

Class Credits Grade Grade Points
Speech 101 2 A 2 x 4.0 = 8.0
Biology 102 4 B+ 4 x 3.3 = 13.2
History 103 3 B- 3 x 2.7 = 8.1
Physical Education 104 1 C 1 x 2.0 = 2.0
  • Total Credits: 10
  • Total Grade Points: 31.3
  • Grade Point Average: 31.3 / 10 = 3.13 or B average

Chromatic variants (+ and -) are often used. In hypomodal grading on a 100 point scale, the prime letter grade is assigned a value of X5, the + grade is assigned the top value of X9 and the - grade is assigned the bottom value of X0. Thus, 87 to 89 is B+, 83 or 84 to 86 is B, and 80 to 82 or 83 is B-. In straight modal grading on a 4.0 decimal scale, the prime number is the prime letter grade. The + range of the grade begins at X.333 (repeating), rounded to X.30, above the prime number. The - range of the grade begins at X.666 (repeating), rounded up to X.70, below the prime number. Thus, B = 3.0, B+ = 3.3, and B- = 2.7.

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Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, the system of GPA is used in universities. A+: 77 or above A: 73-76 A-: 70-72 B+: 67-69 B: 63-66 B-: 60-62 C+: 57-59 C: 53-56 C-: 50-52

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Yugoslavia (former)

In Croatia and likely the rest of the former Yugoslavia, a similar five-point grading scale is used, where:

  • 5 (excellent) is the best possible grade
  • 4 (very good)
  • 3 (good)
  • 2 (sufficient) is the lowest passing grade
  • 1 (poor) is the lowest possible grade, and the failing one

Teachers in grade schools and high schools are also allowed to record individual exam results with grades such as "3+" or "5-" or "3/4" which indicate varying ambiguities, but final grades at the end of the year need to be one of the basic five. An arithmetic mean is usually calculated, with X.45 being the threshold.

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See also

Degree grades:

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Related links

de:Schulnote no:Karaktersystemer i Norge nn:Karakter pl:Szkolna skala ocen sv:Betyg

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