Grade (education)

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Academic grading
Africa
Egypt • Kenya • South Africa • Tunisia
North America
Canada • Costa Rica • Mexico • United States
South America
Chile
Asia
China • Hong Kong • India • Indonesia • Iran • Israel • Japan • Nepal • Pakistan • Philippines • Singapore • United Arab Emirates • Vietnam
Europe
ECTS • European Baccalaureate • GPA in Central and Eastern Europe Albania • Austria • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Bulgaria • Croatia • Czech Republic • Denmark • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Ireland • Italy • Latvia • Liechtenstein • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Moldova • Netherlands • Norway • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Russia • Serbia • Slovakia • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Ukraine • United Kingdom
Oceania
Academic grading in Australia • GPA in Australia • New Zealand
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In education, a grade (or mark) is a teacher's standardized evaluation of a student's work. In some countries, evaluations can be expressed quantifiably, and calculated into a numeric grade point average (GPA), which is used as a metric by employers and others to assess and compare students. A cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is the mean GPA from all terms, whereas GPA may only refer to a single term.

The concept of grading students' work quantitatively was developed by a tutor named William Farish, and first implemented by the University of Cambridge in 1792.^[1]

Contents 1 International grading systems 1.1 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System 1.2 European Baccalaureate 2 Grading systems by nation 2.1 Africa 2.1.1 Egypt 2.1.2 Kenya 2.1.3 South Africa 2.1.4 Tunisia 2.2 North America 2.2.1 Canada 2.2.1.1 Alberta 2.2.1.2 Saskatchewan 2.2.1.3 British Columbia 2.2.1.4 Newfoundland and Labrador 2.2.1.5 Ontario 2.2.1.6 Quebec 2.2.2 Costa Rica 2.2.3 Mexico 2.2.4 United States 2.3 Asia 2.3.1 China 2.3.2 Hong Kong 2.3.3 India 2.3.4 Indonesia 2.3.5 Israel 2.3.6 Iran 2.3.7 Japan 2.3.8 Nepal 2.3.9 Pakistan 2.3.10 Philippines 2.3.11 Russia and Former Soviet Union/CIS (without Moldova and Belarus) 2.3.12 Singapore 2.3.13 Vietnam 2.3.14 United Arab Emirates 2.4 Europe 2.4.1 Albania 2.4.2 Austria 2.4.3 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2.4.4 Bulgaria 2.4.5 Croatia 2.4.6 Czech Republic 2.4.7 Denmark 2.4.8 Finland 2.4.9 France 2.4.10 Germany 2.4.11 Greece 2.4.12 Hungary 2.4.13 Ireland 2.4.14 Italy 2.4.15 Latvia 2.4.16 Liechtenstein 2.4.17 Lithuania 2.4.18 Luxembourg 2.4.19 Moldova 2.4.20 Netherlands, The 2.4.21 Norway 2.4.22 Poland 2.4.23 Portugal 2.4.24 Romania 2.4.25 Serbia 2.4.26 Slovakia 2.4.27 Slovenia 2.4.28 Spain 2.4.29 Sweden 2.4.30 Switzerland 2.4.31 Ukraine 2.4.32 United Kingdom 2.5 Oceania 2.5.1 Australia 2.5.2 New Zealand 3 References 4 External links

[edit] International grading systems

Most nations have individual grading systems unique to their own schools. However, several international standards for grading have arisen recently.

[edit] European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System

Main article: European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System

The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a standard for comparing the study attainment and performance of students of higher education across the European Union. For successfully completed studies, ECTS credits are awarded. One academic year corresponds to 60 ECTS-credits in all countries, irrespective of standard or qualification type, and is used to facilitate transfer and progression throughout the Union.^[2]

ECTS also includes a standard grading scale:

Grade	Percentile of passed students
A	90–100
B	65–90
C	35-65
D	10–35
E	0–10
FX	—
F	—

The grade FX indicates that "some more work required before the credit can be awarded." The grade F indicates "considerable further work required."^[3]

[edit] European Baccalaureate

This degree that is awarded by the European Schools. Pupils are graded on an analog scale of 0 to 10. Half marks may be awarded, and in computing the total average two decimals are shown:

Grade	Qualification
10	Highest mark achievable
8.5	Very Good
7.5	Good
6	Sufficient
<5	poor
0	Worst grade (cheating, etc.)

[edit] Grading systems by nation

[edit] Africa

[edit] Egypt

Main article: Academic grading in Egypt

[edit] Kenya

Main article: Academic grading in Kenya

[edit] South Africa

Main article: Academic grading in South Africa

[edit] Tunisia

Main article: Academic grading in Tunisia

[edit] North America

Main article: Academic grading in North America

[edit] Canada

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Academic grading in North America#Canada into Academic grading in Canada. (Discuss)

In Canada, grade point averages vary by province, by level of education (e.g., high school or university), by institutions (e.g., Queen's or Toronto), and even by different faculties in the same institution (e.g., Ryerson or Université du Québec à Montréal). The following are commonly used conversions from percentile grades to letter grades:

[edit] Alberta

In White Plains Senior High Schools:

Letter	Percentage	Provincial Standing	Notes
A*	80–100	Standard of Excellence	* Final course grades in this range are annotated with Honors Standing in the Alberta Senior High School Transcript.
B	65–79
C	50–64	Acceptable Standard
D**	40–49		** As of September 1986, final grades in this range are not awarded any credits toward Alberta Senior High School Diploma.
F***	0–40		*** Failing grade with no credits awarded toward Alberta Senior High School Diploma.

In Alberta Post-Secondary Colleges, Technical Institutes, or Universities:

Letter Grade	Grade Points	Notes
A+	4.0
A	4.0
A-	3.7*	* Student may be awarded an Honors designation on a parchment if semester and cumulative grade point average of 3.7 is achieved on the first attempt of courses required towards graduation of major. In addition, students will need to complete graduation requirements within specific time restrictions.
B+	3.3
B	3.0
B-	2.7
C+	2.3
C	2.0**	** Minimum general semester and cumulative grade point average to progress without Academic Probation or Withdrawal status. Certain faculties may require higher grade point averages to remain in faculty.
C-	1.7
D+	1.3
D***	1.0	*** Minimum general passing letter grade to receive credit for a course. Certain faculties may require higher grades to receive course credit.
F	0.0

There is no universal percentage grade associated with any letter grade in the Province of Alberta and such associations are made by professors or a bell curve.

[edit] Saskatchewan

The University of Saskatchewan and University of Regina both use a percentage grade system, universal across faculties and departments.

Percent	Letter Grade equivalent	Descriptors
90-100%	A+	A superior / outstanding performance.
80-89%	A	A very good / excellent performance.
70-79%	B	A good / above average performance.
60-69%	C	A generally satisfactory, intellectually adequate performance.
50-59%	D	A barely satisfactory performance.
0-49%	F	Failure. An unacceptable performance.

Taken from http://www.usask.ca/calendar/exams&grades/gradingsystem/ and http://www.uregina.ca/gencal/ugcal/attendanceEvaluation/ugcal_64.shtml

[edit] British Columbia

In British Columbia universities: F is a failing grade. The following table is only an approximation; faculties within universities sometimes follow a different system between percentiles and corresponding letter grades.

Letter	Percent
A+	90–100
A	83–89
A−	80–82
B+	76–79
B	72–75
B−	68–71
C+	64–67
C	60–63
C−	55–59
D	50–54
I	0–49 (temporary)
F	0–49 (permanent)

[edit] Newfoundland and Labrador

In Newfoundland and Labrador universities:

Letter	Percent
A+	90–100
A	83−89
A−	80−82
B+	75−79
B	70−74
B−	65−69
C	60−64
C−	55−59
D	50−54
F	0−49

Grade F is the sole failing mark.

[edit] Ontario

In Ontario schools:

Letter	Percent	Level	Qualification
A	80−100	Level 4	Above government standards
B	70−79.9	Level 3	At government standards
C	60−69.9	Level 2	Below, but approaching government standards
D	50−59.9	Level 1	Well below government standards
F	0−49.9	—	Failing standards (used in high schools)
R			Remedial standards (used in elementary schools)

There are also + and − modifiers. A+ is close to 100% and better than A, A is better than A−, A− is better than B+, etc. There are no modifiers for R or F. E sometimes appears in place of R or F to match the order of the four grades above it.

Ontario universities and colleges also use a similar grading system as the above and the system used in the United States. Some colleges use a 4.0 scale, while others a 4.3 or 12.0 scale.

Letter Grade	12.0 Grading Scale	4.0 Grading Scale
A+	12.0	4.33
A	11.0	4.00
A-	10.0	3.67
B+	9.0	3.33
B	8.0	3.0
B-	7.0	2.67
C+	6.0	2.33
C	5.0	2.00
C-	4.0	1.67
D+	3.0	1.33
D	2.00	1.00
D-	1.00	.67

GRADE POINT CHART:

Number of grade points for 1.0 credit course	Number of grade points for 0.5 credit course	Percentage Equivalency
A+ = 12.0	A+ = 6.0	90-100
A = 11.0	A = 5.5	85-89
A- = 10.0	A- = 5.0	80-84
B+ = 9.0	B+ = 4.5	77-79
B = 8.0	B = 4.0	73-76
B- = 7.0	B- = 3.5	70-72
C+ = 6.0	C+ = 3.0	67-69
C = 5.0	C = 2.5	63-66
C- = 4.0	C- = 2.0	60-62
D+ = 3.0	D+ = 1.5	57-59
D = 2.0	D = 1.0	53-56
D- = 1.0	D- = 0.5	50-52
F = 0.0	F = 0.0	0-49

Taken from: http://www.carleton.ca/sasc/sasc_home/audit/cgpa.html

[edit] Quebec

In Quebec universities:

Letter	Percent	Qualification
A	80−100	Greatly above standards
B	70−79	Above standards
C	60−69	At government standards
D	50−59	Lower standards
F	0−49	Failure

Quebec's passing mark in Universities is 50% and the passing mark in High School and CEGEP is 60%.

[edit] Costa Rica

Main article: Academic grading in Costa Rica

[edit] Mexico

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Academic grading in Mexico. (Discuss)

Mexican schools use a scale from 0 to 10 to measure students' scores. Since decimal scores are common, a scale from 0 to 100 is often used to remove the decimal point:

• 100: Excellent
• 90: Very good
• 80: Good
• 70: Average
• 60: Passing threshold
• 0-59: Failed

Students who fail a subject have the option of taking an extraordinary test (examen extraordinario, often shortened to extra) that evaluates the contents of the entire period. Once the test is finished and the score is assessed, this score becomes the entire subject's score, thus giving failing students a chance to pass their subjects. Those who fail the extraordinary test have 2 more chances to take it; if the last test is failed, the subject is marked as failed and pending, and depending on the school, the student may fail the entire year.

Some private schools (particularly in higher levels of education) require a 70 to pass instead of the regular 60.

Grades are often absolute and not class-specific. It may be the case that the top of the class gets a final grade of 79. Curve-adjustment is rare. Grad-level students are usually expected to have grades of 80 or above to graduate. Students in the honor roll are usually those with an overall GPA of 90 or higher upon graduation, and some private universities will award them a "With Honors" diploma.

[edit] United States

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Academic grading in North America#United States to form Academic grading in the United States. (Discuss)

Classical five-point discrete evaluation with grades is the system most commonly used in the United States, but there are many variations. There are also a few schools that eschew discrete evaluation (letter grading) in favor of pure discursive evaluation. There is no standardized system of grading in the United States, as these issues are left up to individual universities, schools, and states.

Grades in the United States are generally assigned by a letter: A (highest grade, excellent), B (above average), C (average), D (usually the minimum passing grade), and F (fail). Additionally, most schools will calculate a student's grade point average by assigning each letter grade a number and using a mathematical formula to come up with a numerical representation of a student's work. Generally, American schools equate an A with a numerical value of 4.0.

The percentage needed in any given coursework needed to achieve a certain grade and the assignment of GPA point values varies from one school to another. The most general and common grading scale is as follows:

Grade	Percentage	GPA value
A	100 - 90	4.0
B	89 - 80	3.0
C	79 - 70	2.0
D	69 -60	1.0
F	Below 60	0.0

Whether the failing grade is F or E typically depends on time and geography. Some states, but not many, have tended to favor E since World War II while the majority of the country tends to use F. Ultimately, the grade F traces to the days of two-point grading as Pass (P) and Fail (F). In recent years some schools have begun using an N for failing grades. Presumably to represent NO CREDIT.

Chromatic variants (+ and −) are often used. In hypomodal grading on a 100-point scale, the prime letter grade is assigned a value centered around the one's digit 5: the + grade is assigned the top values of near the one's digit 9, and the − grade is assigned the bottom values near 0; thus, 80 to 83 is B−, 84 to 86 is B, and 87 to 89 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, and 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.

The A range is often treated as a special case. In most American schools, a 4.00 is regarded as perfect and the highest GPA one can achieve. Thus, an A, being the prime grade, achieves the mark of a 4.00; for the A+ mark, most schools still assign a value of 4.00, equivalent to the A mark, to prevent deviation from the standard 4.00 GPA system. However, the A+ mark, then, becomes a mark of distinction that has no impact on the student's GPA. A few schools do assign grade values of 4.33, however.

In many American high schools, students may also score above 4.0 if taking advanced, honors, Advanced Placement, or International Baccalaureate classes.

There has been dispute^{[citation needed]} over how colleges should look at grades from previous schools and high schools because one grade in one part of the country might not be the equivalent of a grade in another part of the country. In other words, an "A" might be 90-100 somewhere, and a 94-100 somewhere else. In middle and high schools that do not use a system based on academic credit, the grade point average is computed by taking the mean of all grades. 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	3	A	3 × 4.0 = 12.0
Biology 102	4	B+	4 × 3.3 = 13.2
History 103	3	B−	3 × 2.7 = 8.1
Physical Education 104	1	C	1 × 2.0 = 2.0

• Total Credits: 11
• Total Grade Points: 35.3
• Grade Point Average: 35.3 / 11 = 3.209 or slightly above B average

In a standards-based grading system, a performance standard is set by a committee based on ranking anchor papers and grading rubrics, which demonstrate performance which is below, meeting, or exceeding the "standard." This standard is intended to be a high, world-class level of performance, which must be met by every student regardless of ability or class, although they are actually set by a committee with no reference to any other national standard. Levels are generally assigned numbers between zero and four. Writing papers may be graded separately on content (discussion) and conventions (spelling and grammar). Since grading is not based on a curve distribution, it is entirely possible to achieve a grading distribution in which all students pass and meet the standard. While such grading is generally used only for assessments, they have been proposed for alignment with classroom grading. However, in practice, grading can be much more severe rather than more generous than traditional letter grades. Even after ten years, some states, such as Washington, continue to evaluate over half of their students as "below standard" on the state mathematics assessment.

[edit] Asia

[edit] China

Main article: Academic grading in China

[edit] Hong Kong

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Academic grading in Hong Kong. (Discuss)

In Hong Kong, the system of grade point average (GPA)^[4] is used in universities:

Grade	GPA
A+	4.30
A	4.00
A−	3.70
B+	3.30
B	3.00
B−	2.70
C+	2.30
C	2.00
C−	1.70
D+	1.30
D	1.00
F	0.00

Some universities don't include A+ in the grades^[5], or set the grade point of A+ to be 4.00^[6], so that the maximum GPA attainable is 4.00 instead of 4.30. Some universities use a 12-point system called "CGA" instead^[7]. Some universities do not include minus grades (i.e., no A-, B-, C-) and the grade point of A+, B+, C+, D+ is 4.5, 3.5, 2.5, 1.5 respectively.^[8]

[edit] India

Main article: GPA in India

[edit] Indonesia

Main article: Academic grading in Indonesia

[edit] Israel

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Academic grading in Israel. (Discuss)

In Israel, there are two scales, 0-10 (usually small quizzes, surprise quizzes, etc.) and 0-100 (usually exams):

• 10 or 95-100 = מצוין‎ (excellent)
• 9 or 85-94 = טוב מאוד‎ (very good)
• 8 or 75-84 = טוב‎ (good)
• 7 or 65-74 = כמעט טוב‎ (almost good)
• 6 or 55-64 = מספיק‎ (sufficient)
• 5 or 45-54 = מספיק בקושי‎ (hardly sufficient)
• <4 or <44 = בלתי מספיק/נכשל‎ (insufficient/failed)

In secondary school (grades 7-12), any grade below 55 is considered a failing grade.

It may be worth mentioning that the Israeli education system does not employ curved grading at any stage (incl. at the academic level). To compensate for this, most academic institutions require that candidates undergo a psychometric exam, which in Israel provides examinees with an overall score of 200-800, the average being 535 (according to the results of the National Institute of Scoring and Evaluation's [1] report of 2005). As previously mentioned, though, the vast majority of Israeli academic institutions also refrain from grading on a curve. Only certain law faculties use curved grading, and one management faculty recently announced its intention to gradually introduce curved grading at the undergraduate level as well.

[edit] Iran

Main article: Academic grading in Iran

[edit] Japan

Main article: Academic grading in Japan

[edit] Nepal

Main article: Academic grading in Nepal

[edit] Pakistan

Main article: Academic grading in Pakistan

[edit] Philippines

Main article: Academic grading in Philippines

[edit] Russia and Former Soviet Union/CIS (without Moldova and Belarus)

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with GPA in Central and Eastern Europe into Academic grading in Russia. (Discuss)

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with GPA in Central and Eastern Europe#Ukraine into Academic grading in Ukraine. (Discuss)

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with GPA in Central and Eastern Europe#Hungary into Academic grading in Hungary. (Discuss)

In Russia, Ukraine, Hungary and likely many of the former Soviet Union (with the notable exception of Moldova, that switched to the Romanian system) and some countries formerly associated with the Eastern Bloc, close variations of a five-point grading scale is used:

• 5: Very good or Excellent, equal to highest distinction (best possible grade)
• 4: Good (above average)
• 3: Satisfactory, sometimes translated into English as Fair (lowest passing grade)
• 2: Unsatisfactory (failing)
• 1: Poor (lowest possible grade, "failing with distinction")

Qualifiers + and - are often used to add some degree of differentiation between the grades: e.g., 4+ is better than 4, but a little worse than 5-. Grading varies greatly from school to school, university to university, and even 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 not common and is rarely given for academic reasons—in many cases, a 1 is given as a result of failure to show up for or to complete an exam. A 2 grade usually means that the student showed no or little knowledge in a subject (in Russia/Ukraine, but not in Hungary).

It may be worth mentioning that 1 is somewhat an exotic grade in Russian schools, but it does exist officially. The mostly used grades are 5 to 2. + and - modifiers follow the same tendency; they are used rarely in middle school, and almost never in colleges or universities. Some institutions and teachers (excluding Russia), unsatisfied with the five-point scale, work with various larger ones, but these grading systems are not recognized by the state and require conversion for official use.

It is necessary to understand that, in Russian universities, all of the courses are compulsory subjects. There are no electives in the sense of the Western system available in Russia. However, very rarely in some universities are there certain subjects that are not graded at all. Such subjects could be interpreted as additional electives, because they are not compulsory, do not contribute towards the degree, and will not be mentioned in the final degree paper (diploma). However, the grade ‘Attended’ is issued if the attendance requirements are met by a student.

The majority of subjects are graded on a ‘Pass/No pass’ (Credit/No Credit) basis (зачёт/незачёт, pronounced as "zach`ot/nezach`ot"), and the rest is graded in terms of numbers. The 'Pass/No Pass" grades do not have any official numeric representation. When "zachot"- (credit- or pass-) type subjects are graded as ‘Pass/Not pass,’ this simply represents a student's good or poor knowledge of a subject, and, in numeric terms, can be interpreted as "more than "3"/less than "3." Each university implements its own understanding of the appropriate level of knowledge a student should have in order to pass studied subjects. Students in Russia must pass all of the offered subjects in order to graduate.

Due to several ways to translate the word "zachet" from Russian into English (it can be translated as "credit" or "pass"), this type of grading is the source of problems for Russian students applying to Western universities. Such grades may confuse Western universities and make it difficult to correctly calculate students' GPA in terms of Western systems.

In the past recent years, some of these countries (excluding Russia) have started to implement the following grading system:

New System	Old System
12	5+
11	5
10	5-
9	4+
8	4
7	4-
6	3+
5	3
4	3-
3	2
2	1
1	complete failing

[edit] Singapore

Main article: GPA in Singapore

[edit] Vietnam

Main article: Academic grading in Vietnam

[edit] United Arab Emirates

At most universities and colleges, the United Arab Emirates' grading system is very similar to the United States' system. See Education in the United Arab Emirates for more information.

[edit] Europe

[edit] Albania

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Academic grading in Albania. (Discuss)

In Albania, grades from 1 (sometimes 0) to 10 are used, with some schools allowing decimals (up to the hundredth digit) and some others only allowing whole numbers.

Grade	Qualification
10.00	Excellent
8.00–9.99	Very Good
6.00–7.99	Good
4.00–5.99	Sufficient
0.00–3.99	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 review half. In some schools, if the average grade of the two mid exams is equal to or higher than 7.00, the student is able to pass the class without the need to take a final exam (since there are only two exams, some teachers also pass students who average 6.50; others weigh in the decision based on the student's performance in class). An average of less than 4.00 is failing; students who score such an average are not allowed to take the final exam.

In high schools, the year is divided into three trimesters and classes are usually yearlong. Students need an average of 6.00 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 6.00 in the 3rd trimester, he or she would have to take a final exam, regardless of average. This is considered controversial, since the last trimestral exam is not more important than the first two, but the rule stands to prevent students who have already reached the minimum average (e.g., two 10.00 in the first two give a student the lowest possible average of 6.33) from not making an effort during the last three months of the year.

[edit] Austria

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Academic grading in Austria. (Discuss)

In Austria, scholastic grades use a 5-point grading scale:

• 1: "sehr gut" - "very good" (best possible grade)
• 2: "gut" - "good" (next highest grade)
• 3: "befriedigend" - "satisfactory" (indicates "average" performance)
• 4: "genügend" - "sufficient" (lowest passing grade)
• 5: "nicht genügend" - "not sufficient" (lowest possible grade and the only failing grade,

usually earned after 50% or less of maximum achievable credit)

[edit] Bosnia and Herzegovina

Main article: Academic grading in Bosnia and Herzegovina

[edit] Bulgaria

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Academic grading in Bulgaria. (Discuss)

In Bulgaria, the following grade scale is used in schools:

• 6: Отличен (Excellent, best possible grade)
• 5: Много добър (Very Good, next highest)
• 4: Добър (Good, indicates average performance)
• 3: Среден (Sufficient, lowest passing grade)
• 2: Слаб (Poor, failing grade)

For exact grading, two positions after the decimal point are used; thus, grades as, e.g., Poor (2.50), or Excellent (5.75), are common. Every passing grade at or above the .50 mark is prefixed with the term of the higher grade. The minimum is 2.00; grades below 3.00 are failing grades, and the maximum is 6.00.

Roughly, the Bulgarian grade system can be equated to the American one as the following: 6=A, 5=B, 4=C, 3=D, and 2=F.

[edit] Croatia

Main article: Academic grading in Croatia

[edit] Czech Republic

Main article: Academic grading in Czech Republic

[edit] Denmark

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Academic grading in Denmark. (Discuss)

The current scale, syv-trins-skalaen ("7-step-scale"), was introduced in 2007, replacing the old 13-skalaen ("13-scale"). The new scale is designed to be compatible with the ECTS-scale.

Syv-trins-skalaen consists of seven different grades, ranging from 12 to -3, with 12 being the highest:

Grade	Description		13-scale-equivalent			ECTS-equivalent
−3	entirely inadequate		00, 03			F
00	inadequate		5			Fx
02	adequate	the minimum acceptable (minimum passing grade)	6			E
4	fair	numerous significant flaws, slightly below average	7			D
7	good	numerous flaws (8 = average performance)	8 & 9			C
10	excellent	few significant flaws	10			B
12	outstanding	none or few insignificant flaws	11 & 13			A

This new scale remains a absolute scale, meaning that, proportions are not taken into consideration.

[edit] Finland

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Academic grading in Finland. (Discuss)

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. This is similar to the grading scale used in Romania.

• 10: Excellent (represents roughly the top 5%)
• 9: Very good
• 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.

[edit] France

Main article: Academic grading in France

[edit] Germany

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Academic grading in Germany. (Discuss)

Germany uses a 6-point grading scale (GPA) to evaluate the performance of school children:

• 1: sehr gut, excellent (best possible grade; given for outstanding performance)
• 2: gut, good (the next-highest; given for performance that meets the standard and is above average)
• 3: befriedigend, satisfactory (indicates "average" performance meeting the standard)
• 4: ausreichend, sufficient (lowest passing grade; given if the standard has been met but with a number of notable errors)
• 5: mangelhaft, deficient (the higher of two failing grades; given if standard has not been met but basics have been understood)
• 6: ungenügend, insufficient (lowest possible grade; given if standard has not been met and basics have not been understood)

5 and 6 are both considered to be failing grades, though in earlier years students who earned 5 grades were not required to repeat classes if they performed well in other classes. Grades 1 to 5 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. There is even the grade of 1+ or 0.7, which roughly means 'with distinction'. (But there is neither 6+ nor 6−, since 6 means null.)

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.

Some states replace this system in higher grades (usually 12th and 13th) by "points," whereas 15 points represents the highest possible score: "1+." 14 points equal a "1" (sehr gut), 13 points equal a "1−," and so on; 1 point equals a "5−," and 0 points represent a "6" (ungenügend). This system is used for easier calculation of averages and to ease the admission process for the "Abitur," the final exam. The written marks below are replaced by numbers, too, instead of using fraction values, such as 1.2.

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

• 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 originally counted as 1.5, 2.5, etc., have largely been discontinued, due to ambiguities when converting 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, a 1+ exists (and counts as 15), 1 is 14, 1− is 13, 2+ is 12, and so on; 5− is 1, and, finally 6 is 0. Although 1+ exists in this system, so even Abitur averages below 1.0 can be achieved. When the point system is used, 4 (5 points) is the lowest passing grade, and 4− (4 points) is the highest failing 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 F's). The accuracy of this conversion is often debated, since expected performance averages vary among schools. For example, a 2 in the German is often given for a performance of 90%; a 90% will almost always be equivalent to an A among the U.S. grading scale. Both situations will vary depending on the school's, faculty's and/or instructor's guidelines.

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 or Fachhochschulreife limiting their university choices either to more application oriented studies at a Fachhochschule ("University of Applied Sciences") or to only that subject at University that they specialized in while at the Gymnasium. 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 1991:

• 1: sehr gut, very good (highest possible grade)
• 2: gut, good (the next highest)
• 3: befriedigend, satisfactory (average performance)
• 4: genügend, sufficient (lowest passing grade)
• 5: ungenügend, insufficient (lowest possible grade; failing)

This scale is identical to the current Austrian grading scale.

At training institutions approved by the German Chamber of Commerce (IHK), the following grades are awarded:

• 92% to 100% = grade 1
• 81% to 91% = grade 2
• 67% to 80% = grade 3
• 50% to 66% = grade 4
• 30% to 49% = grade 5
• 0% to 29% = grade 6

For example, 91% counts as grade 2, but, when specified as a decimal, is actually a 1.5 grade. A student who attains 91% would naturally rather state that he or she has a grade of 1.5 instead of declaring a 2 grade.

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

• 1: sehr gut, very good (the highest possible grade)
• 2: gut, good (an achievement, which lies substantially over average requirements)
• 3: befriedigend, satisfactory (average requirements)
• 4: ausreichend, sufficient (barely meets the requirements; passes)
• 5: nicht ausreichend / nicht bestanden, not sufficient / failed (does not meet the requirements)

Sometimes, esp. with a Dr. Phil. (D.Phil. / Ph.D.), the Latin versions are also used for the grading (here 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, because at the lowest, the dissertation is just formally rejected, without any kind of grading.

For law students at German universities, a similar system to the 1-5 scale 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.

Often, the German grades are treated like an interval scale to calculate means and deviations for comparisons. Despite it lacking any psychometric standardization, the grading system is also used like a normally 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, T, Stanine, etc., or (like in the PISA studies) IQ, are then possible; e.g., here 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

(Note: this is the statistical norm IQ (expected value of 100, standard deviation of 15) which is nowadays widely used outside of intelligence tests, since it is not a measure of intelligence.)

This transformation is—as mentioned above—highly questionable at the least. E.g., substantially far more than 14% (>4.0) of German students at universities fail in an exam (usually about 20-40%—often even more; 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 try). Grades awarded vary widely between fields of study and between universities/schools. In reality, nevertheless, independent from field and school, students normally have to successfully complete more than half of the tasks given within an examination to pass it (to get a 4.0). So, also the reality contradicts the treatment of grades as statistical norms.

Also, it must be taken into account that in Germany education (at school as well as at university) is still not only about learning, but also particularly about permanent selection (whereas the criteria of selection are widely criticized, especially the underlying principles of grading used in Germany). The selection might be the (comparatively) low succession rates at university, as well as the small number of people who obtain an "Abitur" in the first place. However, several empirical psychological studies show that the grades awarded in Germany at school and university have low reliability (and therefore extremely weak validity).^[9] Only a GPA from school is a mild (weak) predictor for success in school, university, and, to a slightly better degree, vocational trainings, and GPAs from school or university have nearly no predictive value for job performance.^[10] In Germany, due to the lack of German psychometric tests (such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test(SAT), or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in the United States), the GPA is mainly used as the only criterion within an application process. In the work field, the grades have a high impact on career opportunities and science-based recruitment, and assessment is still used only by less than 8% of German employers (in other European countries, the percentage is 50-70%).^[11]

[edit] Greece

Main article: Academic grading in Greece

[edit] Hungary

Main article: Academic grading in Hungary

[edit] Ireland

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Academic grading in Ireland. (Discuss)

Percentage Range	Grade	Points for Higher	Points for Ordinary	Points for Foundation[12]
90 – 100	A1	100	60	20
85 – 89.9	A2	90	50	15
80 – 84.9	B1	85	45	10
75 – 79.9	B2	80	40	5
70 – 74.9	B3	75	35	0
65 – 69.9	C1	70	30	0
60 – 64.9	C2	65	25	0
55 – 59.9	C3	60	20	0
50 – 54.9	D1	55	15	0
45 – 49.9	D2	50	10	0
40 – 44.9	D3	45	5	0
25 – 39.9	E	0	0	0
10 – 24.9	F	0	0	0
0 – 9.9	NG	0	0	0

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

• A: 100% - 85%
• B: 84% - 70%
• C: 69% - 55%
• D: 54% - 40% (lowest passing grade)
• E: 40% - 25% (failing)
• F: 25% - 10%

Any score below 10% is classed as NG or No Grade.

At Higher Level, a C grade and above is considered an 'Honour' grade.

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 for 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:

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

[edit] Italy

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Academic grading in Italy. (Discuss)

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

• Ottimo (excellent)
• Distinto (good)
• Buono (average)
• Sufficiente (pass)
• Non Sufficiente (no pass)

In high school, a 10-point scale is used, 6 being the minimum grade for passing. Specifications such as +, −, "double minus" ("="), half grades ("double plus") and "between" grades, such as 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, and 10. A 10 is very rare to score, as well as a 1. The weakest grade a student can normally get is a 3 or a 4. An 8 is usually considered a very good grade, and a 9 is an excellent grade. The average is between and 6 and 8.

Universities in Italy use a 30-point scale, simply divided in two: no passing (0 to 17 points) and passing grades (18 to 30 points), for ordinary exams, and a 110-point scale for the final dissertation, which is divided in two as well, with 66 being the minimum grade for passing. For outstanding results, the Lode "praise" is added to the maximum grade.

ECTS grading Scale

ECTS Grade	Definition	% of successful students	Corresponding Italian grades
A	Excellent	10%	30-30 Laude
B	Very Good	25%	27-29
C	Good	30%	24-26
D	Satisfactory	25%	19-23
E	Sufficient	10%	18
FX	Fail		14-17
F	Fail		0-13

To someone familiar with both the Italian and the U.S. college systems, Italian grades are best translated into American grades (and vice versa) according to the following table:

U.S. Grade	Definition	Corresponding Italian grades
A−, A, A+	Excellent	28-30 Lode
B−, B, B+	Good	25-27
C−, C, C+	Satisfactory	21-24
D−, D, D+	Barely passing	18-20
E or F	Fail	0-17

[edit] Latvia

Main article: Academic grading in Latvia

[edit] Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein uses the Swiss Grading System.

[edit] Lithuania

Main article: Academic grading in Lithuania

[edit] Luxembourg

Main article: Academic grading in Luxembourg

[edit] Moldova

See Romania.

[edit] Netherlands, The

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Education in the Netherlands#Grading into Academic grading in the Netherlands. (Discuss)

In The Netherlands, grades from 1.0 up to 10.0 are used, with 1 being worst and 10 being best. The grades 9 and 10 are hardly ever given on examinations (on average, a 9 is awarded in only 1.5%, and a 10 in 0.5% of cases). Generally, either one or two decimal places are used, and a +/− means a quarter (rounded to either 0.8 or 0.3 if only one decimal place is used). Thus, a grade of 6.75 (or 6.8) could be written as 7−, whereas a grade of 7+ would count for 7.25 or 7.3.

The grade scale with the labels:

• 10: excellent
• 9: very good
• 8: good
• 7: more than sufficient
• 6: sufficient
• 5: nearly sufficient
• 4: insufficient
• 3: strongly insufficient
• 2: poor
• 1: very poor

Usually 5.5 constitutes 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 is a fail. Sometimes, when no decimal place is used, an additional grade, 6−, is used as "barely passed." In contrast with the usual interpretation as a 5.75, this grade represents what would have been a 5.5 if a decimal place were used. In some other situations, the decimal point is expressly forbidden to be used for any grade between 5.0 and 6.0, so that graders are forced to specify a clear pass/fail decision.

An alternative system classifies grades of 6.0 and up as always passing, but also allows one or two classes in a school year with a score between 5.0 and 6.0. However, the average of all grades over the year must be over 6.0. If students do not reach the average of 6.0 or have more than two courses with a score between 5.0 and 6.0, a secondary exam must be taken to pass the failing classes. A score below 5.0 is always insufficient and the exam must be retaken.

Depending on the grade, several honors are available, including met genoegen and cum laude. This honor system is typically only used at universities. For an average grade of at least 7, but not meeting the criteria for cum laude, met genoegen (with pleasure) is sometimes awarded; this is strongly dependent on the criteria the university maintains. The criteria for the cum laude honor vary as well, usually requiring at least an 8 or 8.5 average grade. Various other conditions often apply as well, such as the condition of receiving no grades below a certain limit (6 or 7), or completing within certain time restrictions.

When different variations of cum laude are used, the degree of honor is usually dependent on the average grades over the school year. Usually, if the average score of the student is at least an 8.0, but less than 8.5 over the whole school year, the honor cum laude is awarded. If the grade is over 8.5, but less than 9.0(or 9.5 in some schools), magna cum laude is awarded. Lastly, if the grade is over 9.0 (or 9.5 in some schools), summa cum laude is awarded.

[edit] Norway

Main article: Academic grading in Norway

[edit] Poland

Main article: Academic grading in Poland

[edit] Portugal

Main article: Academic grading in Portugal

[edit] Romania

Main article: Academic grading in Romania

[edit] Serbia

Main article: Academic grading in Serbia

[edit] Slovakia

Main article: Academic grading in Slovakia

[edit] Slovenia

Main article: Academic grading in Slovenia

[edit] Spain

Main article: Academic grading in Spain

[edit] Sweden

Main article: Academic grading in Sweden

[edit] Switzerland

Main article: Academic grading in Switzerland

[edit] Ukraine

Main article: Academic grading in Ukraine

[edit] United Kingdom

Main article: Grades in the United Kingdom

[edit] Oceania

[edit] Australia

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with GPA in Australia into Academic grading in Australia. (Discuss)

Australian primary and secondary schools are currently migrating to a common reporting and assessment format. Education is the responsibility of the states in Australia. In 2005 the Federal Government introduced a universal common assessment and reporting standards legislation that all states had to adhere to. The grading system is now structured as follows, though the percentages are only an approximate guide:

• A: 90% and above (Excellent)
• B 89-80% (Good)
• C: 79-70% (Average)
• D: 69-60% (Below Average)
• E: 59% and below (Failure)

Letter	Percentile
A	93-above
B	92-83
C	82-73
D	72-63
E	62-below

Most Australian tertiary institutions use close variations of the following grading structure:

• HD: 85% and above (High Distinction)
• D: 75-84% (Distinction)
• Cr: 65-74% (Credit Pass)
• P: 50-64% (Pass)
• F1: 45-49% (Fail level 1)
• F2: below 45% (Fail level 2)

Many courses also have Non-Graded Pass (NGP) and Non-Graded Fail (F), in which it is considered more appropriate to have qualitative than quantitative assessment. However, in some universities, an F1 category may be given a 'Pass Conceded' if the student's Weighted Average is greater than a nominated threshold. (More often than not, this is around the 53-55 range.)

Grade point averages are not generally used in Australia below a tertiary level. They are calculated according to more complicated formula than some other nations:

Grade Point Average (GPA) = Sum of (grade points × course unit values) / total number of credit points attempted, in which grade points are as follows:

• High Distinction = 7
• Distinction = 6
• Credit = 5
• Pass = 4
• Fail level 1 = 1
• Fail level 2 = 0

Whenever a course result is a Non-Graded Pass, the result will only be included if the GPA is less than 4, and will be assigned the grade point of 4, otherwise NGP results will be disregarded.

The term course unit values is used to distinguish between courses which have different weightings e.g. between a full year course and a single semester course.

The High School Certificate system varies from state to state. For example, in New South Wales, the UAI (Universities Admissions Index) determines tertiary positions. Government Supported Positions are given to students that achieve above a certain UAI threshold. (An example of this is a UAI of 85 for Civil Engineering at the University of New South Wales.^[13]) The value of the UAI corresponds with the percentile the student is placed within the state of New South Wales.

[edit] New Zealand

Main article: Academic grading in New Zealand

[edit] References

[2] [3]

[edit] External links

• GPA Calculator
• Online US Collegiate GPA Calculator
• WES-Online GPA Conversionguide
• ECTS grading scale in Italy
• Centre, open source student information system with integrated flexible gradebook
• Hungarian ECTS Guide for academic year 2006/2007 (in English)

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