Academic grading |
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There are two grading systems used in Italy:
In Italian primary and secondary school a 10-point scale is used, 6 being the minimum grade for passing.
From worst to best, grades range from 2 to 10. When a professor wants to apply a more precise scale, rather than using decimals, they often use symbols such as "+" and "-" as rough equivalents. For example, the range between 5 and 6, as with all other marks, can be covered, in sequence, by 5+, 5½, 6−−, 6−. A 5+ would be anything above 5 that doesn't reach 5½ (5.5), a 6-- (rarely used, usually given out of courtesy as a potential second chance) can be anything between 5½ and 6-, and a 6- is usually between 5.75 and 6.
As these symbols (except ½) have no clear mathematical value, and as such, the decision of how much weight gets put unto them tends can involve a bit of bias based on the student's overall performance, effort, and general behavior. This is especially true for meeting final, passing criteria, where, when calculating the mean, a 6-- may be taken into consideration as a full 6 if the student is of generally good behavior and has had trouble studying due to lack of comprehension rather than laziness; To clear confusion, there has been a push in recent years to uniform the system to the 0–10 scale.[1]
Prior to 2008, elementary and middle schools used a 5-point scale, with Non Sufficiente meaning "5 or less", and the other grades - Sufficiente, Buono, Distinto, Ottimo - standing respectively for 6, 7, 8 and 9/10.
For ordinary exams, universities in Italy use a 30-point scale simply divided in two: non passing (0 to 17), and passing grades (18 to 30 cum laude). For the final score a 110-point scale is used, which is divided in two as well, with 66 being the minimum grade for passing. The 110-point takes into consideration of both exam scores and the final thesis. For outstanding results, the Lode "praise" is added to the maximum grade.
ECTS Grade | Definition | % of successful students | Corresponding Italian grades |
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A | Excellent | 10% | 29-30 cum Laude |
B | Very Good | 25% | 26-28 |
C | Good | 30% | 23-25 |
D | Satisfactory | 25% | 19-22 |
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 | 27-30 cum Laude |
B-, B, B+ | Good | 24-26 |
C-, C, C+ | Satisfactory | 21-23 |
D-, D, D+ | Barely passing | 18-20 |
E or F | Fail | 0-17 |
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