Grade (education)

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This article is about evaluation of school work. For other uses of the term "grade", see grade.

"GPA" redirects here. For other uses, see GPA (disambiguation).

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). A cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is the mean GPA from all semesters, whereas GPA may only refer to a single semester.

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]

1 International grading systems
2 Grading systems by nation
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] 20-point grading scale

In Algeria, Belgium, Ecuador, France, Greece, Morocco, Portugal, Peru, Venezuela, Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, Mali, Iran, and Tunisia, 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 10; a common categorization follows:

Grade	Qualification
20	Perfect
19 18	Nearing perfection
17	Outstanding
16	Excellent
15 14	Good
13 12	Passable
11 10	Adequate
9⋮	Failure

[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	Percentage 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] Advanced Placement Grading Standards

The AP courses are offered in the United States, in many subjects. The courses are frequently taken by students in the last two years of secondary education. They are introductory college level courses offered in high schools.

The scores range from 1-5. Depending on the institution, the student is awarded college credit if they pass the subject test with a four or a five (or, less commonly, a three). More prestigious institutions have higher standards, and frequently do not accept any grades below a 5, or require additional testing for credit or placement at the university. The AP exams take place for one subject on one day across the country. These grades only determine if the student has mastered the material for college credit, they do not reflect the grade the student has earned during the school year.

[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 (rarely awarded)
8.5	Very Good
7.5	Good
6	Sufficient
<5	Fail
0	Worst grade (cheating, etc.)

[edit] International Baccalaureate

In the IB Diploma Programme (an internationally practiced baccalaureate program for secondary school students), candidates are graded on a scale of 1 to 7:

7: highest mark achievable
6: sometimes the lowest grade acceptable for credit in universities
5: often the lowest acceptable grade for credit in universities
4: roughly the lowest passing average grade
3: although not considered a failing grade, not a sufficient average grade across all subjects for the candidate to earn a diploma
2: failing grade for higher-level courses; no more than one 2 is accepted in standard-level courses
1: failing grade

[edit] Grading systems by nation

[edit] Africa

[edit] Egypt

The title gayyid giddan denotes the second highest mark possible, on par with a "B" student.^[4]

Percent	Qualification
0–30	Very weak (Arabic: ضعيف جدًا‎)
30–50	Weak (Arabic: ضعيف‎)
50–65	Acceptable (Arabic: مقبول‎)
65–75	Good (Arabic: جيد‎)
75–85	Very good (Arabic: جيد جدًا‎)
85–100	Excellent (Arabic: ممتاز‎)

[edit] South Africa

In South Africa, the system used in schools until 2008 is shown as follows:

A: 80 - 100% (achieved by 2-10% of students)
B: 70 - 79% (achieved by 8-15% of students)
C: 60 - 69% (achieved by 20-25% of students)
D: 50 - 59%
E: 40 - 49% (pass mark of 40% for higher grade subjects)
F: 34 - 39%
FF: 30 - 33% (pass mark of 33% for standard grade and second language subjects)
G: 20 - 29%
H: 0 - 19%

An aggregate is calculated by adding a student's best six subjects: each higher grade subject is out of 400, but counts out of 300 (thus 100%+ is achievable), and each standard grade subject and second language is out of 300. An aggregate of over 1680 is an 'A' aggregate (80%), an aggregate of 2100 is 100% and an aggregate of 2400 is possible (114.29%).

[edit] Tunisia

The Tunisian grading system is mostly a 20-point grading scale: it is used in secondary schools and universities. For primary schools, a new system has been introduced, based on a letter-grade scale; the old system uses a 10-point grading scale for the first term and a 20-point scale for the second and third terms.

Currently, most Tunisian universities use a traditional 20-point grading scale, but after the introduction of the new National Higher Education Reform, a new grading scale, similar to that of the ECTS grading scale, is becoming more and more common.

Most of the time, the formal grades used in Tunisia are not considered in graduate programs acceptance. A grade of 12 (which is actually a passable grade in Tunisia but equivalent to 60% in the US where it is considered a below average) is generally a good starting grade to apply for graduate studies and financial aids or scholarships. This is due to a severe testing and evaluation system employed in most Tunisian universities. Generally, at the national level, a grade of 12 or above is considered a good grade. This is why some European universities use a different admission requirement for Tunisian students. Tunisia's neighboring country, Algeria, has a very similar grading system.

[edit] North America

Image:Merge-arrow.svg

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

Main article: Academic grading in North America

[edit] Canada

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***	0–49		*** 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 my professors or a bell curve.

[edit] British Columbia

In British Columbia universities: F is the worst grade possible and is rarer than I.

Letter	Percentile
A+	90–100
A	85–89
A−	80–84
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	Percentile
A+	90–100
A	85−89
A−	80−84
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	Percentile	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	0−49.9	—	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.

D is the lowest passing grade for Ontario.

There is also a 12.0 grading scale used:

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

Quebec's passing mark is 60%.

[edit] Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, the systems work on a 100 point scale (and sometime in an analog 10 point scale). For primary school level, a 65 is good enough to pass, while in high school and further levels the pass grade is 70. Students who attain from 60 to the pass grade get the chance to take on one extra test that reviews the whole year's topics, and in which a 70 is needed to achieve a pass grade.

[edit] Mexico

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

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 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 Superior; or top 10% (90 to 100) = 4.0
B = Above Average; or second 10% (80-89) = 3.0
C = Average; or third 10% (70-79) = 2.0
D = Below average, minimum passing grade (60-69); or fourth 10% = 1.0
E/F (or any of a number of other symbols) = Failure or Exceptionally Poor; or bottom 60% (0-59) = 0.0

Percentage ranges may vary from one school to another. In some schools like those in Virginia Beach public schools use the 7-point grade system where the grades are given as follows: 100-94A, 93-86B, 85-78C, 77-70D, and 69 and below is failing, (E) Or like that in Fairfax County, Virginia,100-94 A, 93-90 B+, 89-84 B, 83-80 C+, 79-74 C, 70-73 D+, 69-64 D, anything below a 64 F. In some schools, these ranges may even vary from one class to another. Many schools add .5 to the value of an AP class if a student takes the AP test (thus, an A would be a 4.5, a B would be a 3.5, etc). In California and many other states, taking an AP class adds a full point to the course's grade.

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).

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 while taking regular, unweighted courses. 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 most schools, students may also score above 4.0 if taking honors, merit, International Baccalaureate, advanced, or Advanced Placement classes. If taking such weighted courses alone and earning the highest possible credit in each, a total score of 5.0 can be achieved.

There has been dispute 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. That's why the fairness of the system has been debated. In schools, 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 grade over half of their students as "below standard" on the state mathematics assessment.

[edit] South America

[edit] Argentina

In Argentina, the grade point average ranges from 10 to 0 (1 being the lowest possible mark, including for cheating; 0 means that the student was absent for all the possible tests and is rarely given) with decimals, the most common being 25, 50 and 75.

10: Excellent (the best possible grade)
9: Very Good
8: Good
7: Sufficient (minimum passing grade in some provinces)
6: Regular (minimum passing grade in some provinces)
5-1: Insufficient
0: Absent for all the tests (The student can never retake the exam again; the worst possible grade (rarely given))

[edit] Brazil

In Brazil, the grade point average ranges from 10 to 0 (1 being the lowest possible mark. 0 means that the student was absent on all tests and is rarely given) with decimals, the most common being 25, 50 and 75.

10: Excellent (the best possible grade)
9: Very Good
8: Good
7: Sufficient (minimum passing grade in some schools)
5-6: Regular (minimum passing grade is 5 in some schools)
5-1: Insufficient
0: Absent on all tests (The student can never retake the exam again; the worst possible grade)

[edit] Colombia

In colleges and universities, the grades are quantitative, ranging from 0.0 to 5.0, 0.0 being the worst possible grade and 5.0 the best possible grade.

Grade	Approximate % of the maximum score	Qualification	WES equivalent
5.00	100	Excellent (Highest grade)	A
4.50 - 4.99	90 − 99	Very good	A
3.91 - 4.49	79 − 89	Above average	A
3.50 - 3.90	70 − 78	Average; Minimum passing grade for graduate schools	B
3.00 - 3.49	60 − 69	Below average; Minimum passing grade for bachelor's degrees	C
2.00 - 2.99	40 − 59	Failure	F
0.00 - 1.99	0 − 39	Exceptionally Poor	F

In high schools, the grades are qualitative ranging from I (insufficient) to E (excellent).

Grade	Percentage	Qualification
E (Excelente)	90 - 100	Excellent or top 10% (90 to 100)
S (Satisfactorio)	80 - 89	Above Average or second 10%
A (Acceptable)	70 − 79	Average; minimum passing grade
I (Insuficiente)	60 − 69	Below average,Exceptionally Poor; or bottom 60%
D (Deficiente)	50-59	Failure,worst grade achievable

[edit] Chile

In Chile, a grade point average with ranges from 1.0 up to 7.0 (with one decimal place) is used:

7.0: Excellent (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 (failing; 1.0 is the worst possible grade)

The scale is generally linear, with 1.0 indicating 0% achievement, 4.0 indicating 50% or 60% achievement (depending of the scale used), and 7.0 indicating 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.

[edit] Bahamas

In the Bahamas their grading system is pretty basic.

A - 90-100
B - 71-89
C - 56-70
D - 46-55
F - 0-45

To find their GPA you have to calculate their grade letter:

Their highest grade point average is a 4.0 so that would be all A's.

Here is an example of their report card:

English Literature: D 1 English Language: B 3 Social Studies: B 3 Family Life Ed: A 4 Physical Ed: A 4 Mathematics: B 3 Religious Ed: A 4 Elective: B 3 Modern Lang: A 4 General Science: B 3 Health Science: C 2

To find your GPA all you have to do is find the average: 1+3+3+4+4+3+4+3+4+3+2= 34 Divide it by how many grades there are: 34/11 Which your GPA will be: 3.09

[edit] Peru

In Peru, students are evaluated by a 20-point system, with 11 being the lowest passing grade. Some schools also apply the A-B-C grading system.

[edit] Venezuela

In Venezuela, students are evaluated by a 20-point system with 10 being the lowest passing grade. Anywhere above 16 is considered a good grade and 19 and 20 are rarely awarded, giving some special honors to the students that get this CGPA.

[edit] Asia

[edit] China

In China, the grading system is divided into five categories:

you(优): Excellent (90-100%)
liang(良): Good (80-<90%)
zhong(中): Satisfactory (literally, "middle"; 70-<80%)
ji'ge(及格): Minimum achievement (60-<70%; minimum passing grade)
cha(差): Failure (0-<60%)

[edit] Hong Kong

Main article: GPA in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, the system of grade point average (GPA)^[5] 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^[6], or set the grade point of A+ to be 4.00^[7], so that the maximum GPA attainable is 4.00 instead of 4.30. Some universities use a 12-point system called "CGA" instead^[8]. 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. ^[9]

[edit] 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 4- or 10-point scale.

Notably, all the IITs, IIITs, BIT Mesra, Jaypee Institutes (JIITU, JUIT, JIET, JBS), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), BITS Pilani (Pilani, Goa campuses), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Anna University, and most NITs use a 10-point GPA system. DA-IICT, Gandhinagar originally used a 4-point scale, but has switched to a 10-point scale; like most other universities, LPU Jalandhar uses a 9-point scale (for an Honors degree program). However, the grades themselves may be absolute (as in some NITs and VIT), exclusively relative (as in BITS Pilani and Manipal University), or a combination of absolute, relative, and/or historic, as in some IITs, NITs, and IIIT Hyderabad.

There are several universities and recognized school boards in India, which make 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 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 universities and the quality of examination vary from one university to another, which makes direct comparison of percentages obtained at different universities almost impossible.

[edit] Official Grading System

Here is the Official Grading System for all Government/Autonomous/Deemed Indian Universities such as IIT, College of Engineering, Pune, VJTI. The grading system is not used by private colleges which are affiliated to universities. Colleges affiliated to a university use percentage ranges (absolute marks; i.e., actual marks scored by the student after taking average). For example, colleges affiliated to Mumbai University use the absolute marks system.

Percentage Range	Grade	U.S. Grade	Class/Division
80%-100%	A+	4	First Division with Honours/Distinction
75-79%	A	3.75-3.95 or 4	""
70-74%	A-	3.5-3.7 or 4	""
65-69%	B+	3.25-3.45	First Division
60-64%	B/B−	3-3.2	""
55-59%	C+	2.5-2.9	Second Division
50-54%	C/C−	2-2.4	Second Division
45-49%	D+	1.5-1.9	Third Division
40-44%	D/D-	1.0-1.4	""
Less than 40%	F	0	Fail

[edit] Indonesia

In Indonesia, a grade point average ranging from 1 to 10 is used:

10: Exceptional (highest grade; rarely given)
9-6: Passing (passing grades in all subjects)
5: Highest failing grade for certain subjects (such as Religious Education, Mother Tongue/Indonesian Language, and Moral Education)
4: Passing grade in some subjects, a failing grade in others
3: Highest failing grade in general
2: Failing grade
1: Failing grade (lowest possible grade)

A student is to repeat a year if he or she earns a failing grade in any subject.

[edit] Israel

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

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

Grade	Qualification
18-20	Excellent
16-17	Very Good
13-15	Sufficient
10-12	Poor but Passing
9 & below	Fail

[edit] Japan

In Japan, the grading system depends on schools, however, many universities use following categories:

yuu(優): A (90-100%)
ryou(良): B (70-<90%)
ka(可): C (60-<70%)
fuka(不可): F (0-<60%)

[edit] Nepal

Division I with Dist- 80% or higher
Division I- 60% or higher
Division II- 48% or higher
Division III- 32% or higher
Fail- less than 32%

Recently, other grading systems in Nepal have been developing.

[edit] Pakistan

Two grading scales are commonly used in higher education:

Grade	Description	WES Equivalency
A	Excellent	A
B	Good	B
C	Satisfactory	C+
D	Pass	C
F	Fail	F

Grade	Percentile	WES Equivalency
Distinction	80 - 100	A+
High Pass	70 - 80	A
Pass	60 - 69	B
Marginal Pass	50 - 59	C
Fail	0 - 49	F

[edit] Philippines

The Philippines has varied university grading systems. Most universities, particularly public institutions, follow the grade point system scale of 5.00 - 1.00, in which 1.00 is the highest grade and 5.00 is the lowest possible grade.

[edit] Grade point scale (5.00 - 1.00)

University of the Philippines Grade Point System
Grade Point Equivalence	Equivalence
1.00	96% - 100%
1.25	91% - 95%
1.50	86% - 90%
1.75	81% - 85%
2.00	76% - 80%
2.25	71% - 75%
2.50	66% - 70%
2.75	65% - 69%
3.00	60% - 64%
4.00	Conditional Pass or Fail
5.00	below 60%

University of the Philippines Latin Honors
Latin Honors	Grade Point Equivalence Range
Summa Cum Laude	1.20 - 1.00
Magna Cum Laude	1.45 - 1.19
Cum Laude	1.75 - 1.44

Most common grading system of other colleges and universities:
Grade Point Equivalence	Equivalence	Description
1.00	96% - 100%	Excellent
1.25	94% - 95%	Superior
1.50	91% - 93%	Very Good
1.75	89% - 90%	Good
2.00	86% - 88%	Very Satisfactory
2.25	83% - 85%	High Average
2.50	80% - 82%	Average
2.75	77% - 79%	Fair
3.00	75% - 76%	Pass
4.00	70% - 74%	Conditional (Midterm Only)
5.00	70% and below	Failing Final Grade
5A	-	Failure Due To Absences
5W	-	Withdrawal
INC	-	Incomplete
DRP	-	Dropped

In particular, De La Salle University & FEU-East Asia College follow the 1.000 - 4.000 grading system, which patterns those of American universities. This system uses the 4.0 grade point equivalence as the highest grade, while 0.0 grade point equivalence is considered the lowest possible grade. 0.0 grade point equivalence is considered a failing mark.

[edit] Grade point scale (1.000 - 4.000)

De La Salle University & FEU-East Asia College Grade Point System
Grade Point Equivalence	Description	Equivalence
4.0	Excellent	97% - 100%
3.5	Superior	93% - 96%
3.0	Very Good	89% - 92%
2.5	Good	85% - 88%
2.0	Satisfactory	80% - 84%
1.5	Fair	75% - 79%
1.0	Passed	70% - 74%
0.0	Failed	below 70%

De La Salle University Latin Honors
Latin Honors	Grade Point Equivalence Range
Summa Cum Laude	3.800 - 4.000
Magna Cum Laude	3.600 - 3.799
Cum Laude	3.400 - 3.599

Other universities, such as the Ateneo Universities, use the letter grade system with varied grade equivalence range.

[edit] Letter grade system

Ateneo de Manila University Letter Grade System (Mathematics Department)
Grade Point Equivalence	Letter Grade Equivalence	Equivalence
4.0	A	92% - 100%
3.5	B+	86% - 91%
3.0	B	77% - 85%
2.5	C+	69% - 76%
2.0	C	60% - 69%
1.0	D	50% - 59%
0.0	F	below 50%

Ateneo de Manila University Latin Honors
Latin Honors	Grade Point Equivalence Range
Summa Cum Laude	3.87 - 4.00
Magna Cum Laude	3.70 - 3.86
Cum Laude	3.50 - 3.69

More importantly, Philippine universities do not have standard grade equivalence. Different universities have varied equivalence range, while passing grades are subject to imposed academic quality of an institution.

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

In Russia, Ukraine, Hungary and likely the rest 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)

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

Schools and universities in Vietnam use a 10-point grading scale, with 10 being the highest and 0 being the lowest. Often, 5 is the lowest passing grade.

Grade	Qualification
10.00	Perfect
8.00–9.99	Very Good
6.50–7.99	Good
5.00–6.49	Passable
0.00–4.99	Poor

[edit] United Arab Emirates

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

[edit] Europe

[edit] Albania

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

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

In Bosnia, the following grade scale applies to elementary and high school students:

1	Insufficient (nedovoljan) - failing
2	Suficcient (dovoljan)
3	Good (dobar)
4	Very good (vrlo dobar)
5	Excellent (odličan)

The following applies to university students:

5	Insufficient (nedovoljan) - failing
6	Suficcient (dovoljan)
7-8	Good (dobar)
9	Very good (vrlo dobar)
10	Excellent (odličan)

[edit] Bulgaria

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

6: Excellent (best possible grade)
5: Very Good (next highest)
4: Good (indicates average performance)
3: Sufficient (lowest passing grade)
2: 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

In Croatia the following grade scale applies to elementary school, high school and university students:

1	Insufficient (nedovoljan) - failing
2	Sufficient (dovoljan)
3	Good (dobar)
4	Very good (vrlo dobar)
5	Excellent (odličan)

[edit] Czech Republic

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, in which 1 is the highest and 4 indicates failing, or an expanded version of this: a six-grade system with half-grades between 1 & 2 and 2 & 3. The grades are then 1 (crudely similar to the American grading system, A), 1.5 (B), 2 (C), 2.5 (D), 3 (E), and 4 (F, or fail).

[edit] Denmark

Main article: Academic grading in Denmark

The current scale, syv-trins-skalaen ("7-step-scale"), was introduced in 2006, 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 is a relative scale, meaning that, theoretically, a fixed proportion of students should be awarded with each grade. For instance, the maximum grade 12 should be given at 10% of all gradings (that is more than twenty times as often as the old maximum grade 13 was awarded under the old absolute grading system).

[edit] 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. 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

The French grading system is based mostly on a 20-point grading scale: it is used above all in secondary schools and universities. The baccalauréat uses the 20-point scale, with the following mentions (honors):

16: very good (très bien : TB)
14: good (bien : B)
12: quite good (assez bien : AB)

Primary schools generally use a 10-point grading scale or a letter grade like the ECTS grading Scale. French universities traditionally use the 20-point grading scale, but the ECTS grading scale is more and more common, since it is the standard for comparing study performance throughout the European Union.

Some Grandes écoles use 'exotic' systems, like Ecole Centrale de Lille, which uses a three-letter scale system:

A: Excellent
S: Satisfactory (satisfaisant)
I: Fail (insuffisant)

[edit] Germany

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, Abitur averages below 1.0 cannot be achieved, even if a student earns a 1+ in every subject. 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)^[10]. 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^[11]. 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%)^[12].

[edit] Greece

There are four Grading systems (or scales) in Greece - four different GPA - one for higher education, one for secondary education, and two for primary education (grades 1 to 3 and 4 to 6).

In higher or tertiary education, grades are given from 0.00 to 10.00. The minimum passing grade is 05.00. The list below depicts the Greek Grading system while illustrates approximately how the Grades are converted in ECTS and US Grades:

08.50-10.00: "άριστα" (excellent) - ECTS A - US A,A+
06.50-08.49: "λίαν καλώς" (very good) - ECTS B - US B,B+,A-
05.50-06.49: "καλώς" (good) - ECTS C - US C,C+,B-
05.00-05.49: "μετρίως" (average) - ECTS D/E - US C-,D

The grading system's range is widened in secondary school, and ranges from 1 to 20. Each grade from every individual subject from a total of 13 is worth one point:

18 6/13-20: excellent
15-18 5/13: very good
12 6/13-14 12/13: good
10-12 5/13: average
1-10: fail

The primary education grading system for grades 1 to 3 is as follows, in which letters are used:

A -excellent
B -very good
Γ -good
Δ, Ε -fail

The primary education grading system changes after grade 4, in which only numbers are used:

9-10: excellent
7-8: very good
5-6: good
1-4: fail

[edit] Hungary

In Hungary, a 5-point grade system is used. There are only whole numbers in report cards, but for grading exams, there are also fractions (such as 3/4, which is between 3 and 4). Some teachers use lines above (rarely) or under (more commonly) the numbers to draw a clearer distinction: e.g., 4, (4-) is worse than a 4 but better than a 3, a 3' (3-plus), or a 3/4 (3 < 3' < 3/4 < 4, < 4); sometimes they even use multiple lines, such as 5,,. For unusually good performance, the grade 5* can be awarded, but is less frequently used in secondary schools. 1 is the only failing grade. When grading a student's attitude or diligence, only the grades 2-5 are used.

[edit] 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% (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 'Honor' grade. For some purposes, the grade letter ranges are further subdivided from 15% ranges to 5% ranges, yielding grades A+, A, A−, B+, B, B−, etc. (or A1, A2, B1, B2, B3, etc.).

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:

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.

[edit] Italy

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

The grading system in Latvia has recently been changed to a 10-point scale^{[citation needed]}. 10 (desmit) is the highest achievable grade, while 1 (viens) is awarded for extremely poor performance. The minimal passing grade is 4 (četri), though some universities have a minimum passing grade of 5(pieci).

The absence of any kind of performance is indicated with 'nv' (nav vērtējuma - no grade); in th past, the mark for absence of work was 0 (nulle). Teachers in lower classes and for small works in higher classes are encouraged to award one of two grades: 'i' (ieskaitīts - counted in) for a passing grade, and 'ni' (neieskaitīts - not counted in) for a failing grade.

[edit] Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein uses the Swiss Grading System.

[edit] Lithuania

In Lithuania, the grading system has been recently changed to a 10-point scale^{[citation needed]}. 10 is the highest achievable grade for an excellent performance and 1 is the lowest. Usually, 1 is written when where is no work present at all, as most teachers tend to keep 2 the lowest grade and rarely mark work as 1. Some teachers do not put 1 nor 2, even if there is no work present.

The minimal grade for passing is usually 4, although some universities require 5.

Teachers in lower classes are encouraged to write marks such as lg - labai gerai (very good), g - gerai (good), patenkinamai (sufficient to pass) or nepatenkimai (insufficient to pass).

Some subjects (like Physical Culture or Music) can be chosen to only have įsk - įskaityta (passed) or neįsk - neįskaityta (not passed).

[edit] Luxembourg

In Luxembourg, a grade system from 01 to 60 is used. A grade of at least 30 is required to pass. The grades are distributed in the following way:

50–60: very good
40–49: good
30–39: satisfactory / sufficient
20–29: insufficient
10–19: poor
01–09: very poor

[edit] Moldova

See Romania.

[edit] Netherlands, The

Main article: Education in the Netherlands#Grading

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 5.45 (or 5.5) and up constitute a pass, whereas 5.44 (or 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

In colleges and universities the international system, ranging from A to F, is used:

A: 10% (8-12)
B: 25% (20-30)
C: 30% (24-36)
D: 25% (20-30)
E: 10% (8-12)
F: Not passed

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).

Lower levels of education (secondary school) use a scale running from 1 to 6, with 6 being the highest and 2 as the lowest passing grade. For non-final tests and mid-term evaluations, the grades are often postfixed with + or − (except 6+ and 1−), and it is also common to use grades such as 5/6 or 4/3 indicating borderline grades. Finals, and the final grades for each subject, are graded with whole numbers.

The grading scale is as follows:

1 (lowest grade)
1+ it must be over the straight 1
1/2
2/1
2−
2
2+
2/3
3/2
3−
3
3+
3/4
4/3
4−
4
4+
4/5
5/4
5−
5
5+
5/6
6/5
6-
6 (highest grade)

[edit] Poland

At Poland's primary, middle, and high schools, a 1-6 point grade system is used:

1 - fail
2 - pass but very low performance
3 - satisfactory
4 - good
5 - very good
6 - above requirements (the student's knowledge exceeds what is taught)

Until the 1990s, there was a 2-5 grade system with + and – marks, such as 3- (barely passed), or 4+ (between good and very good). Since the mid-1990s, Polish primary and secondary schools expanded this system to include the sixth 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 (highest possible grade)

Some universities use non-standard, additional 5.5 and 6.0 grades; some add 6.0 while forbidding 5.5.

[edit] Portugal

In Portuguese middle-schools the 5-1 central European system is used. In high-schools and universities, a 20-point grading scale is used.

[edit] Romania

In Romanian primary schools, a 4-point grading scale is used:

Foarte Bine (FB, very good)
Bine (B, good)
Sufficient/Satisfăcător (S, pass)
Insufficient/Nesatisfăcător (I, fail)

In secondary schools, high schools, and universities, a 10-point scale is used, 5 being the minimum grade for passing.

Specifications such as + and −, half grades, and grades like 6/7 are sometimes used. Note that the grades used in primary school are derived from this scale, with Insufficient meaning "4 and under", and the other grades standing respectively for 5-6, 7-8, 9-10. A 10 is not rare to score, especially in low-interest subjects. An 9 is usually considered an excellent grade. The average grade goes between 7 and 8. A very poor performance is usually awarded a 3 or 4, while a 1 is often reserved for cases of academic dishonesty or some other unacceptable behavior. Grades with 2 decimal digits can also be awarded, e.g. 7.38 means "'very' satisfactory", although in the register (catalog, where grades are written) the grade will be rounded. Grades with 2 decimal digits can also be awarded in certificates of final examinations in secondary schools, but in that case this are not rounded.

The same system (