Grades are standardized measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades can be assigned in letters (for example, A, B, C, D, or F), as a range (for example 4.0 - 1.0), as descriptors (excellent, great, satisfactory, needs improvement), in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary institutions, as a
Grade Point Average (GPA). The GPA can be used by potential employers or further post-secondary institutions to assess and compare applicants. A
Cumulative Grade Point Average is the
meanIn statistics, mean has two related meanings:* the arithmetic mean .* the expected value of a random variable, which is also called the population mean....
GPA from all academic terms within a given academic year, whereas the GPA may only refer to one term.
History of grading
Keith Hoskin argues that the concept of grading students' work quantitatively was developed by a tutor named
William FarishWilliam Farish was a British professor in chemistry and natural philosophy at the University of Cambridge, known for the development of the method of isometric projection and development of the first written examination.- Biography :...
and first implemented by the
University of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge , located in the City of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, is the second oldest university in the English-speaking world and the fourth oldest in Europe...
in 1792. Hoskin's assertion has been questioned by Christopher Stray, who finds the evidence for Farish as the inventor of the numerical mark to be unpersuasive. Stray's article elucidates the complex relationship between the mode of examination (testing), in this case oral or written, and the varying philosophies of education these modes imply, both to teacher and student. As a technology, grading both shapes and reflects many fundamental areas of educational theory and practice.
International grading systems
Most nations have individual grading systems unique to their own schools. However, several international standards for grading have arisen recently.
European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System
ECTS also includes a standard
grading scaleThe ECTS grading scale is a grading system defined in the ECTS framework by the European Commission. Since many different grading systems co-exist in Europe, and considering that interpretation of grades varies considerably from one country to another, if not from one institution to another, the...
:
ECTS grading scale
| ECTS scale |
Probability of getting each grade |
Definition |
| A |
10% |
Excellent: outstanding performance with minor errors |
| B |
25% |
Very good; above the average standard but with some errors |
| C |
30% |
Good; generally sound work with a number of notable errors |
| D |
25% |
Fair; fair but with significant shortcomings |
| E |
10% |
Sufficient; performance meets the minimum criteria |
| FX |
Fail |
some more work required before the credit can be awarded |
| F |
Fail |
considerable further work is required |
International Baccalaureate
International Baccalaureate
| Level |
Approximate Conversion Rate (varies) |
| 7 |
96-99 |
| 6 |
90-95 |
| 5 |
80-90 |
| 4 |
70-79 |
| 3 |
60-69 |
| 2 |
50-59 |
| 1 |
40-49 |
Canada
In
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where education is the responsibility of the provinces, grade point averages vary by
provinceA province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Roman provinces:The word is attested in English since c.1330, deriving from Old French province , which comes from the Latin word provincia, which referred to the sphere of activity which a...
, by level of education (e.g., high school or university), by institutions (e.g.,
Queen'sQueen's University, generally referred to simply as Queen's, is a coeducational, non-sectarian, research intensive, public university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. In 2008, Queen's maintained its status as one of the top universities in Canada.The Church of Scotland established Queen's...
or
TorontoThe University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated north of the city's Financial District on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. The university was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in the...
), and even by different faculties in the same institution (e.g.,
RyersonRyerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Canada. It has 24,000 full-time students, and offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Its urban campus surrounds Yonge and Dundas Square, with the majority of its buildings in the blocks northeast of the...
or
Université du Québec à MontréalThe Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
). Many students will never see a letter grade until they enter a post-secondary institution. In common parlance, students and teachers will refer to "marks" rather than US term "grade". The following are commonly used conversions from percentile grades to letter grades:
Alberta
In Senior High Schools:
| Letter |
Percentage |
Provincial Standing |
Notes |
| A |
80–100 |
Standard of Excellence |
Final course grades in this range are annotated with Honours Standing in the Alberta Senior High School Transcript. |
| B |
70-79 |
Exceeds Acceptable Standard |
|
| C |
60-69 |
Acceptable Standard |
|
| D |
50-59 |
| F |
0–49 |
|
Failing grade with no credits awarded toward Alberta Senior High School Diploma. |
In
AlbertaAlberta is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1, 1905.Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south....
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 Honours 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 |
|
| 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.
Manitoba
The
University of ManitobaThe University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is also Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution.. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed in...
uses a GPA system.
A 4.5 point scale with the corresponding GPA scale
| GPA |
Percent |
Letter Grade equivalent |
| 4.5 |
90-100% |
A+ |
| 4.00 |
80-89% |
A |
| 3.50 |
75-79% |
B+ |
| 3.00 |
70-74% |
B |
| 2.50 |
65-69% |
C+ |
| 2.00 |
60-64% |
C |
| 1.00 |
50-59% |
D |
| 0.00 |
0-49% |
F |
Saskatchewan
The
University of SaskatchewanThe University of Saskatchewan is a coeducational public research university located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, founded over 100 years ago in 1907. The University of Saskatchewan Act was passed by the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in...
and
University of ReginaThe University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchewan as a junior college in 1925, was disaffiliated by...
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 |
An unacceptable performance. |
British Columbia
In
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
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+ |
95–100 |
| A |
90-94 |
| A− |
85-89 |
| B+ |
80–84 |
| B |
75-79 |
| B− |
70-74 |
| C+ |
1005-687 |
| C |
60–64 |
| C− |
55–59 |
| D |
50–54 |
| E or UN or I |
0–49 (temporary) |
| F |
0–49 (permanent) |
Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador
In most
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is a Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. Its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of...
,
Newfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador is a province of Canada on the country's Atlantic coast in northeastern North America. This easternmost Canadian province comprises two main parts: the island of Newfoundland off the country's eastern coast, and Labrador on the mainland to the northwest of the island.A...
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.
Ontario
In
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
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 |
| R |
Remedial -Medical:*A Cure for a medical condition*Home remedy, a practical cure or treatment for a medical condition that one does at home*Environmental remediation, remedying/remediating an environment, usually in reference to a habitat, as a means of improving health of resident organisms.-Music:*Remedy ,...
standards |
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. The University of Windsor uses a 13.0 scale, but the only difference between it and the 12.0 scale is how the A+, A and A- section is counted.
| Letter Grade |
12.0 Grading Scale |
4.0 Grading Scale |
| A+ |
12.0 |
4.00 (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 |
74-76 |
| B- = 7.0 |
B- = 3.5 |
70-73 |
| C+ = 6.0 |
C+ = 3.0 |
67-69 |
| C = 5.0 |
C = 2.5 |
64-66 |
| C- = 4.0 |
C- = 2.0 |
60-63 |
| D+ = 3.0 |
D+ = 1.5 |
57-59 |
| D = 2.0 |
D = 1.0 |
54-56 |
| D- = 1.0 |
D- = 0.5 |
50-53 |
| F = 0.0 |
F = 0.0 |
0-49 |
Percentage Grade Conversion Scale
| Grade Point |
Letter Grade |
Grade Point |
| 13 |
A+ |
93-100 |
| 12 |
A |
86-92.9 |
| 11 |
A- |
80-85.9 |
| 10 |
B+ |
77-79.9 |
| 9 |
B |
73-76.9 |
| 8 |
B- |
70-72.9 |
| 7 |
C+ |
67-69.9 |
| 6 |
C |
63-66.9 |
| 5 |
C- |
60-62.9 |
| 4 |
D+ |
57-59.9 |
| 3 |
D |
53-56.9 |
| 2 |
D- |
50-52.9 |
| 1 |
F |
35-49.9 |
| 0 |
F- |
0-34.9 |
Please note that the conversion between different point scales may vary. The Ontario Medical School Application Service (OMS AS)has defined conversions that can be found here: http://careers.mcmaster.ca/students/education-planning/virtual-resources/gpa-conversion-chart.
Quebec
In
QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
universities:
| Letter |
Grade point |
Qualification |
| A+ |
4.3 |
|
| A |
4.0 |
Excellent |
| A- |
3.7 |
|
| B+ |
3.3 |
|
| B |
3.0 |
Very Good |
| B- |
2.7 |
|
| C+ |
2.3 |
|
| C |
2.0 |
Good |
| C- |
1.7 |
|
| D+ |
1.3 |
|
| D |
1.0 |
Passable |
| E |
0.0 |
Failure ("échec") |
This scale is used by at least UQAM
http://www.registrariat.uqam.ca/Interactif/legende.html and UQTR. The
Université de MontréalUniversité de Montréal is a public francophone university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
http://www.direction.umontreal.ca/secgen/pdf/reglem/francais/sec_30/ens30_8.pdf scale is similar but goes from A+ to F.
Université LavalUniversité Laval is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French. Its main campus is located in Quebec City, Quebec, the capital of the province, on the outskirts of the historic city.According to the university's...
http://www5.fsa.ulaval.ca/sgc/formation/mbalaval/courshoraireetincriptionmbalaval/pid/262#ancre24 uses a similar 4.33 scale. Concordia University and
Université de SherbrookeThe Université de Sherbrooke is a large university with three distinct campuses, two of which are located in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, and another, located in Longueuil, a suburb of Montreal approximately 130 km west of Sherbrooke. It is one of two universities, and the only French language...
uses a 4.3 scale.
McGill UniversityMcGill University is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
http://www.mcgill.ca/files/student-records/transcriptskey.pdf and the École polytechnique
http://www.direction.umontreal.ca/secgen/pdf/reglem/francais/sec_30/ens30_8.pdf use a 4.0 scale.
Université de SherbrookeThe Université de Sherbrooke is a large university with three distinct campuses, two of which are located in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, and another, located in Longueuil, a suburb of Montreal approximately 130 km west of Sherbrooke. It is one of two universities, and the only French language...
scale is from A+ to E
http://www.usherbrooke.ca/accueil/fileadmin/sites/accueil/documents/direction/politiques/2500-008-adm.pdf.
The percent equivalent of each grade and the passing mark can vary. The passing mark in High School and CEGEP is 60%.
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:
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. Additionally, in some private universities, the pass scores is higher or lower depending from the kind of studies that are related with (for example, in the case of Engineering, the minimum score is 7.3 and for Art Sciences is 8.8) and lower than this score is not acceptable.
United States
Grades in the United States:
Classical five-point discrete evaluation with grades is the system most commonly used in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 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 (GPA) 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 |
90-100 |
3.5-4.0 |
| B |
80-89 |
2.5-3.49 |
| C |
70-79 |
1.5-2.49 |
| D |
60-69 |
1.0-1.49 |
| F |
0 - 59 |
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. Another letter used to represent a failing grade is U, representing "unsatisfactory." 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 integer is the prime letter grade: the + range of the grade begins at X.333 (repeating), rounded to X.30, above the integer, and the − range of the grade begins at X.666 (repeating), rounded up to X.70, below the integer: 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 schoolHigh school is the name used in some parts of the world, particularly in Scotland, Northern America and Oceania, to describe an institution that provides all or part of secondary education...
s, students may also score above 4.0 if taking advanced, honors,
Advanced PlacementThe Advanced Placement program offers college level courses at high schools across the United States and Canada. According to the Good Schools Guide International, it is "usually much more rigorous than the general course offerings." The most taken AP exam in 2008 was AP United States History with...
, or International Baccalaureate classes (for example, a "regular" A would be worth 4 points, but an A earned in an advanced class might be worth 4.5 or 5 points towards the GPA.)
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. 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 157 |
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 below B+
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 (
spellingSpelling is the writing of a word or words with the necessary letters and diacritics present in an accepted standard order. It is one of the elements of orthography and a prescriptive element of alphabetic languages...
and
grammarIn linguistics, grammar is the set of logical and structural rules that govern the composition of sentences, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology and syntax, often complemented by phonetics, phonology,...
). 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
WashingtonWashington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute. It was admitted to the Union as the...
, continue to evaluate over half of their students as "below standard" on the state mathematics assessment.
Not to mention in some public secondary schools, staff members may require students a 3.0 GPA or higher to pass on to the next grade. If students expect to get any grade lower than a 3.0, they will not pass (even though a few requirements to not pass is to be absent from school 20 days or more/did not pass state test or cumulative test.)
Argentina
In Argentina the GPA is calculated bimonthly, per semester or per year. Typically, grades vary between 1 and 10. The minimum grade for approval generally requires 60% which represents a grade 4 at University and 6 at Secondary School (some schools may require 70%).
Depending on the University, the admittance may require:
- the approval of an minimal knowledge level exam (that may include Chemistry, Math and other subjects) called "Examen de Ingreso".
- a 1 year course called "Ciclo Básico Común". (Only for the University of Buenos Aires
The University of Buenos Aires is the largest university in Argentina and the largest university by enrollment in Latin America, surpassing both the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the Universidade Estácio de Sá of Brazil...
).
- High School average grade 60% or 70%.
- and others.
Brazil
In Brazil the GPA - known as
Coeficiente de Rendimento - is calculated bimonthly, per semester or per year (usually the GPA is calculated per semester, sometimes per year and often bimonthly). Typically, grades vary between 0 and 10. The minimum grade for approval varies between 5.0 (most often used) and 6.0 or 7.0. The GPA can not be used for college entrance evaluation in Federal Universities (State funded and free of charge, commonly accepted as the best institutions in the country), but is systematically being implemented by private Universities. For Federal institutions and private alike, the typical evaluation is a specific exam created by each University known as "vestibular". Some other methods are used in order to enhance a student grade, such as ENEM (Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio - National High School Standardized Exam) or PAS (Programa de Avaliação Seriada - Continuous Evaluation Program) according to the choice of the university.
Chile
In Chile grades range from 1.0 to 7.0 with one decimal place and minimum passing grade being 4.0.
Uruguay
High grades in Uruguay are very hard to achieve. Grades vary from 1 to 12. 1 is the lowest and 12 is the highest. To pass an exam or a course you need 6 out of 12 in high school and university (if private university), and 3 out of 12 if attending a public university. Both (6 in high school and private universities; and 3 in public universities) means that 60% of the exam/course is correct.
Peru
Grades rank from 0 to 20, in an almost unique grading table. Passing grade is 11 in almost all schools and universities. In some preschool facilities, grades vary from F to A+, following the American system, and in a few Colleges, passing grade is 10.
Saudi Arabia
Most of the universities and colleges and schools in Saudi Arabia are very similar to United States except the way the grades are said.
| Grade |
Percentage |
GPA value |
| Excellent |
90-100 |
3.5-4.0 |
| Great |
80-89 |
2.5-3.49 |
| Good |
70-79 |
1.5-2.49 |
| Acceptable |
60-69 |
1.0-1.49 |
| Weak |
0 - 59 |
0.0 |
for more information , see : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_saudi_arabia
Hong Kong
In
Hong KongHong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
, the system of grade point average (GPA) 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, or set the grade point of A+ to be 4.00, so that the maximum GPA attainable is 4.00 instead of 4.30. Some universities use a 12-point system called "CGA" instead. 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.
Russia and CIS (without Moldova , Belarus and Ukraine)
In Russia,
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
and likely many of the former
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
(with the notable exception of Moldova, that switched to the
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
n system) and some countries formerly associated with the
Eastern BlocThe terms Eastern Bloc, Communist Bloc or Soviet Bloc were used to refer to the former Communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, including the countries of the Warsaw Pact, along with Yugoslavia and Albania, which were not aligned with the Soviet Union after 1948 and 1960...
, 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. 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 |
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 EmiratesProvision of quality education in the United Arab Emirates began shortly after the establishment of the federation with the inception of the first university in Al Ayn, Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates University. Since then, the country has progressed with efforts of ensuring high literacy...
for more information.
Others
- China
In China, universities, colleges, and high schools are sorted into four levels, grading system for different levels are different.In China, for most of the 211 & 985 universities, especially for those top 10, and most of the high schools, the grading system is divided into five...
- 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...
In India, marks are generally given in percentages to encourage perfection and good presentation, despite the extra pressure on the students.But schools often give grades too in lower classes in primary school.But in higher classes, percentage differences up to two decimals is taken into consideration for ranking.The Board exams given by students all over India in Class 10 and 12,also present the marks obtained in each subject in the report card.
In colleges, a percentage or GPA system is optionally followed by various institutes.
But mostly, percentages are used. For many schools up to 12th grade high percentage above 90% is supposed to indicate the excellent quality of a student while in many undergraduate and graduate courses scoring above 65% also is very difficult, though it varies depending upon the board or University.
- Indonesia
In Indonesia, a grade point average ranging from 1 to 10 is used :*10: Exceptional *9-6: Passing...
- Iran
The Iranian grading system is similar to that of France's in secondary schools and universities; the passing grade is 10. Graduate programs require 12 as passing grade. Iranian grades are not convertible to 4.0 grade GPA directly, and should be used according to destination university regulations....
- Israel
In Israel, the main grading scale used is 0-100, which is employed in virtually all levels of Israeli education, from elementary school, through high school and undergraduate academic studies, to graduate university degrees....
- Japan
In Japan, the grading system depends on the school. Many universities use the following categories:*yū : A *ryō : B *ka : C *fuka : F...
- Korea
- Nepal
In Nepal the grade system is divided into 3 divisions:*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%...
- Pakistan
In Pakistan three grading scales are commonly used in higher education:In old grading system consisting of “Division Scheme”, the range of %age of marks is as follows:The grading system according to the percentage of marks in Division Scheme is as follows:...
- 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....
- Singapore
- 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.The grading may vary from school to school. It depends on the difficulty of each....
Albania
In
AlbaniaAlbania , officially the Republic of Albania , is a Mediterranean country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south-east...
, 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 |
| 5.00–5.99 |
Sufficient |
| 0.00–4.99 |
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.
Bulgaria
In
BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
, 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.
The most common formula used in Bulgarian schools is currently Grade=(6* number of correct answers)/ total number of questions.
That way if a student has answered 7 out of 10 questions correctly, their mark should be: (6*7)/10=4.20 , which is graded as Good 4 or an average performance.
Denmark
The current scale,
syv-trins-skalaen ("The 7-step-scale"), was introduced in 2007, replacing the old
13-skala ("13-scale"). The new scale is designed to be compatible with the
ECTS-scaleThe ECTS grading scale is a grading system defined in the ECTS framework by the European Commission. Since many different grading systems co-exist in Europe, and considering that interpretation of grades varies considerably from one country to another, if not from one institution to another, the...
.
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 |
F |
| 00 |
inadequate |
03 & 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 at 13-scale = 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 an
absolute scale, meaning that, proportions are not taken into consideration.
Germany
In
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
, school grades from 1 (best) to 6 (worst) are used. In the final classes of German
Gymnasium schoolsA gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools...
that prepare for university studies, a point system is used with 15 points being the best grade, 0 points the worst.
Iceland
In
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
, grades from 0 to 10 are used. It's very common also to grade simply in
percentageIn mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100 . It is often denoted using the percent sign, "%". For example, 45% is equal to 45 / 100, or 0.45....
s.
The Netherlands
In The Netherlands, grades from 1.0 up to 10.0 are used, with 1 being worst and 10 being best. You can see the system as percentages (a 1 means 0% correct and a 10 means 100% correct: no single mistake at all). 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.
A 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. Roughly, a student scores a 5.5 (pass) when it has 2/3 (66.67%) of an exam correct.
Depending in the specific university, some students who finish their studies with on average an 8.25 or higher, could get the nomination Cum Laude (comparable in Germany with getting a Magna cum Laude).
The grade scale with the labels:
| Grade |
Qualification |
| 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 |
European academic grading
With the exception of Liechtenstein, which uses the
Swiss grading systemIn Switzerland, usually a 6-point grading scale, where 6 represents the highest grade and 1 the lowest possible one.* 6 is the best possible grade.* 5.5 * 5 is a good grade.* 4.5...
, and Moldova, which uses the
Romanian grading systemIn Romanian primary schools, a 4-point grading scale is used:*Foarte Bine *Bine *Sufficient/Satisfăcător *Insufficient/Nesatisfăcător...
, the majority of European countries create their own academic grading standards. Most involve combinations of the key elements of grading, and all are used to evaluate students' performance on a scale of passing to failing (or comprehending to not comprehending material).
AustriaIn Austria, scholastic grades use a 5-point grading scale, where:* 1 is the best possible grade,* 2 is the next highest grade,* 3 indicates "average" performance,...
,
BangladeshAcademic Grading System in BangladeshThere was a revolutionary change in the result of SSC and HSC after introducing of Grading System. It was 2001, when first grading system is introduced in SSC result. The no. of Highest grades was very limited. In that time, only one student got GPA 5.0 from...
,
BelgiumIn the French speaking part of Belgium, the following grade scale applies to university and college students:Note that the percentages in brackets vary from a university/college to another and can even be different for two different faculties of the same institution.In Flanders the following...
,
Bosnia and HerzegovinaIn Bosnia, the following grade scale applies to elementary and high school students:The following applies to university students:...
,
CroatiaIn Croatia the following official grade scale applies to elementary school, high school and university students:1 is a failing grade, while grades 2 through 5 are passing grades....
, Czech Republic,
FinlandThis is an article on the grading that is currently being used in the country of Finland. Several systems are in use in different educational institutions in Finland.- Comprehensive school :...
,
FranceThe 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 :...
,
GermanyGermany uses a 6-point grading scale to evaluate the performance of school children:* 1 is the best possible grade and is given for outstanding performance...
,
GreeceThere are four Grading systems in Greece - four different GPA - one for higher education, one for secondary education, and two for primary education .-Universities - Polytechnics - A.T.E.I.:...
,
HungaryIn Hungary, a 5-point grade system is used. There are only whole numbers in report cards, but for grading exams, there are also fractions...
,
ItalyThere are two grading systems used in Italy:-Primary and secondary school:In Italian primary and secondary school a 10-point scale is used, 6 being the minimum grade for passing...
,
LatviaThe grading system in Latvia has recently been changed to a ten-point scale, where "10" is the highest achievable grade, and "1" is awarded for extremely poor performance...
,
LithuaniaIn Lithuania, the grading system has been changed to a 10-point scale since 1995. 10 is the highest achievable grade for an excellent performance and 1 is the lowest...
,
LuxembourgIn Luxembourg, a grade system from 01 to 60 is used in primary and secondary schools. A grade of at least 30 is required to pass. An insufficient mark is called a Datz in Luxembourgish. The grades are distributed in the following way:*50–60: very good...
,
NorwayIn colleges and universities the international system, ranging from A to F, is used:*A: 10% *B: 25% *C: 30% *D: 25% *E: 10% *F: Not passed...
,
PolandAt 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...
,
PortugalIn Portuguese middle-schools, a five-point grading scale is used, where:* 5 is the best possible grade,* 4 ,* 3 indicates "average" performance,* 2 ,* 1 is the lowest possible grade....
,
RomaniaIn Romanian primary schools, a 4-point grading scale is used:*Foarte Bine *Bine *Sufficient/Satisfăcător *Insufficient/Nesatisfăcător...
,
SerbiaIn Serbia a five-point grading scale is used in elementary schools and secondary schools:* 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 is the lowest passing grade* 1 is the lowest possible grade, and the failing one....
,
SlovakiaIn Slovakia, a five-point grading scale is used in primary and secondary schools:...
,
SloveniaIn Slovenia, a five-point grading scale is used in primary and secondary schools:*5: excellent *4: very good*3: good*2: sufficient *1: insufficient...
,
Spain-Elementary, high schools, and vocational schools:Spain uses a 10-point grading scale for elementary and high schools:*9.0-10 is the best possible grade and is called "sobresaliente" . A 10 grade may also include a distinction called "Matrícula de Honor" or "Mención de Honor," but usually only a...
,
Sweden-Primary and secondary school:These grades are used in the grundskola and the gymnasium :*MVG...
,
SwitzerlandIn Switzerland, usually a 6-point grading scale, where 6 represents the highest grade and 1 the lowest possible one.* 6 is the best possible grade.* 5.5 * 5 is a good grade.* 4.5...
,
UkraineUkraine introduced a new grading system after 2002.The new system provides grades that lie within 1 and 12 and are matched with the 5-point grade system that was used previously, as presented in the table below...
,
United KingdomThis is an article about the grading used below degree level in most of the United Kingdom. The entire United Kingdom does not use the same grading scheme...
Australia
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
n primary and secondary schools are currently migrating to a common reporting and assessment format. Education is the responsibility of the states in
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
. 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) |
BAND 6 |
| B |
80-89% (Good) |
BAND 5 |
| C |
70-79% (Average) |
BAND 4 |
| D |
60-69% (Below Average) |
BAND 3 |
| E |
40% - 59% (Unsatisfactory) |
BAND 2 |
| F |
40% and under (Failure) |
BAND 1 |
| Letter |
Percentile |
| A |
93-above |
| B |
92-83 |
| C |
82-73 |
| D |
72-63 |
| E |
62-below |
Some (but not all) 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
At some universities, such as University of Technology, Sydney, or Monash University, Melbourne, a GPA calculation out of 4 is calculated, whereby 4.0 = a High Distinction; 3.0 is a Distinction, 2.0 is a Credit, and 1.0 is a pass. In certain faculties, such as law, it is therefore possible to graduate with "honours" with a GPA of less than 2.5.
Whenever a course result is a Non-Graded Pass, the result will normally be disregarded in GPA calculation.
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. But in most states the ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) system determines tertiary positions. Government Supported Positions are given to students that achieve above a certain ATAR threshold. (An example of this is a ATAR of 85 for Civil Engineering at the University of New South Wales.) The value of the ATAR corresponds with their year 7 cohort,including students that did not complete year 12. An ATAR of 80.00, for example, indicates that students with that ATAR have performed in the HSC better than 80 percent of their year 7 cohort, had all these year 7 students completed year 12 and been eligible for an ATAR.
By contrast, in Queensland, graduating Year 12 students are awarded an OP of between 1 and 25, 1 being the most coveted; students are allocated their OP by means of a summation of marks from all their year 12 (and in some cases, year 11) courses, and also from the QCS ([Queensland Core Skills]) test, this being a series of four tests held at the end of secondary education.
External links