Grading in education

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

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 1.0–4.0), as descriptors (excellent, great, satisfactory, needs improvement), in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary institutions in some countries, 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 a calculation of the average of all of a student's grades for all semesters and courses completed up to a given academic term, 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 Farish and first implemented by the University of Cambridge 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.

Main article: European Baccalaureate

International Baccalaureate

International Baccalaureate

Level	Approximate mark (varies according to subject )
7	~85–100
6	~70–84
5	~60–69
4	~50–59
3	~40–49
2	~30–39
1	~0–29

Theory Of Knowledge (May 2006)
Grade	Mark
A	49–60
B	40–48
C	32–39
D	22–31
E	0–21

Grading systems by nation

Africa

Tunisia

In Tunisia, schools grades typically range from either 0 (worst) to 20 (best) or from 0 (worst) to 10 (best). A mark below the midpoint (10 out of 20 or 5 out of 10, depending on the scale) is usually a fail.

Algeria

As in Tunisia, the same thing applies to Algeria.

Asia

China

Main article: Academic grading in China

Hong Kong

Main article: Academic grading in Hong Kong

India

Main article: Academic grading in India

In India, grades are generally given in percentages to encourage perfection and good presentation, despite the extra pressure on the students. Schools also often give rankings in primary grade levels. In higher classes percentage differences up to two decimals are taken into consideration for ranking. The board exams given to students all over India in class 10 and 12 also affect the marks obtained in each subject in the report card. A percentage or GPA system is available to all institutes for post-secondary education, but is not universally used.

In secondary schooling up to class 12, grades of 90.00% or higher indicate a high level of preparation and achievement for a student. For many undergraduate and graduate courses the threshold for high achievement rests at 85.00%. The Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) will declare its results for each class based on Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) for 2010 and beyond.

Indonesia

Main article: Academic grading in Indonesia

Iraq

Most of the Primary, middle and high schools in Iraq grade out of 100 percent with a passing grade of 50 percent, So the grade point average is out of 100. Most of the post-secondary institutions (Universities, Colleges, Technical colleges ... etc.) uses the "word" grading system described below:

Grade	Percentage
Excellent	90–100
Very Good	79–89
Good	70–78
Adequate	60–69
Acceptable	50–59
Weak/Failure	0–49

For more information, see Education in Iraq.

Iran

In schools, grades are based on 20. This system is very traditional and established that even there is a proverb for it in everyday language; people often talk about things or persons that are "twenty", means that they are perfect with the highest value.

This system of grading based on 20 is also common in universities, but sometimes percent scoring is also used in higher educational systems.

Main article: Academic grading in Iran

Israel

Main article: Academic grading in Israel

Kuwait

Main article: Academic grading in Kuwait

Kuwait employs a four point grading system and percentages.

GPA	GPA in percentage	GPA description	Percentage of Students that got this grade in 2009-2010
3.80 - 4.00	97% - 100%	امتياز وتفوق (Excellence and Perfection)	4%
3.50 - 3.80	90% - 97%	امتياز (Excellence)	9%
3.00 - 3.50	85% - 89%	جيد جدا (Very Good)	18%
2.50 - 3.00	69% - 85%	جيد (Good)	37%
2.00 - 2.50	54% - 69%	مقبول (Acceptable)	21%
1.80 - 2.00	49% - 54%	غير كافي ولكن مقبول (Insufficient but Acceptable)	6%
1.50 - 1.80	45% - 49%	راسب لكن يمكن التعويض بالكورس الصيفي (Failure but possible compensation in summerschool)	2%
0.00 - 1.50	0% - 49%	راسب (Failure)	2%

Japan

Main article: Academic grading in Japan

Kyrgyzstan

Main article: Academic grading in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan employs a five point grading system:

Grade	Grade description	Notes
5	Эң жакшы (Excellent)
4	Жакшы (Good)
3	Канаатандырарлык (Satisfactory)
2	Канаатандырарлык эмес (Unsatisfactory)	Not a passing grade
1	Эң kанаатандырарлык эмес (Most Unsatisfactory)	Uncommon

Lebanon

In Lebanon, most schools use a 0–20 scale where the passing grade is 10 out of 20 or in some cases 9.5 out of 20. However there's a variety of grading systems used. Some schools that offer the IB (International Bac) or even Lebanese Bac use the 0–100 scale, 60 being the average score. Some use the American system. However in the typical school offering a Lebanese system, getting high grades is very hard, because teachers do not use the full scale. For instance the highest score one can earn in essay writing in some schools is 14 out of 20. All scores are based out of 20. Yet each subject has a weight for the overall average. This weight is determined by the credit hours. For instance math (6hours/week) x 20 (the base grade) = 120 (weight) Example: Student's grades: (math 13.33/20, English 13.4/20, biology 16.2/20)

English: 5 credits x 13.4 = 67 out of possible 100

Math: 6 credits x 13.33 = 79.98 out of possible 120

Biology: 2 credits x 16.2 = 32.4 out of possible 40

Total points earned = 179.38 out of possible 260

Overall Average= 13.798 out of 20

The Scale for the Overall average:

5.00–4.00 (Excellent)

3.99–3.00 ( Good)

2.99–2.00 (Satisfactory)

1.99–or less (Failing)

U.S. Equivalence
Scale / U.S. Grade Equiv.
14–20 / A
12–13.9 / B+
11–11.9 / B
10.5–10.9 / B-
10.1–10.4 / C+
10 / C
9–9.9 / C-
8–8.9 / D
0–7.9 /F

However in most universities the American grading system is used. Others use the 0–100 scale where the passing grade is 60 or 70 depending on the course. Yet French system universities use the 0–20 grading scale. Yet, a 40/100 in the American system is a 0/20 in the French system with respect to the following formula: (grade x 3) + 40 = (10 x 3)+40 = 70/100 is the 50/100 as the passing grade in the French system. Example: a 5/20 in the French system is equal to (5 x 3) + 40 = 55/100 in the American System. (Ref:ZE-2010)

Nepal

Main article: Academic grading in Nepal

Pakistan

Main article: Academic grading in Pakistan

Federal Board of Education Pakistan
Secondary/ Higher Secondary School Certificate
Grading Scheme

Grade	Percentage Marks	Remarks
A1	80% and above	Excellent
A	70–80%	Very Good
B	60–70%	Good
C	50–60%	Fair
D	40–50%	Acceptable
E	33–40%	Just Passedv

Philippines

Main article: Academic grading in the Philippines

Saudi Arabia

See also: Education in 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

In other universities in Saudi Arabia as King Abdulaziz University they use this grade:

Grade		Percentage	GPA value
Excellent Arabic: ممتاز	A+	95 - 100	5.0
	A	90 - 94	4.75
Very Good Arabic: جيد جداً	B+	85 – 89	4.50
	B	80 - 84	4.0
Good Arabic: جيد	C+	75 – 79	3.50
	C	70 - 74	3.0
Acceptable Arabic: مقبول	D+	65 – 69	2.50
	D	60 - 64	2.0
Failure Arabic: راسب	F	0 – 59	1.0

Singapore

Main article: Academic grading in Singapore

South Korea

Main article: Academic grading in South Korea

Middle School (7-9th grade)
Points are the student's raw score in midterms and finals(out of 100).

Points	Grades
90–100	수 / Su
80–90	우 / Wu
70–80	미 / Mi
60–70	양 / Yang
0-60	가 / Ga

High School (10-12th grade)
Percentage is the students' relative position among other students taking same subject. (100% is the highest, 0% is the lowest).

Percentage	Grades
96-100%	1등급 / Grade 1
89-96%	2등급 / Grade 2
77-89%	3등급 / Grade 3
60-77%	4등급 / Grade 4
40-60%	5등급 / Grade 5
23-40%	6등급 / Grade 6
11-23%	7등급 / Grade 7
4-11%	8등급 / Grade 8
0-4%	9등급 / Grade 9

Malaysia

In Malaysia and Thailand, higher education institutions usually apply the U.S. American grading system.

The grading systems are converted as grade points as follows:

Grade	Meaning	Grade point
A	Excellent	4.00
B+	Very good	3.67
B	Good	3.00
C+	Fairly good	2.50
C	Fair	2.00
D+	Poor	1.50
D	pass grade	1.00
F	Failure	0.79

United Arab Emirates

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

Vietnam

Main article: Academic grading in Vietnam

Central America

Costa Rica

Main article: Academic grading in Costa Rica

Europe

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
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 third 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.

Belgium

In Belgian Universities a scale from 0 to 20 is used on a per subject basis, a weighted average is then computed on scale from 0 to 100, 50 being the passing grade (satisfactory). Belgian high-schools use a scale from 0 to 100 for exams (50 usually being the passing grade) and a scale from 0 to 10 on report cards, which results are calculated from the results on tests and homework made throughout the school-year.

Scaling varies significantly depending on the university.

Bulgaria

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

6	Отличен (Otlichen)	Excellent, best possible grade 92–100% A
5	Много добър (Mnogo dobyr)	Very Good, next highest 75–91% B
4	Добър (Dobyr)	Good, indicates average performance 59–74% C
3	Среден (Sreden)	Sufficient, lowest passing grade 50–58% D
2	Слаб (Slab)	Poor, failing grade 0–49% F

For examinations and tests, exact grading is often used and is represented by two positions after the decimal point:

5.50–6.00	Отличен (Otlichen)	Excellent, best possible grade 92–100% A
4.50–5.49	Много добър (Mnogo dobyr)	Very Good, next highest 75–91% B
3.50–4.49	Добър (Dobyr)	Good, indicates average performance 59–74% C
3.00–3.49	Среден (Sreden)	Sufficient, lowest passing grade 50–58% D
2.00–2.99	Слаб (Slab)	Poor, failing grade 0–49% F

Grades as, e.g., Good (3.50), 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. Also, in accordance with the Australian system, 6=HD, 5=D, 4=Cr, 3=P, 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-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			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.

Finland

Grade	Description
10	Erinomainen (Excellent)
9	Kiitettävä (Praiseworthy)
8	Hyvä (Good)
7	Tyydyttävä (Satisfactory)
6	Kohtalainen (Fair)
5	Välttävä (Passable)
4	Hylätty (Fail)

To every grade you can put a - + or ½. E.g. 9½ would be 9.5, 9+ is 9.25 and 9- is 8.75.

France

In France, schools grades typically range from either 0 (worst) to 20 (best) or from 0 (worst) to 10 (best). A mark below the average (10 out of 20 or 5 out of 10, depending on the scale) is usually a fail. For the baccalauréat, a grade of 8–10 typically gives the right to take an additional oral exam in order to try and improve that average to 10 and pass. A grade between 10 and 12 is a simple pass ("passable") ; between 12 and 14 (more rarely 13–14) the grade is called "assez bien" (quite good) ; 14–16 is called "bien" (good) ; above 16 is "très bien" (very good). An exams jury can award the "Félicitations du Jury" for any mark, though they usually reserve it to a candidate who has achieved at least 18/20.

Germany

Main article: Academic grading in Germany

In Germany, school grades vary from 1 (excellent, sehr gut) to 6 (very poor, ungenügend). In the final classes of German Gymnasium schools that prepare for university studies, a point system is used with 15 points being the best grade and 0 points the worst grade.

German Grade System
Percentage	Grades by education			Descriptor	Conversion
(varies with school/subject)	primary & 1st secondary (1st-10th grade)	2nd secondary (Gymnasium, 11th-13th grade)	tertiary (Hochschule & Universität)		(approximately to US system*)
90–100%	1	15 points	1.0	"sehr gut" (very good: an outstanding achievement)	A+
		14 points
	1-	13 points	1.3		A
80–90%	2+	12 points	1.7	"gut" (good: an achievement which lies substantially above average requirements)	A-
	2	11 points	2.0		A-
	2-	10 points	2.3		B
65–80%	3+	9 points	2.7	"befriedigend" (satisfactory: an achievement which corresponds to average requirements)	B
	3	8 points	3.0		B
	3-	7 points	3.3		B-
50–65%	4+	6 points	3.7	"ausreichend" (sufficient: an achievement which still meets the requirements)	C
	4	5 points	4.0		D
0–50%	4-	4 points	5.0	"mangelhaft" / "nicht ausreichend" (below the requirements)	E
	5+	3 points
	5	2 points
	5-	1 point
	6	0 points	6.0	"ungenügend" (not sufficient / failed: an achievement which does not meet the requirements)	F

*this conversion serves as an orientation, as conversions might differ.

Hungary

In Hungary, a five-point scale is used. There is one fail grade: 1 – elégtelen (insufficient). The pass grades are 2 – elégséges (sufficient), 3 – közepes (mediocre), 4 – jó (good) and 5 – jeles (excellent).

Iceland

Main article: Academic grading in Iceland

In Iceland, grades from 0 to 10 are used.

Italy

In Italy, high-school grades vary from 10 (excellent) to 1 (impossible to assess), with the sufficiency being 6. For the final exams from 100 to 1, the sufficiency is 60.

Traditionally, high-school grades used to vary within a more limited range, between 4 and 8, often with each professor applying his/her own custom(although now 2s and 10s are used a lot more). When a professor wanted to apply a more precise scale, instead of using the full 1-10 scale (which would have made their scale not comparable with that of other professors) they would often insert a plethora of symbols and decimals: the range between 5 and 6 would then be covered, in sequence, by 5+, 5++, 5½, 5/6, 6--, 6-. Sufficiency was usually assumed to start at 6--. As these symbols (except ½) have no clear mathematical value, calculating end-year averages could be somewhat arbitrary; therefore, there has been a push in recent years to uniform the system to the 0-10 scale.

The "discipline grade", assessing a high-school pupil's behaviour, obeys different rules: is almost always set to 9 by default, with 8 used for less disciplined pupils. 10 is less usual, though it is very much possible these days to receive it. 7 is extremely rare and used to be a failing grade. An Italian blog about student life in school is named for this particular grade. Recently, there has been a school reform, so now the average grade of a student includes the discipline grade, which now is completely positive from 10 to 8, though many schools are not accustomed to this grading system yet.

In universities a point system is used for exams, with 30 points being the best grade and 18 the minimum passing grade. Degrees have a similar point system, in which however the highest grade can be 110 (most common), 100 or even 70, depending on faculty regulations. A cum laude notation (e lode in Italian) is used as an increasing level of the highest grade for both exams and degrees, in all its levels in case of outstanding performance.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, grades from 1.0 up to 10.0 are used, with 1 being worst and 10 being best. The system can be seen as percentages (1 means 0% correct and 10 means 100% correct: no single mistake at all, however in most tests 1 does not necessarily mean 100% incorrectness; a 1 could result even if 10% of the questions are correct). 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 the 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 2/3rd (66.67%) of an exam is correct.

Depending on the specific university, some students who finish their studies with an average of 8.0 or higher, could get the nomination Cum Laude (comparable in Germany with Summa Cum Laude).

The grade scale with the labels:

Grade	Qualification	Description
10	excellent	uitstekend
9	very good	zeer goed
8	good	goed
7	more than sufficient	ruim voldoende
6	sufficient	voldoende
5	insufficient	onvoldoende
4	strongly insufficient	matig
3	very strongly insufficient	zeer matig
2	poor	slecht
1	very poor	zeer slecht

Norway

Main articles: Education in Norway and Higher education in Norway

In primary school (Barneskole, from age 6 to 13) no official grades are given. However, the teachers write an individual comment or analysis on tests and in the end of every term.

Lower secondary school and upper secondary school use a scale running from 1 through 6, with 6 being the highest and 2 the lowest passing grade. For non-final tests and mid-term evaluations the grades are often post fixed with + or – (except 6 + and 1-). It is also common to use grades such as 5/6 or 4/3 indicating borderline grades. However, the grades students get on their final paper (Vitnemål), are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6.

According to the ECTS-system grades for undergraduate and postgraduate examinations are awarded according to a graded scale from A (highest) to F (lowest), with E as the minimum pass grade.

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).

An academic year has two semesters, from August to December and from January to June, although exceptions occur. Courses are measured in "studiepoeng" according to the ECTS standard (European Credit Transfer System credits). A normal full time study progression awards 60 credits (studiepoeng/stp) per year (30 per semester). Most institutions either use a 7.5, a 10 or 15 credit block system.

Poland

The most commonly used system in Polish grade schools is as follows (with usual corresponding score percentages):

• niedostateczny (unsatisfactory) – 1 – 0–50%
• dopuszczający (poor) – 2 – 51–60%
• dostateczny (satisfactory) – 3 – 61–75%
• dobry (good) – 4 – 76–90%
• bardzo dobry (very good) – 5 – 91–100%
• celujący (excellent) – 6 – This grade as a final grade is usually awarded for extracurricular merit. In examinations it is sometimes awarded for a perfect or near-perfect (98–100%) score.

Poor is a passing grade.

Academic institutions use a different system, usually consisting of the following grades:

• niedostateczny (unsatisfactory) – 2.0
• dostateczny (satisfactory) – 3.0
• dostateczny plus (satisfactory plus) – 3.5
• dobry (good) – 4.0
• dobry plus (good plus) – 4.5
• bardzo dobry (very good) – 5.0
• celujący (excellent) – 6.0, at some institutions 5.5 – This grade is rarely used, usually for extracurricular merit or a perfect score.

The scores corresponding to each grade vary highly from institution to institution and from course to course, but usually a score of 60 or 61% is required to obtain the lowest passing grade (3.0).

Russia

Most Russian educational institutions use a five-point grading scale:

• 5: Very good or Excellent, equal to highest distinction (best possible grade), around 85%+
• 4: Good (above average) approximately 75–84%
• 3: Satisfactory, sometimes translated into English as Fair (lowest passing grade) 50–74%
• 2: Unsatisfactory (failing) 25–49%
• 1: Poor (lowest possible grade) 24% and below, or failure to show up / complete exam.

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.

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 2 to 5. + 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.

A considerably more complex grading system has been implemented for the recently introduced Unified state examinations. In this system, a "primary grade" is the sum of points for completed tasks, with each of the tasks having a maximum number of points allocated to it. The maximum total primary grade varies by subject, so that one might obtain a primary grade of 23 out of 37 in mathematics and a primary grade of 43 out of 80 in French. The primary grades are then converted into final or "test grades" by means of a sophisticated statistical calculation, which takes into account the distribution of primary grades among the examinees. This system has been criticized for its lack of transparency.

In universities, the majority of subjects are graded on a "Pass/No pass" (Credit/No Credit) basis (зачёт/незачёт, pronounced "zach`ot/nezach`ot"), and the rest are typically graded on the five-point scale. 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 a 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.

Serbia

Serbia has the same academic grading system of the Former Yugoslavia. In elementary schools and secondary schools, a five-point grading scale is used:

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

Slovakia

In Slovakia, a five-point grading scale is used in primary and secondary schools:

Grade	Meaning
1	Výborný (EXCELLENT) – best possible grade.
2	Chválitebný (PRAISEWORTHY)
3	Dobrý (GOOD)
4	Dostatočný (SUFFICIENT)
5	Nedostatočný (INSUFFICIENT) – failing grade.

Ukraine

Ukraine introduced a new grading system in autumn 2000, which replaced the existing Russian grading system.

The new system provides grades that lie between 1 and 12 and are matched with the 5-point grade system that was used previously, as presented in the table below. 12 being an equivalent of honors/AP course "A+" in the US, it is usually given only for significant achievements or exceptionally creative work, hence 11 is the grade that would be called A in the United States.

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 fail

European academic grading

With the exception of Liechtenstein, which uses the Swiss grading system, and Moldova, which uses the Romanian grading system, 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).

Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom

North America

Main article: Academic grading in North America

Canada

See also: Academic grading in North America § Canada, and Academic grading in Canada

In Canada, where education is the responsibility of the provinces, 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). 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.
B	70–79	Exceeds Acceptable Standard
C	60–69	Acceptable Standard
D	50–59	Below Acceptable Standard
F	0–49	Failing grade, no credits awarded toward Alberta High School Diploma.

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

Letter grade	Grade points	Notes
A+	4.3 (4.0 at University of Alberta and University of Calgary)
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. Some universities in Alberta use or have used a 9 point grading scale: 9=A+, 8=A, 7=A-, 6=B+, 5=B, 4=B-, 3=C+, 2=C, 1=D, 0=F. See also the University of Alberta Office of the Registrar.

Manitoba

The University of Manitoba uses a GPA system.

Points Equivalence A+ =13.5 A =12 B+ =10.5 B =9 C+ =7.5 C =6 D =4.5 F =0 GPA is Calculated taking total "points" and divided by school credit hours.

A 4.5 point scale with the corresponding GPA scale

GPA	Description	Letter grade equivalent
4.5	Exceptional	A+
4.00	Excellent	A
3.50	Very Good	B+
3.00	Good	B
2.50	Satisfactory	C+
2.00	Adequate	C
1.00	Marginal	D
0.00	Failure	F

Saskatchewan

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

Percent	Letter grade equivalent	Descriptors
95–100%	A+	A profound / dandy performance.
75–94%	A	An excellent / outstanding performance.
65–74%	B	A very good / above average performance.
55–64%	C	A generally satisfactory, intellectually adequate performance.
50–54%	D	A barely sufficient performance.
0–49%	F	An unacceptable performance.

British Columbia

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

Letter	Percent
A	86–100
B	73-85
C+	67-72
C	60-66
C-	50-59
D	0–49 (temporary)
F (Fail)	0–49 (permanent)

Newfoundland and Labrador

In Newfoundland and Labrador Universities:

Letter	Percent
A	80−100
B	65−79
C	55−64
D	50−54
F	0−49

Grade F is the sole failing mark.

Nova Scotia

In most Nova Scotia universities:

Letter	Percent
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.

Ontario

Percentage and grade equivalence

Grade points for 1.0 credits	Percentage equivalency
A+	90–100%
A	85–89%
A-	80–84%
B+	76–79%
B	73–75%
B-	70-72%
C+	67–69%
C	63–66%
C-	60–62%
D+	57–59%
D	53–56%
D-	50–52%
R	0–49%

The University of Ottawa uses a grade point average system with numbers ranging from 0 to 10.

Quebec

In Quebec universities:

Letter	Grade point	Qualification
A+	4.33
A	4.00	Excellent
A-	3.66
B+	3.33
B	3.00	Very Good
B-	2.66
C+	2.33
C	2.00	Good
C-	1.66
D+	1.33
D	1.00	Passable
E	0.00	Failure ("échec")

This scale is used by at least UQTR. The Université de Montréal [1] scale is similar but goes from A+ to F. Université Laval [2] uses a similar 4.33 scale. UQAM [3], Concordia University and Université de Sherbrooke uses a 4.3 scale.

McGill University [4] and the École polytechnique [5] use a 4.0 scale. Université de Sherbrooke scale is from A+ to E [6].

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 two 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

Main article: Academic grading in the United States

The most popular grading system in the United States uses discrete evaluation in the form of letter grades. Many schools use a GPA (grade-point average) system in combination with letter grades. There are also many other systems in place. Some schools use a scale of 100 instead of letter grades. Others, including many Montessoris, eschew discrete evaluation in favor of pure discursive evaluation. There is no standardized system of grading in the United States. As such, these issues are left up to individual universities, schools and the regulatory authority of the individual states.

At most schools, colleges and universities in the United States, letter grades follow a five-point system, using the letters A, B, C, D and E/F, with A indicating excellent, C indicating average and E/F indicating failing. Additionally, most schools calculate a student's grade point average (GPA) by assigning each letter grade a number and averaging those numerical values. Generally, American schools equate an A with a numerical value of 4.0. Most graduate schools require a 3.0 (B) average to take a degree, with C or C-being the lowest grade for course credit. Most undergraduade schools require a 2.0, or C average to obtain a degree with a minimum of D or D- to pass a course. For most secondary schools, the minimum overall and course passes are both D or D-‍. Some districts, such as Mount Olive Township School District in New Jersey, have eliminated D as a passing grade for their students due to a high failure rate.

Whereas most American graduate schools use four-point grading (A, B, C, and E/F), several—mostly in the west, especially in California—do award D grades but still require a B average for degree qualification. Some American graduate schools use nine- or ten-point grading scales, such as the Rackham School of Graduate Studies at the University of Michigan, where 9.0 = A+, 8.0 = A, 7.0 = A-, and so on.

The American law school is, in terms of discrete evaluation, an eccentric collective of institutions. First, although the law degree is a graduate, doctoral-level degree, most law schools will still award the course grade D and confer the degree with a 2.0 average. Second, many law schools attempt to coordinate their degree pass standards to bar exam pass standards, so that most grade averages at these institutions are clustered between 2.0 and 2.5, with very few students between 2.5 and 3.0, and almost none (if any) above 3.0; while many other law schools cluster their grades just above the 3.0 average.

The percentage needed in any given course to achieve a certain grade and the assignment of GPA point values varies from one school to school, and sometimes between instructors within a given school. The most common grading scales for normal courses and honors/Advanced Placement courses are as follows:

	"Normal" courses		Honors/AP courses
Grade	Percentage	GPA	Percentage	GPA
A	90–100	3.5–4.0	90–100	4.5–5.0
B	80–89	2.5–3.49	80–89	3.5–4.49
C	70–79	1.5–2.49	75–79	2.5–3.49
D	60–69	1.0–1.49	70–74	2.0–2.49
E / F	0–59	0.0	0–69	0.0–1.99

Some states, such as Louisiana, may use the following grading scale:

Grade	Percentage
A	94–100
B	87–93
C	75–86
D	69–74
E/F	0–69

Whether a school uses E or F to indicate failing grade typically depends on time and geography. Around the time of World War II, several states began to use E, while the majority of the country continued to use the F, which traces to the days of Pass/Fail grading (P and F). In recent years, some schools have begun using an N for failing grades, presumably to represent "No Credit". Another letter used to represent a failing grade is U, representing "unsatisfactory."

Chromatic variants ("+" and "−") are often used. In most 100-point grading systems, the letter grade without variants is centered around a value ending in five. The "plus" variant is then assigned the values near the nine digit and the "minus" variant is assigned the values near zero. Any decimal values are usually rounded. Thus, a score of 80 to 82 is a B−, a score 83 to 87 is a B and a score of 87 to 89 is a B+. The four-point GPA scale, the letter grade without variants is assigned to the integer. The "plus" and "minus" variants are then assigned to .3 above the integer and .3 below the integer, respectively. Thus, a B is equal to 3.0, a B+ is equal to 3.3, and a B− is equal to 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, however, do assign grade values of 4.33 or 4.30; but the scale is still called "4.0", because grading scales (or "quality indices") take their numerical names from the highest whole number.

In many American high schools, students may also score above 4.0 if taking advanced, honors, Advanced Placement, 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 (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 than traditional letter grades. Even after ten years, some states, such as Washington, continue to evaluate over half of their students as "below standard" on the state mathematics assessment.

Oceania

Australia

Main article: Academic grading in Australia

Australian primary and secondary schools are currently migrating to a common reporting and assessment format. Education is the responsibility of the states in Australia. In 2005 the Federal Government introduced a universal common assessment and reporting standards legislation that all states had to adhere to. The Band 1-6 grading system is evident in the educational testing of primary and secondary school students via.government-administered programs such as the Higher School Certificate(HSC) and other numerical and literacy tests for primary students. The grading system is now structured as follows, though the percentages are only an approximate guide:

90% - 100%	BAND 6
80% – 89%	BAND 5
70% – 79%	BAND 4
60% – 69%	BAND 3
50% – 59%	BAND 2
0 - 49%	BAND 1

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)

Some other Australian universities have a marking system based on the Honours system used at Oxford and Cambridge:

H1	80% and above (First Class Honours)
H2A	75–79% (Second Class Honours (A Division))
H2B	70–74% (Second Class Honours (B Division))
H3	65–69% (Third Class Honours)
P	50–64% (Pass)
N	below 50% (Fail)

Many courses also have Non-Graded Pass (NGP) and Non-Graded Fail (NGF), 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, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and 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 "honors" 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 an 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.

New Zealand

Main article: Academic grading in New Zealand

South America

Argentina

In Argentina the GPA is calculated trimonthly, per semester or per year. Typically, grades vary between 1 and 10. The minimum grade for approval generally requires 40% which represents a grade 4, at Secondary School (some schools may require 60%).

Depending on the University, the admittance may require:

• Completion of secondary school.

• In some of the most popular careers, students may need to pass an entry exam. This may also apply to all careers in private universities.

In some universities, people over 25 years old can be admitted even if they couldn't complete high school, but they must pass an entry exam. For University the grades also vary between 1 and 10, although a 4 represents 60%, which is the grade required for approval.

Brazil

In Brazil the GPA – known as Coeficiente de Rendimento, Média Geral Acumulada ou Índice de Rendimento Acadêmico – is calculated bimonthly, per semester or per year (usually the GPA is calculated per semester, just sometimes per year and most often bimonthly). Typically, grades vary between 0 and 10. The minimum grade for approval varies between 5.0 and 6.0 (most often used) or 7.0. The GPA can also be used for college entrance evaluation in Federal Universities (State funded and free of charge), 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.

Most of the Brazilian universities adopt the following grading system:

A (Excellent)	>= 85%
B (Good)	> 75 and <= 85%
C (Fair)	> 50 and <= 75%
D (Fail)	> 25 and <= 50%
E (Bad)	>= 0 and <= 25%

Chile

Grades are assigned with a numeric scale from 1 to 7, including one decimal. 1 is the lowest and 7 the highest, with 4 as the lowest approval grade (equivalent to 60%). For the PSU, Prueba de Selección Universitaria (UST, Universitary Selection Test), the scale goes from 400 to 850 points. Depending on which university and major, the student will need a minimum score. The final score will depend on the points obtained in each test (Mathematics and Linguistics, both compulsory; Natural Sciences and History; both optional) and the NEM score, Notas de Enseñanza Media (High School Grades turned into a PSU Scale).

Colombia

Although there are several grading systems in the country, the most widely used is a numeric scale from 1 to 10 . 0 is the lowest and 10 the highest, with 6.0 as the lowest approval grade, equivalent to 60%.

For inter subject averages, two decimals are commonly used.

Two decimals are also widely used to calculate simple and ponderated averages, using a policy of closest-integer for rounding.

Paraguay

The grades vary from 0 to 5, where 5 is the maximum and 1 the lowest.

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 requires 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 70% of the exam/course is correct. Some private universities grade their students on a percentage basis, being 60% the approval grade.

Peru

Grades rank from 0 to 20, in an almost unique grading table. Passing grade is 11 in almost all schools and universities, while others prefer 13. In some preschool facilities, grades vary from F to A+, following the American system, and in a few Colleges, passing grade is 10.

See also

• Grade inflation

References

• http://www.bcsc.k12.in.us/EastHS/academics/grades.htm
• http://www.carleton.ca/sasc/sasc_home/audit/cgpa.html

External links

• Article: How is GPA computed in US schools? GPA Computation formula
• College Grade Database
• GPA Calculator
• Online US Collegiate GPA Calculator
• WES-Online GPA Conversionguide
• ECTS grading scale in Italy
• Centre, open source student information system with integrated flexible gradebook
• Hungarian ECTS Guide for academic year 2006/2007 (in English)
• Online Grading – Article by Campus Technology e-Magazine