Grading systems by country


This is a list of grading systems used by countries of the world, first organized by continent, with links to specifics in many entries.

Africa

Ghana

Nigeria

Main Article: Academic grading in Nigeria
The grading system in use at Nigerian institutions depends on the institution and sometimes on the faculty of the institution. In addition, grading scales at university level institutions have changed frequently. Grading scales can be 1 to 7, 1 to 5, or A through F, where A is on a 4.0 scale or on a 5.0 scale. The most common scale is now 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest grade obtained. In addition, degrees are awarded in a Class, depending on the grades received. Degrees may be awarded in the First Class, Second Class, Second Class, Third Class and Pass Class. Grading scales for secondary certificates are standard. Below is the grading system of Nigerian universities:
PercentageGradeDescription
70 - 100%AFirst class
60 - 69%BSecond class, Upper Division
50 - 59%CSecond Class, Lower Division
45 - 49%DThird Class
40 - 44%EPass
0 - 39%FFail

South Africa

Most universities follow a model based on the British system. Thus, at the University of Cape Town and the University of South Africa, the percentages are calibrated as follows: a 1st class pass is given for 75% and above, a second for 70 - 74%, a second for 60% - 69%, and a third for 50 - 59%. Any lower than 40% is a fail. The University of the Witwatersrand considers an A to be 75% and above.

Tanzania

PercentageGradeDescription
80-100%AExcellent
70-79%BVery good
60-69%CGood
50-59%DAverage
40-49%EAccepted
35-39%SSatisfactory
0-34%FFailure
This is for an A-level secondary education.
Grade A-D in two core subjects out of three and atleast an S grade allow students to be enrolled into university for higher education.There are normally 3 core subjects and one or two additional taken.
Universities have autonomy and each one has different or varying grading system.

Asia

Different countries in Asia have a variety of grading scales. Grading scales for some countries in Asia are described in this article.

South Korea

University
PercentageGradesGPA
95–100A+4.5
90–94A4.0
85-89B+3.5
80–84B3.0
75–79C+2.5
70–74C2.0
65–69D+1.5
60–64D1.0
0–59F0.0

India

Grading in universities

Indian universities follow a Percentage System and Indian Institutes of Technology follow a 10-point GPA System. The Percentage System works as:
PercentageClassification/division
75% and aboveDistinction/outstanding
60% and aboveFirst class
50% and above but below 60%Second Class
40% * and above but below 50%Pass Class
Below 40% *Fail

* At selected India institutions, a lower percentage may be considered passing.
The eight-point GPA introduced by University of Mumbai from Academic year 2012–13 is categorized as follows:
Letter GradeMarksGrade point
O90–1008
A+80–89.997
A60–79.996
B55–59.995
C50–54.994
D45–49.993
E40–44.992
F 39.99 and below1

The 10-point GPA followed by Indian Institutes of Technology is categorized as follows:
Letter GradeGrade Pointsin Words
S9–10Excellent
A8–9Very good
B7–8Good
C6–7Satisfactory Work
D4–6Sufficient
E3–4Not Sufficient
U0Unfair Behavior

Some universities follow a weighted average pattern to calculate percentage:
1st and 2nd Semester – 40% of the aggregate marks,
3rd and 4th Semester – 60% of the aggregate marks,
5th and 6th Semester – 80% of the aggregate marks,
7th and 8th Semester – 100% of the aggregate marks.
International Grade Conversion by World Education Services for Percentages scored in Indian universities.
PercentageGrade PointU.S. Grade EquivClassification/ Division
60–1003.5–4.0A or First class/ Distinction / Outstanding
55–593.15–3.49B+Second Class
50–542.5–3.14BSecond Class
43–492.15–2.49C+Third Division
35*–421.5–2.14CFail/Third Division
0–340–1.49FFail

* At selected institutions, a lower grade may be considered passing.
By DivisionU.S. Grade Equiv
I A
II B/B+
III C/C+

Grading in high school

Most boards in India give the raw marks obtained by the students, though some may only give the grade attained by the student.
National boards like CBSE give the marks obtained by the student and the positional grade which indicates a student's level in that subject with respect to his/her peers.
Some educational boards still follow the practice of giving 'divisions': a percentage over 90 is considered excellent; between 70-89 is considered to be 'first division'; between 50-69 is considered to be 'second division', between 40-49 is considered to be a pass; though these terminologies and classifications depend on the 'board of education'.

Indonesia

RangeGrade LetterGrade PointDescription
95–100A4.0Excellent/very good
90 - 94B3.0–3.99Good
80 - 89C2.0–2.99Average
< 79D1.0–1.99Poor/passed conditionally
< 74E0–0.99Unsatisfactory

Another Good Institution Grading System:
RangeGrade LetterGrade PointDescription
99–100A4.0Excellent/Perfect
97–98AB3.5Very good
95–96B3.0Good
93–94BC2.5Almost good
91–92C2.0Fair/satisfactory
89–90D1.0Poor/passed conditionally
0–88E0.0Fail

Afghanistan

The highest score receivable at schools and universities is 100.
Depending on the school and the grade of study, a good mark varies,
but on most occasions 80 or higher is considered to be a good one.
GradeScale 1Scale 2Description
90–100A4Excellent
80–89.99B3.0Very good
65–79.99C2Good
55–64.99D1Acceptable
0–54.99F0Fail

Iran

In schools, grades are based on 20. Depending on the school and the grade of study, a good mark varies, but on most occasions 16 or higher is considered to be a good one.
This system of grading based on 20 is also common in universities, but sometimes percent scoring is also used in higher education systems.
GradeScale 1Scale 2Description
18–20A+5Excellent
16–17.99A4Very good
14–15.99B+3Good
12–13.99B2Satisfactory
10–11.99C1Acceptable
0–9.99E/F0Fail

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 use the "word" grading system described below:
GradePercentage
Excellent90–100
Very good80–89
Good70–79
Adequate60–69
Acceptable50–59
Failure0–49

Israel

The 100-point grading scale is as follows:
MarkPercentageDescription
1095–100
985–94
875–84
765–74
655–64
549–54
<4<48

Japan

In Japan, following the reorganization of national universities in 2004, the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture has encouraged both public and private universities to adopt a GPA system.
Other higher education institutions give grades on a scale from 0–100 or a few universities apply letter grades. While for years an "A" grade range was from 80 to 100 points, some schools have started to give the 90 to 100 point range a special grade to indicate excellence. A failing grade is generally called an "E", though some institutions use "F".
ScaleLetter Grade
90–100Excellent
80–89A
70–79B
60–69C
0–59Fail

Kazakhstan

According to standardized credit system accepted in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the measurements of varying levels of comprehension in the realm of higher education in the Republic of Kazakhstan are the following:
LettersRangePercentageDescriptors
A4.095–100Excellent
A−3.6790–94Excellent
B+3.3385–89Good
B3.080–84Good
B−2.6775–79Good
C+2.3370–74Satisfactory
C2.065–69Satisfactory
C−1.6760–64Satisfactory
D+1.3355–59Satisfactory
D1.050–54Satisfactory
F00–49Unsatisfactory

Kuwait

employs a four-point grading system and percentages.
GPAGPA in percentageGPA description
3.80–4.0097–100امتياز وتفوق
3.50–3.8090–97امتياز
3.00–3.5085–89جيد جدا
2.50–3.0069–85جيد
2.00–2.5054–69مقبول
1.80–2.0049–54غير كافي ولكن مقبول
1.50–1.8045–49%راسب لكن يمكن التعويض بالكورس الصيفي
0.00–1.500–45%راسب و لا يمكن التعويض بالكورس الصيفي

Kyrgyzstan

employs a five-point grading system:
GradeGrade descriptionNotes
5Эң жакшы Highest possible grade
4Жакшы A passing grade
3Канаатандырарлык Lowest passing grade
2Канаатандырарлык эмес Not a passing grade
1Эң канаатандырарлык эмес Not a passing grade; uncommon

Lebanon

The Lebanese schools follow either the French grading system or the American grading system. Most schools use a 0–20 scale where the passing grade is 10 out of 20. It depends on the programme the school is offering: if French/Lebanese Baccalaureate the 0-20 scale is used with some exceptions IB schools unanimously use a 100-point scale if not an American grading scale.
In the typical school offering a Lebanese curriculum 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. Each subject has a weight and thus contributes differently towards the overall score: the "General Average". This weight is determined by credit hours. For instance math x 20 = 120
Example: Sample grades:
English: 5 credits × 13.4 = 67 out of possible 100
Math: 6 credits × 13.33 = 79.98 out of possible 120
Biology: 2 credits × 8.25 = 16.5 out of possible 40
Total points earned = 163.48 out of possible 260
General Average / Moyenne Générale 12.575
Students Graduating Lebanese or French Bacc. enter universities as sophomores not freshmen and can complete their degrees in 3 years.
U.S. Equivalence

Scale / U.S. Grade Equiv.

14–20 / A+

13–13.9 / A

11–12.9 / B+

10–10.9 / B

9.5–9.9 / B−

9.1–9.4 / C+

9 / C

8–8.9 / C−

6.5–7.9 / D

Below 6 / F
In some 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. French system universities use the 0–20 grading scale.

Malaysia

Malaysia has its own educational grading system. Different institutions of education use a different grading scheme. This is an example of a grading system practiced in a university in Malaysia.
GradeMeaningQuality pointPercentage score
AExceptional4.00Above 85%
A−Excellent3.7Above 80%
B+Very good3.3Above 75%
BGood3.00Above 70%
B−Fairly good2.7Above 65%
C+Satisfactory2.3Above 60%
CQuite Satisfactory2.00Above 55%
DPoor1.67Above 45%
D−Very poor1.33Above 40%
EExtremely poor1.00Above 35%
FFail0.0035% or below

Until high school, the average percentage is provided. A percentage over 80 is considered excellent; between 60 and 80 is considered to be 'first division'; between 40 and 60 is considered to be 'second division'
The Percentage System works as: Maximum Marks:100, Minimum Marks: 0, Minimum Marks Required for Passing: 35.
100–91% considered Excellent, 75–90% considered Very good, 55–64% considered good, 45–55% considered fair, 41–44% considered Pass, 0–40% considered fail. A percentage above 65% is referred to as the 1st Division and indicates a high intellectual level. Some universities follow a weighted average pattern to calculate percentage:
1st and 2nd Semester – 40% of the aggregate marks,
3rd and 4th Semester – 60% of the aggregate marks,
5th and 6th Semester – 80% of the aggregate marks,
7th and 8th Semester – 100% of the aggregate marks.
The 10-point GPA is categorized as follows: 10–9.1 – Best, 9–8.1 – Excellent, 8–7.1 – exceptionally good, 7–6.1 – very good, 6–5.1 – good, 5–4.1 – average, 4–3.1 – fair, 3.1–2 – Pass, 2–0 – fail. A GPA of over 7 is generally considered to be an indication of a strong grasp of all subjects.
PercentageEqUClassification
90 to 1004.5OOutstanding
60 to 894.0A or Distinction / First class**
50 to 593.5B+Second class
40 to 493.0BPass class
< 392.0CFail

Pakistan

Grading Scheme
GradePercentage MarksRemarks
A+85 and aboveExcellent
A80-85Very good
B+75-79Good
B69-74Moderate
C+65-68Fair
C60-65Needs Improvement
D50-59Unsatisfactory
F49 and belowFailed

In the old grading system consisting of "Division Scheme", the range of percentage of marks is as follows:
Percentage of MarksDivision
60–100First
45–59.99Second
33–44.99Third
0–32.99Fail

Nowadays most universities of Engineering and Technology follow following grading system.
GradeMarksGPA
A90 and above4.00
A−85–893.7
B+80–843.3
B75–793
B−70–742.7
C+65-692.3
C60-642.0
C−55–591.7
D50-541.3
F50 and below00.00

Palestine

Schools have grades from 1–100 starting from the 4th grade on. In universities, both numerical and alphabetical grade systems can be found, according to each university system.

Philippines

Saudi Arabia

Most of the universities and colleges and schools in Saudi Arabia are very similar to the United States except the way the grades are said.
In other universities in Saudi Arabia such as Imam University, King Saud University, King Abdulaziz University, King Khalid University, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University and King Faisal University, the following method is used:

Singapore

Academic grading in Primary school
PercentageGrades
91-100A*
75–90A
60-74B
50–59C
<50D

Academic grading in Secondary school
PercentageGrades
>75A1
70-74A2
65-69B3
60-64B4
55-59C5
50-54C6
45-49D7
40-44E8
<40F9

Academic grading in College-preparatory Junior College
PercentageGradesPass/Fail
70-100APass
60-69BPass
55-59CPass
50-54DPass
45-49EPass
40-44SSub-Pass
<40UFail

The grades for tertiary education are from 0.0 to 4.0.

South Korea

Middle School
Points are the student's raw score in midterms and finals.
PointsGrades
90–100A
80–90B
70–80C
60–70D
0–60F

High School
The percentage is the students' relative position among other students taking the same subject.
PercentileGrades
96–1001등급 / Grade 1
89–962등급 / Grade 2
77–893등급 / Grade 3
60–774등급 / Grade 4
40–605등급 / Grade 5
23–406등급 / Grade 6
11–237등급 / Grade 7
4–118등급 / Grade 8
0–49등급 / Grade 9

Thailand

Most high school programs in Thailand use the following 8 point grading system
PercentageGradeDescriptionGPA
80–100AExcellent4.0
75–79B+Very good3.5
70–74BGood3.0
65–69C+Fairly good2.5
60–64CFair2.0
55–59D+Poor1.5
50–54DVery poor1.0
0–49FFail0.0

For graduate and post-graduate studies, universities sometimes use a 10-point grading system
GradeDescriptionGPA
AExcellent4.0
A−Almost excellent3.67
B+Very good3.33
BGood3.00
B−Fairly good2.67
C+Almost good2.33
CFair2.00
C−Almost fair1.67
DPoor1.00
FFail0.00

Turkey

In Turkey, high school exam grades are from 0 to 100. But final grades are from 1 to 5.
GradePercentage RangeDescription
585–100%Pekiyi
470–84%İyi
360–69%Orta
250–59%Geçer
10–49%Zayıf

In Undergraduate education, regulations are generally according to the US grade system, depends on the University rules. Approximately;
Letter GradeDescriptionGradePercentage Range
AAPekiyi 4.0090-100
BAİyi-Pekiyi 3.5085-89
BBİyi 3.0080-84
CBOrta-İyi 2.5070-79
CCOrta 2.0060-69
DCOrta-Geçer 1.5050-59
DDGeçer 1.0045-49
FDFailed0.5035-44
FFFailed0.0000-34
NAAbsent0.00

United Arab Emirates

Primary education is free at government run schools. The grading is managed by the Ministry of Education. However, there are also many schools run by expatriates that are equally successful with their own grading system, or an accepted grading system of the country where the schools are affiliated to or share common standards with. At most universities and colleges, the United Arab Emirates' grading system is very similar to the United States' system.

Vietnam

The grading scale in Vietnam is from 10 to 1 where 10 is the highest, as follows.
Schools and universities in Vietnam use a 10-point grading scale, with 10 being the highest and 0 being the lowest, as follows.
The grading may vary from school to school. It depends on the difficulty of each.
The distribution of grades differs from standards in Western countries and strongly depends on the university. In Vietnamese universities, ten or nine is nearly impossible. Students hardly get more than 8.0 of the final results.

Central America

Costa Rica

Nicaragua

Panama

The grading system in Panama is different from universities than schools.
Universities use 0–100 point grade scaling similar to the United States grading. 71 is required to pass or the same as a C. While schools use the 1–5 point system. meaning if a student has a 4.5 that is the equivalent of an A- or somewhere around the 95 point range.
When it comes to the GPA Scale though, Panama uses a 0–3 point scale to determine the student's GPA. So if a student has a 2.5 that is roughly the same as a U.S. student having a 3.0–3.5.

Europe

Albania

In Albania, grades from 4 to 10 are used, with some schools allowing decimals and some others only allowing whole numbers.
GradeQualification
9.00–10.00Excellent
8.00–8.99Very good
7.00–7.99Good
6.00–6.99Satisfactory
5.00–5.99Sufficient
1.00–4.99Insufficient

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. 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 all the three trimesters 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 from not making an effort during the last three months of the year. The university lasts 3–5 years.

Austria

In Austria, grades from 1 to 5 are used.
GradePercentageTranslation
1 90-100Excellent
2 80-89Good
3 64-79Satisfactory
4 51-63Sufficient
5 0-50Insufficient

The formalized overall grade in Austria is "pass with distinction", which is given for excellent performance and "pass".
If someone is given a "pass with distinction" in his Matura, Diploma and PhD, all curricula absolved in the regular duration time he can have a 'promotio sub auspiciis presidentis rei publicae',, which is the highest honor in Austria only achieved by 1 out of 2500 graduates yearly.
Generally speaking, a cumulative Grade Point Average does not exist in the Austrian educational system and therefore has little relevance in the local job market.

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 20, with 10 being the passing grade per subject. A total average of around 14 gets you a distinction grade, around 16 means high distinction and an average of around 18 yields the highest distinction. The exact scores for each grade differ between different universities.
Belgian secondary schools use a scale from 0 to 100 or even above for exams. On report cards, certain schools also give grades on a percentage scale while others use a 0–10 scale. Those total scores are weighted averages of exams and tests.
In Belgian secondary schools, there are 6 years. In the first three years, students have to do exams every term. The scores are usually given in percentages. At the end of the school year, a total average score is given.
University colleges use the same scale from 0 to 20 as Belgian universities, although homework and presence may influence sometimes up to 50% or even more of these 20 points. It is more common to have a final exam counting for 100% of the grade if the course does not require laboratory work. Obtaining a grade higher than 16/20 is considered as a very good grade and a 19 or 20/20 is very rare.
Scaling varies significantly depending on the university or college.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, grades from 5 to 1 are used in primary and secondary education, while grades from 10 to 5 are used at universities.
Primary and secondary education grading:
GradeLabelTranslation
5OdličanExcellent – Best possible grade
4Vrlo dobarVery good –Next highest grade - Above average
3DobarGood – Average performance
2DovoljanSufficient – Lowest passing grade
1NedovoljanInsufficient – Failing grade

University grading:
GradePercentageTranslation
1091–100Exceptional
981–90Excellent
871–80Very good
761–70Good
651–60Sufficient – lowest passing grade
50-50Insufficient – failing grade

Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, the following grade scale is used in schools:
6Отличен The best possible grade 92–100% A
5Много добър Next highest 75–91% B
4Добър Indicates average performance 59–74% C
3Среден Lowest passing grade 50–58% D
2Слаб Failing grade 0–49% F

For examinations and tests, exact grading is often used and is represented by two positions after the decimal point:
5.50–6.00Отличен Best possible grade 92–100% A
4.50–5.49Много добър Next highest 75–91% B
3.50–4.49Добър Indicates average performance 59–74% C
3.00–3.49Среден Lowest passing grade 50–58% D
2.00–2.99Слаб Failing grade 0–49% F

Grades as, e.g., Good, or Excellent, 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. Grades like "Very good" and "Average" are also possible - these are ignored in calculations.
Roughly, the Bulgarian grade system can be equated to the American one like 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=/ total number of questions.
That way if a student has answered 7 out of 10 questions correctly, their mark should be: /10=4.20, which is graded as Good 4 or average performance.

Croatia

In Croatia, the following grade scale is used in schools:
5Odličan or IzvrstanExcellent, best possible grade A
4Vrlo dobarVery good, next highest B
3DobarGood, indicates average performance C
2DovoljanSufficient, lowest passing grade D
1NedovoljanInsufficient, failing grade F

At the end of each semester the grades are averaged to form a Grade Point Average, according to this scale:
5.00–4.50Odličan or IzvrstanExcellent, best possible grade A
4.49–3.50Vrlo dobarVery good, next highest B
3.49–2.50DobarGood, indicates average performance C
2.49–2.00DovoljanSufficient, lowest passing grade D
1.99–1.0NedovoljanInsufficient, failing grade F

In colloquial Croatian, grades are referred to be their numerical values: jedinica, dvojka, trojka, četvorka, petica.
Students with failing grades are allowed to carry those grades throughout the school year, but are required to improve them to passing grades in order to finish the year. Failure to pass one class results in the student being held back a year.

Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, a five-point grading scale is used in both primary and secondary schools:
GradeDescriptionTranslationNotes
1VýbornýExcellentThe best grade achievable. U.S. 'A' equivalent.
2ChvalitebnýCommendableU.S. 'B' equivalent.
3DobrýGoodU.S. 'C' equivalent.
4DostatečnýSufficientU.S. 'D' equivalent.
5NedostatečnýInsufficientFailing grade. U.S. 'E/F' equivalent.

Plus and minus signs are often used to further differentiate marks. For example, "2+" corresponds to the U.S. 'B+'. Half-intervals may also be used, such as "2–3", a grade halfway between 2 and 3.
At the university level, only grades 1, 2 and 3 are passing; anything worse than 3 is automatically a failing grade. Some universities use a six-point scale, with 'A' corresponding to "1", 'B' to "1–2", etc.

Denmark

The current scale, syv-trins-skalaen, was introduced in 2007, replacing the old 13-skala. 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. This new scale remains an "absolute" scale, meaning that, proportions are not taken into consideration.

Estonia

In universities:
PercentageGradeMeaning
91–100%AExcellent
81–90%BVery good
71–80%CGood
61–70%DSatisfactory
51–60%EPassable
0–50%FFailed

Tallinn University of Technology uses numerical grades from 5 to 0 with the same percentages.

Finland

Several systems are in use in different educational institutions in Finland. The "school grade" system has historically been a scale of 0 to 10, but all grades lower than 4 have been discarded. Thus, it is now divided between 4, the failing grade, and 5–10, the succeeding grades. Upper secondary school has the same grades for courses and course exams as a comprehensive school but matriculation examination grades are in Latin. Universities and vocational institutions use a scale of 0 and 1–5 or fail/pass. Some schools e.g. Savon Ammatti- ja Aikuisopisto, uses grading from 0 and 1-3. The professor selects which grading scheme is used; short, optional courses typically have pass/fail grades.

France

In France, school grades typically range from either 0 to 20 or, sometimes, from 0 to 10. A mark below the average is usually a fail.
For the French National High School Level, a grade of 8–10 typically gives the right to take an additional oral exam in order to try to improve that average to 10 and pass. A grade between 10 and 12 is a simple pass ; between 12 and 14 the grade is called "assez bien" ; 14–16 is called "bien" ; above 16 is "très bien". An exams jury can award the "Félicitations du Jury" for any mark, though they usually reserve it to a candidate who has achieved 18/20 or more.
World Education Services grade equivalence between France and the U.S.
ScaleUS grade equivalent
14–20A
12–13.9B+
11–11.9B
10.5–10.9B−
10C
9–9.9C−
8–8.9D
0–7.9F

Germany

In Germany, school grades vary from 1 to 6. 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. The percentage causes the grade can vary from teacher to teacher, from subject to subject and from state to state. The percentages shown in the table are the ones used in the "Oberstufe".
The table below depicts the Greek Grading system while illustrates approximately how the Grades are compared with ECTS, US and UK grades:
Greece ECTSUS UK
Ἀριστα ECTS AA, A+First-Class Honours*
Λίαν Καλώς ECTS BB, B+, A−Upper Second-Class Honours
Καλώς ECTS CC, C+, B−Lower Second-Class Honours
No assessment/award at the end of 4th or 5th year, until all modules, from all years, are passed successfully. Years are extended.C−, DThird-Class Honours
WithdrawalFOrdinary degree
Fail

For the National Technical University of Athens the above grades are different:
9–10 is "excellent",
7–9 is "very good",
5–7 is "good",
0–4.9 is "fail".

Hungary

In Hungary, a five-point scale has been used since 1950. There is one failing grade: 1 – elégtelen. In general, the lowest passing mark is either 50% or 60%, or one mark higher. Passing grades are 2 – elégséges, 3 – közepes, 4 – and 5 – jeles. The perfect overall performance is named kitűnő or kiváló.
The bare five-point scale is used almost exclusively for final grades at all educational levels. During the academic year, however, teachers may use various modifiers, especially in elementary school. A comma after the grade has a minus effect, and an apostrophe after the grade has a plus effect ; a grade halfway between two integers is indicated by the lower and higher one separated by a solidus: 3/4 is equivalent to 3.5, and 4/5 is between 4 and 5, etc. Sometimes "5*", five starred is used to indicate outstanding performance throughout the semester.
GradeMeaning English translationPercentage
Percentage
Common percentage
5Jeles / ÖtösVery Good91–10090–10086-100
4/ NégyesGood81–9080–8975-85
3Közepes / HármasSatisfactory or Mediocre66–8070–7961-75
2Elégséges / KettesPass or Sufficient51–6560–6951-60
1Elégtelen / EgyesFail or Insufficient0–500–590-50

Iceland

In Iceland, grades were recently changed from 0-10 into the following
GradePercentage rangeDescriptionAdvanced description
A99+ExcellentThe student shows outstanding ability in the field as a reference field of study described.
On admission to a college student has the ability to work on the second phase of the study stage
B+82-93Very goodThe student has achieved all learning outcomes with a score of A. Upon entry into the college student has the ability to work on the second phase of the study stage.
B65-81GoodThe student shows good ability in the field as a reference field of the study described. On admission to a college student has the ability to work on 2.þrepi the subject area, but you may need to go to the extra phase in Icelandic, mathematics and English.
C+50-64BadThe student has achieved all learning outcomes C and partly to the criteria of the rating of B. Upon entry into the college student has the ability to work on the first phase of the study stage.
C35-49Very badThe student shows that he has, to some extent, but not all reach the competence criteria describing learning division. On admission to a college student has the ability to work on the first phase of the study stage.
D-34FailThe student has not reached the competence assessment criteria to describe the subject area. On admission to a college student has the ability to work on the first phase of the study stage and may need individualized. A student who gets D in two of the three main subjects to apply for a preparatory study - also applies to those who are marked * rating.
O0Unworthy of marking

Ireland

The two government regulated educational qualifications are the Junior Certificate and the Leaving Certificate.
GradePercentage rangeDescription
A85-100%Excellent
B70-84%Very good
C55-69%Good
D40-54%Pass
E25-39%Fail
F10-24%Fail
NG0-9%Unworthy of marking

Passing or failing the Junior Cert, has no bearing on whether or not students can graduate or continue on.
For the Leaving Certificate, a points system is used. Previously, this consisted of lettered and numbered grades, with each grade separated by 5%, bar an A1 which was given for a mark over 90%. However, this was updated for the 2016/2017 Leaving Cert cycle and these letters were replaced by H, O and F. Each grade is separated by 10%. A maximum of 6 subjects are counted, with a possible 100 points in each subject. For students sitting the higher level maths paper, an extra 25 points can be obtained by getting a grade above a H6. In practice, most students take 7 or 8 subjects and their best 6 results are counted. Each subject has 2 or 3 levels: higher, ordinary and foundation. The points are:
GradePercentage RangeHigher Level PointsOrdinary Level PointsFoundation Level Points
H1/O1/F190–100%1005620
H2/O2/F280–89%884612
H3/O3/F370–79%77370
H4/O4/F460–69%66280
H5/O5/F550–59%55200
H6/O6/F640–49%44120
H7/O7/F730–39%3300
H8/O8/F80–29%000

The points system allocates all university places in Ireland for Irish applicants.
Irish universities vary in their grading systems. For example, UCD awards letter grades and corresponding GPA values similar to the United States system, but 1, 2.1, 2.2 etc. for degrees, while TCD awards all grades as 1, 2.1, 2.2 etc.

Italy

In Italy, Primary and Mid School grades may vary from 10 to 1, with passing being 6.
When a professor wants to apply a more precise scale and ranking for students assessments, instead of using the full 1–10 scale, s/he may sometimes have recourse to a plethora of symbols and decimals: the range between 5 and 6 is then expressed, in ascending order, by 5+, 5½, and 6−. The minimum passing is 6. As these symbols have no clear mathematical value, calculating end-year averages can be somewhat arbitrary and inconsistent; therefore, there has been a push since 2008 with the Gelmini reform to uniform the system to the 1–10 scale.
Before this reform, primary and secondary school grades used a different grading scale that expressed an assessment of the pupil's progress:
A recent school reform provides for the average grade of a student to include the grade for behavior; as in academic subjects, acceptable ratings range from 6 to 10.
In universities, a point system is used for exams, with 30 points being the best grade and 18 the minimum passing grade. This stems from the practice that exams were traditionally given by 3 examiners. Each had to rate the student's examination performance on a 1–10 scale, and the final grade was the sum of the three ratings. On a 1–10 scale, passing is 6, so on a 1–30 scale the minimum passing grade is 3*6 = 18. Nowadays the form of each examination is decided by the professor, but the traditional grading system remained.
Degrees have an analogous point system, in which however the highest grade is 110.
A cum laude notation is used to augment the highest grade for both exams and degrees, in all its levels, to reflect truly outstanding performance.

Summary

;Corresponding percentages
;Examples of intermediate grades
In Kosovo, grading is as follows:
5-Shkëlqyeshëm
4-Shumë Mirë
3-Mirë
2-Mjaftueshëm
1-Dobët

Latvia

The academic grading system in Latvia is using ten-point scale, where "10" is the highest achievable grade, and "1" is awarded for extremely poor performance. The minimal passing grade is "4". In most universities, to get the "4", you must acquire at least 50% correct on the work you hand in. Though some universities have a minimum passing grade of "5".
The absence of any kind of performance is indicated by "nv" ; in the past, The mark for absence of work was "0". Teachers in lower classes and for minor assignments in higher classes are encouraged to award one of two grades: "i" for a passing grade, and "ni" for a failing grade. The grade of 10 is reserved for exceptional achievements. 9 is most commonly used for a United States equivalent of an A. In some cases, the grade can be rounded for example if a student got 67% the grade can sometimes be rounded to a 7.
GradePercentageTranslationIn Latvian
10100%ExcellentIzcili
990–99%Very goodTeicami
880–89%Very goodĻoti labi
770–79%GoodLabi
660–69%Almost goodGandrīz labi
550–59%SatisfactoryViduvēji
433%–49%Almost satisfactoryGandrīz viduvēji
330–39%BadVāji
220–29%Very badĻoti vāji
10–10%Very, very badĻoti, ļoti vāji

Lithuania

In Lithuania, the grading system was changed to a 10-point scale in 1993. Prior to that, Soviet Lithuania had a 5-point grading scale. 10 is the highest achievable grade for excellent performance and 1 is the lowest. Usually, 1 is given when there is no work submitted at all ; otherwise, most teachers keep 2 as the lowest grade and rarely mark work as 1.
The lowest grade for passing a subject in the secondary education institutions is 4, while in the higher education institutions 5 is the lowest passing grade.
Notes:
Moldova uses a 10-point scale system, 5 being the minimum grade for passing:
In the Netherlands, grades from 1.0 up to 10.0 are used, with 1 being worst and 10 being best. This system can correspond to a percentage system but sometimes pts are deducted for the number of faults on a test. The grades 9 and 10 are hardly ever given on large examinations. Generally, either one or two decimal places are predominantly used in secondary and higher education. In primary education, fractions of grades are identified with a + or −, which signifies a quarter. Thus, a grade of 6.75 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; however, in this case of grading in full numbers there exists sometimes "6-", which would officially translate to 5.75, but can be interpreted here as "barely, but just good enough". Roughly, a student scores a 5.5 when 2/3 of an exam is correct. If the grade would be a 5.49 and one decimal is used, the 5.49 will be a 5.5, but if no decimals are used the 5.49 will end up as a 5 which indicates a fail.
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.
The grade scale with its labels:
GradeQualificationDescriptionUKUSA
10uitstekendexcellentA*A+
9.5uitstekendexcellentA*A+
9zeer goedvery goodA*A+
8.5zeer goedvery goodA*A+
8goedgoodAA
7.5ruim voldoendemore than sufficientA-A
7ruim voldoendemore than sufficientBB+
6.5voldoendesufficientCB
6voldoendesufficientDC
5.5matigmediocreED
5zwakweakFF
4onvoldoendeinsufficientFF
3ruim onvoldoendestrongly insufficientFF
2slechtpoorFF
1zeer slechtvery poorFF

North Macedonia

Primary and secondary education:
GradeLabelTranslation
5одличен Excellent – Best possible grade
4многу добар Very good – Next highest grade - Above average
3добар Good – Average performance
2доволен Sufficient – Lowest passing grade
1недоволен Insufficient – Failing grade

University grading:
GradePercentageTranslation
1091 - 100Exceptional
981 - 90Excellent
871 - 80Very good
761 - 70Good
651 - 60Sufficient - Lowest passing grade
51 - 50Insufficient - Failing grade

Norway

In primary school no official grades are given. However, the teachers write an individual comment or analysis on tests and at 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. It is not possible to fail a grade in Lower Secondary School, even 1 is a passing grade. For non-final tests and mid-term evaluations the grades are often post fixed with + or −. It is also common to use grades such as 5/6 or 4/3 indicating borderline grades. However, the grades students get on their diploma, are single-digit grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6. The student's non-weighted grade point average is also given on the Vitnemål.
In higher education, according to the ECTS-system, grades for undergraduate and postgraduate examinations are awarded according to a graded scale from A to F, with E as the minimum passing grade. The ECTS system was implemented at Norway's universities and colleges in the early 2000s, with most schools having converted to ECTS by 2003.
Before 2003, the formerly most common system of grades used at the university level was based on a scale running from 1.0 through 6.0, with 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.
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. A normal full-time study progression awards 60 credits per year. Most institutions either use a 7.5, 8, 10, 12, 15 or 20 credit block system.

Poland

The most commonly used system in Polish grade schools is as follows :
GradeLabel Label PercentageTranslation
1ndstniedostateczny0–29%unsatisfactory
2dopdopuszczający30–45%acceptable
3dstdostateczny46–61%satisfactory
4dbdobry62–77%good
5bdbbardzo dobry78–92%very good
6celcelujący93%+excellent

The grade 'perfect' as a final grade is usually awarded for extracurricular merit. In examinations, it is sometimes awarded for a perfect or near-perfect score.
Grades can be suffixed with + or -. On rare occasions, the = is used, especially as 2= to express the very lowest passing grade.
Before 1990, grades 1 and 6 were not used. It was grade 2 that was called "insufficient". 3=, also called trzy na szynach was the very lowest passing grade. The grade 6 might have been issued on very rare occasions.
Post-secondary institutions use a different system, usually consisting of the following grades :
The scores corresponding to each grade vary greatly from institution to institution and from course to course, but usually, a score of 50% or 51% is required to obtain the lowest passing grade. The notations zal. and nzal. are used when the course only requires attendance and/or is not important.

Portugal

In Portuguese primary and middle schools, up until the 9th grade inclusive, the grading system is as follows:
From the 10th grade onwards, including tertiary education, a 20-point grading scale is used, with 10 passing grades and 10 failing grades, with 20 being the highest grade possible and 9.5, rounded upwards to 10, the minimum grade for passing. This 20-point system is used both for test scores and grades.

Romania

The system used in Romanian primary schools is as follows:
In secondary schools, high schools, and academic institutions, a 10-point scale is used, 5 being the minimum grade for passing:
There is no 0.
If a student scores 86%, he will be given a grade of 8.60, which will be rounded to a 9.
Further, for a score of 94%, a grade of 9.40 is given that is rounded down to 9.
The average of grades are not rounded, thus a student can earn an average grade of e.g. 9.55.

Russia

Most Russian educational institutions use a five-point grading scale:
GradeLong nameShort name Long name Short name Translation of nameDescriptionPercent
5ОтличноотлOtlìčnootlVery good or Excellentbest possible grade90% and above
4ХорошохорKhorošòkhorGoodGoodapproximately 76–90%
3УдовлетворительноудUdovletvorìtelnoudSatisfactory, sometimes translated into English as Fairpassing grade60-75%
2НеудовлетворительнонеудNyeudovletvorìtelnonyeùdUnsatisfactoryfailing<59%

Qualifiers + and − are often used to add some degree of differentiation between the grades: e.g., 4+ is better than 4, but not quite as good as 5−. Grading varies greatly from school to school, university to university, and even teacher to teacher, even for courses that lend themselves to objective markings, 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 a fairly exotic grade in Russian schools, but it does officially exist. The generally used grades are 2 to 5. Plus and minus modifiers follow the same tendency; they are rarely used in middle school and almost never in colleges or universities. Some institutions and teachers, dissatisfied 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.
At universities some subjects are graded "Pass/No pass" or "Credit/No Credit" ; the rest are typically graded on the five-point scale. The "Pass/No Pass" grades do not have any official numeric representation. When zachòt – type subjects are graded as "Pass/No pass", this represents a student's knowledge of a subject. Each university applies its own standards with respect to the knowledge a student must have in order to pass a subject. Zachòt equival to pass with mark of minimum 77% to maximum 100%. Students in Russia must pass all prescribed courses in order to graduate.
Since the word zachòt can be translated variously into English, this notation can create problems for Russian students applying to Western universities. Such grades may confuse Western universities and complicate the accurate calculation of students' GPAs in Western systems. For Western system "Pass" calculation recommended to perform based on averages.
Western universities and equivalency organizations usually disregard zachòt, despite the fact that this notation is typically used for about half of a student's course results. Consequently, most Western GPA conversions of Russian degrees reflect only part of a candidate's coursework.
All course examinations and zachot tests must be passed at the time each is given, as there are no repeats, resits or grade appeals. Hence only those who satisfy all the requirements during the allotted examination period for each semester graduate, leaving a huge number of students behind who in the West would have had a chance to resit examinations and even get their grades reconsidered. Furthermore, grades in Russia are determined not only by examination results but also by other criteria such as class attendance and participation, term papers and projects, in-class and homework assignments, laboratory reports, presentations, and sometimes even grooming and behavior. All these must be passed during the semester before a 'final examination mark' and final zachot is awarded.
Russian degrees do not have composite classifications such as in the British system of First Class, Upper/Lower Second Class, Third Class, Pass, etc. This is because each course is examined independently, students must pass all of them, and they do not add up or contribute to an average grade or 'class'. Another reason is that during the Russian Revolution, social stratification and classification were supposedly abolished in the interest of promoting social equality. Accordingly, all students would be expected to perform at or above the minimum level required to qualify and graduate. Calculation of an aggregate mark or GPA is not considered fair or even possible, as it would be felt to disregard much of a candidate's academic work. The zachòt notation would complicate such calculation, and the final thesis qualifying mark is usually considered as the final result. Students who have shown exceptional academic talent by getting 5's in most of their courses are awarded a 'degree with excellence', which comes in a special red cover.

Serbia

has the same academic grading system of the Former Yugoslavia. In elementary schools and secondary schools, a five-point grading scale is used:
At the university the grade scale used is as follows:
In Slovakia, a five-point grading scale is used in primary and secondary schools:
GradeMeaningUS equivalent
1Výborný – best possible gradeA
2Chválitebný B
3Dobrý C
4Dostatočný D
5Nedostatočný – failing gradeF

Slovenia

In elementary schools and secondary schools, a 5-point grading scale is used:
At the university level is used a 10-point scale grading system:
In Spain, schools grades typically range either 0 to 10. A mark below 5 is usually a fail. These grades are described as follows:
Since the autumn of 2012, grades in Sweden have been given to students in the 6th grade and above. Previously, grades were given from the 8th grade for many years. Students below the 6th grade receive an estimation of their knowledge in each subject from their teachers. The current Swedish national grade scale has been used since 2011 and contains six grades which translate to a number of points, as shown below.
Current scaleOld ScalePoints
AMVG 20
B17.5
CVG 15
D12.5
EG 10
FIG 0

The grades A to E are passing grades, while F denotes failure. Grades A, C and E all have different requirements and the requirements for A are, naturally, the hardest to reach. The grades B and D are given when a student has met all the requirements for the grade below and a majority of the requirements for the grade above.

When a student reaches the end of the Swedish nine-year-school and Upper Secondary School, their 17 best grades and points are turned into a qualification value which they use to apply for their next level of education.

Switzerland

Switzerland has a grading scheme from 1 to 6, where 6 is the highest, 1 the lowest, and 4 the minimum pass mark; anything below 4 designates insufficient performance. It is used on all levels of education, such as primary schools, lower and higher secondary schools, universities, and vocational education.
Except this general pattern, the meaning and the calculation of the grades is subject to the respective cantonal office of education. The cantonal office of educations usually follow the following pattern:
Anything below a 4 is insufficient performance, in particular:
A final mark can be any of the discrete number between 1 and 6, or anything between two of them usually rounded up or down to the next half or quarter value, or to one or two digits behind the decimal point.
An oversimplified way to calculate a grade is: × 5 + 1 = grade.

Ukraine

Ukraine introduced a new grading system in autumn 2000, which replaced the existing Soviet grading system.
The new system provides grades that lie between 1 and 12 and are matched with the five-point grade system that was used previously, as presented in the table below. 12 is the equivalent of an honors/AP course "A+" in the U.S. and is usually given only for outstanding achievement or exceptionally creative work. Hence 11 is the grade that would ordinarily correspond to A in the United States.
New systemOld system
125+
115
105−
94+
84
74−
63+
53
43−
32+
22
11

United Kingdom

England

GCSE exams are graded as follows. Grade marks fluctuate based on national results.
GradeDescription
9The highest grade available. Equivalent to a high "A*" in the old grading system.
8Equivalent to a low A* in the old grading system.
7Equivalent to an A in the old grading system.
6Equivalent to a B in the old grading system.
5Equivalent to a high C in the old grading system. This is generally considered to be the preferred minimum grade to enter Level 3 courses.
4Equivalent to a low C in the old grading system. This is generally considered the absolute minimum grade to enter Level 3 courses.
3Equivalent to a D to a high E in the old grading system.
2Equivalent to a low E to an F in the old grading system.
1Equivalent to a G in the old grading system.
0Equivalent to a U in the old grading system. This is awarded to those who failed the subject.
XThis is awarded to those who were entered for a subject, but did not sit the examination.

;A-Level
A-Level exams are graded as follows. Grade marks fluctuate based on national results.
GradeDescription
A*The highest grade available.
A
BGenerally considered the minimum grade required to enter top universities.
C
D
EThe lowest passing grade available.
UAwarded to students who failed the subject

;Grading in universities
A degree may be awarded with or without honours, with the class of an honours degree usually based on a weighted average mark of the assessed work a candidate has completed. The degree classifications are:
Despite grade marks fluctuating based on national results, the Scottish Qualifications Authority grading scheme goes as follows for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher:
GradeDescriptionPercent
AHighest grade70% - 100%
BVery strong pass60% - 69%
CPass and be accepted by universities50% - 59%
DBorderline: the student has not passed but was not far from passing indicating they should resit that course40% - 49%
No AwardThe student has failed the course0% - 39%

For National 3 and 4 courses in Scotland, the only grades are as follows:
GradeDescriptionPercent
Pass50% - 100%
Fail0% - 49%

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.
Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, 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

Canada

Conversions from percentage marks to letter grades, by province:
LetterPercentageProvincial standingNotes
A90-100Final course grades in this range are annotated with Honors Standing in the Alberta Senior High School.
B79-89Exceeds acceptable standard
C68-78Acceptable standard
D50-67Below Acceptable standard, marginal pass, may not be sufficient to take a course at a higher level.
F0–50Failing grade.

In Alberta post-secondary colleges, technical institutes, or universities, the actual percentage associated with letter grade is up to the individual institution or professor teaching the course.
The 4.33 is scored as a 4.00 at University of Alberta, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, MacEwan University University of Calgary
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. A student may be awarded an Honours designation on 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. D is the minimum general passing letter grade to receive credit for a course. Certain faculties may require higher grades to receive course credit.
Some universities in Alberta have used a nine-point stanine grading scale: 9=A+, 8=A/A–, 7=B+/B, 6=B–/C+, 5=C, 4=D, 0 to 3=F. See also the University of Alberta Office of the Registrar.

British Columbia

The following table is only an approximation; faculties within universities sometimes follow a different system for converting percentage marks to letter grades.
The University of British Columbia uses a percentage grading scale
Simon Fraser University uses a 4.33-point grading scale
GPADescriptionLetter Grade
4.33ExcellentA+
4.00ExcellentA
3.67ExcellentA-
3.33GoodB+
3.00GoodB
2.67GoodB-
2.33SatisfactoryC+
2.00SatisfactoryC
1.67MarginalC-
1.00MarginalD
0.00FailureF

Secondary schools in the School District 38 of Richmond use another grading scale.
GPAPercentDescriptionLetter grade
4.086 - 100ExcellentA
3.073 - 85Very goodB
2.566 - 72GoodC+
2.060 - 65SatisfactoryC
1.050 - 59Minimally acceptableC-
00 - 49FailureI or F

In some faculties, such as the School of Engineering Sciences program at its Faculty of Applied Sciences, a course grade score of a D is considered a fail if it is a prerequisite course.
The University of Victoria uses a 9-point grading scale alongside a percentage-based system.
GPAPercentage RangeLetter Grade
990 - 100A+
885 - 89A
780 - 84A-
677 - 79B+
573 - 76B
470 - 72B-
365 - 69C+
260 - 64C
150 - 59D
00 - 49E/F/N

Manitoba

The University of Manitoba uses a GPA system.
GPADescriptionLetter grade equivalent
4.50ExceptionalA+
4.00ExcellentA
3.50Very goodB+
3.00GoodB
2.50SatisfactoryC+
2.00AdequateC
1.00MarginalD
0.00FailureF

GPA is Calculated taking total "points" and divided by school credit hours.

Newfoundland and Labrador

In Newfoundland and Labrador at Memorial University:
LetterPercent
A80–100
B65–79
C55–64
D50–54
F0–49

Grade F is the sole failing mark.

Nova Scotia

In most Nova Scotia universities:
LetterPercent
A+90–100
A85–89
A−80–84
B+77–79
B73–76
B−70–72
C+65–69
C60–64
C−55–59
D50–54
F0–49

Grade F is the sole failing mark.

Ontario

Percentage and grade equivalence
Grade points for 1.0 creditsPercentage equivalency
A+95–100
A87–94
A−80–86
B+77–79
B73–76
B−70–72
C+67–69
C63–66
C−60–62
D+57–59
D53–56
D−50–52
R0–49

The University of Ottawa uses a grade point average system with numbers ranging from 0 to 10 despite many schools using the 12 point system.
Official grading system at the University of Ottawa: Letter grade, numerical value, and percentage equivalency
Letter GradeNumerical ValuePercentage
A+1090–100
A985–89
A−880–84
B+775–79
B670–74
C+565–69
C460–64
D+355–59
D250-54
E140–49
F00–39

Quebec, New Brunswick

In Quebec and New Brunswick universities:
LetterGrade pointQualification
A+4.33Excellent
A4.00Excellent
A−3.66Very good
B+3.33Very good
B3.00Very good
B−2.66Good
C+2.33Good
C2.00Good
C−1.66Passable
D+1.33Passable
D1.00Passable
E0.00Failure

This scale is used by at least UQTR. The Université de Montréal scale is similar but goes from A+ to F. Université Laval uses a similar 4.33 scale. UQAM, Concordia University and Université de Sherbrooke uses a 4.3 scale. This scale is much alike many other scales used in Canada.
McGill University and the École Polytechnique de Montréal use a 4.0 scale. Université de Sherbrooke scale is from A+ to E.
The percent equivalent of each grade and the passing mark can vary. The passing mark in high school and college is 60%.

Saskatchewan

The University of Saskatchewan and University of Regina both use a percentage grade system, universal across faculties and departments.
PercentLetter grade equivalentDescriptors
90–100A+An exceptional / outstanding performance.
80–89AAn excellent / very good performance.
70–79BA good / above average performance.
60–69CA generally satisfactory, intellectually adequate performance.
50–59DA barely acceptable performance.
0–49FAn unacceptable performance.

Mexico

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.
In some universities, students who fail a subject have the option of taking an extraordinary test 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 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 are higher or lower depending from the kind of studies that are related with and lower than this score is not acceptable.

United States

The most popular and commonly used grading system in the United States uses discrete evaluation in the form of letter grades. Many schools use a GPA 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 Montessori schools, eschew discrete evaluation in favor of pure discursive evaluation. There is no standardized system of grading in the United States. As such, those 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 F indicating failing. Additionally, most schools calculate a student's grade point average 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 average to take a degree, with C or C− being the lowest grade for course credit. Most undergraduate 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, several—mostly in the west, especially in California—do award D grades but still require a B average for a degree qualification. Some American graduate schools use nine- or ten-point grading scales, formerly including the Rackham School of Graduate Studies at the University of Michigan, where 9.0 = A+, 8.0 = A, 7.0 = A−, and so on.
In a handful of states, GPA scales can go above 4.0.
The percentage needed in any given course to achieve a certain grade and the assignment of GPA point values varies from 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:
Some states may use an alternate grading scale such as the following which is commonly used.
GradePercentage
A92–100
B84–91
C76–83
D68–75
E/F0–67

Whether a school uses E or F to indicate a 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. 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 are 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 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. This is called a weighted GPA and is designed to reward students for taking more advanced courses. Although weighting GPAs is a widespread practice in the United States, there is little research into whether weighted GPAs are better than unweighted GPAs. In one study, weighted GPAs were not suitable for predicting any college outcomes, but unweighted GPA were strong predictors of college 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:
ClassCreditsGradeGrade Points
Speech 1013A3 × 4.0 = 12.0
Biology 1024B+4 × 3.3 = 13.2
History 1573B−3 × 2.7 = 8.1
Physical Education 1041C1 × 2.0 = 2.0

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 and conventions. 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.
Here is another example of a commonly used grading scale, currently in place at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minnesota. The Grade Point Average is not the traditional four-point scale, but uses the 12-point scale for unweighted classes and the 15-point scale for weighted classes:
GradePercentage
A+96.50–100.00
A92.50–96.49
A−89.50–92.49
B+86.50–89.49
B82.50–86.49
B−79.50–82.49
C+76.50–79.49
C72.50–76.49
C−69.50–72.49
D+66.50–69.49
D62.50–66.49
D−59.50–62.49
F0.00–59.49

The 12-point GPA scale works as follows. Students receive 12 points for an A or A+, 11 points for an A−, 10 points for a B+, etc. for each grading period. Once a grading period is complete, the student's total grade points are divided by the total number of credits and a GPA is generated.
For example, here is one term of grades and a grade point average from a student whose school uses the 86-minute block schedule :
Math 4X 95.06/A = 12 Grade Points
Chemistry X 87.39/B+ = 10 Grade Points
Symphonic Band 99.76/A+ = 12 Grade Points
AP United States History 92.57/A− = 11 Grade Points
Total45 Grade Points/4 Credits = 11.25 GPA

Standards-based grading

Standards-based grading is a well-known practice of assessment. It provides students with learning expectations and an in depth way of evaluation students. It is not the most common assessment method but it provides students with developmental feedback. Researchers have determined that students who were previously exposed to standards-based grading reflected higher performance.

Alternative grading methods

Alternative grading methods over a diverse way of assessing student progress. Recent studies reveal that alternative grading methods may lead to more applicable growth opportunities for students' overtime. These methods can include portfolios, narrative evaluations, contract grading, developmental meetings and verbal feedback. These methods provide insight to evaluation methods and emphasize student progress and improvement. Some alternative grading methods include contract grading, the Waldorf assessment style, and narrative evaluation.
Contract grading emphasizes learning behaviors. Most students are accepting of contract grading; however, the data shows that less than half of students noted they found it helpful and less stressful than letter grades. Most students that dislike this method were advanced students and found the process to be repetitive.
The Waldorf assessment style consists of developmental meetings and an evaluation letter. Waldorf grading methods focused more on what they were learning rather than how well each student applied it. It emphasizes positive feedback and progress. Some people may label it as unstructured, others may describe it as a personalized and relaxed style of learning and assessment. Waldorf philosophy strongly reiterates the growth and improvement of the students.
Narrative evaluation can be defined as detailed written feedback. Studies show that over half of students really like narrative evaluation. It focuses on improvement and provides personal detail of how students have grown. It allows for more personalized feedback and eliminates the competitive nature of students to compare themselves to their classmates.

Oceania

Australia

Both NAPLAN and final year secondary school gradings are specified in "Bands", approximately as follows:
90–100 MarksBand 6/Exemplary
80-89Band 5
70-79Band 4
60-69Band 3
50-59Band 2
0-49Band 1

During the final year of high school, Extension subjects, such as Mathematics and Mathematics, are marked out of fifty, rather than the normal 100 marks, and thus, have slightly different criteria:
45–50 MarksBand E4
35-44Band E3
25-34Band E2
0-24Band E1

The majority of Australian tertiary institutions use the following grading structure:
HD85% and above
D75–84%
Cr65–74%
P50–64%
F49% and under

Some other Australian universities have a marking system similar to the Honours system used by British universities:
H180% and above
H2A75–79%
H2B70–74%
H365–69%
P50–64%
Nbelow 50%

Many courses also have Non-Graded Pass and Non-Graded Fail, 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.
Grade-point averages are not generally used in Australia below a tertiary level but are important for selection into graduate entry courses such as Medicine and Law. They are calculated according to the more complicated formula than some other nations, and may be customised for the particular course application when used as entry criteria into graduate entry degrees:
Grade Point Average = Sum of / total number of credit points attempted, in which grade points are as follows:
At some universities, among them Macquarie University, University of Technology, Sydney, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Monash University in Melbourne, a GPA is calculated, with 4.0 being a High Distinction; 3.0 a Distinction, 2.0 a Credit, and 1.0 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 calculations.
The term course unit values is used to distinguish between courses that have different weightings e.g. between a full year course and a single semester course.
The grading of secondary school graduates varies from state to state, but in most states, the ATAR system determines which students are offered positions in tertiary courses. Government Supported Positions are offered to applicants for a course who are ranked above a particular ATAR threshold, which commonly varies from course to course, institution to institution, and year to year. A student's ATAR signifies that student's rank relative to their year 7 cohort, including students that did not complete year 12. A student with an ATAR of 80.00, for example, has performed, in their final year of secondary schooling, better than 80 percent of that student's year 7 cohort, had all those years 7 students completed year 12 and been eligible for an ATAR.
On the other hand, graduating Year 12 students in Queensland are given an Overall Position from 1 to 25, with 1 being the highest band. OPs are calculated from a student's grades in their year 12 courses, and also from Student Achievement Indicators which are allocated by the student's teachers.

New Zealand

Most New Zealand secondary schools use the National Certificate of Educational Achievement marking schedule, even in pre-NCEA years for commonality. There are four grades, from lowest to highest, Not Achieved, Achieved, Achieved with Merit, and Achieved with Excellence. These can also be marked at certain levels for junior exams and general assignments as well as exams once the student has started NCEA. The grading for these specific marks are as follows, Not Achieved minus, Not Achieved plus, Achieved, Achieved plus, Merit, Merit plus, Excellence and Excellence plus. It is possible to get an achieved, merit or excellence minus, but would be marked as the first number used for the grade. The difference between an achieved plus and merit minus is simply if the student has applied all of the achieved requirements but not enough merit requirements or has applied all of the achieved requirements and just enough merit requirements to reach merit. However, these grades are often check marked if that is the case and regardless of whether the student got a merit minus or straight merit, they will be rewarded with merit level credits for the assessment. The minority of schools using other secondary school qualifications have different grades. Grading at tertiary institutions generally centers around a letter scale, with a corresponding nine-point GPA scale.

South America

Argentina

In Argentina, the GPA is calculated quarterly, each semester, or annually. Grades usually range from 1 to 10. The passing mark is typically 70% or around two thirds, which in secondary school is represented by a grade of 7.
Depending on the university, admittance may require:
University grades are also on a scale of 1 to 10, but a passing mark is represented by 4, which usually corresponds to a mark of 70-75%, or higher.

Brazil

In Brazil, the GPA – known as Coeficiente de Rendimento, or Índice de Rendimento Acadêmico – is calculated per semester or per year or both. The High School GPA is almost never used for college entrance evaluation in public universities. To enter state colleges, Brazilian students must attend to entrance exams called vestibulares. The most famous ones are FUVEST, the entrance exam for University of São Paulo, and ENEM, a national exam that ranks high school students to be accepted by federal funded colleges. The private college system also apply entrance exams, but some might use the GPA as an evaluation method.
During college, the GPA is calculated as a weighted average of grade and course hours and has a bigger importance than in high school as it determines the priority in receiving scholarships, for example.
The majority of schools adopt a 0.00 to 10.00 scale for grading, and some of the Brazilian schools adopt the following grading system:
A 8.1–10
B 6.1–8.0
C 4.1–6.0
D 2.1– 4.0
E 0–2.0

A grade below 4.0 is surely a fail, although some schools have passing criteria of 6.0 to 7.0, as 60% to 70%.

Chile

Grades are assigned with a numeric scale from 1.0 to 7.0, including at least one decimal, with 4.0 as the lowest passing grade. Everything under a 4.0 is considered a "red mark," which equates to failing. For the PSU, Prueba de Selección Universitaria, the scale goes from 150 to 850 points. The points follow a normal distribution, being 500 the average result. Depending on the university and the major, the student will need a minimum score to get accepted. The final score will depend on the points obtained in each test: Mathematics and Linguistics ; Natural Sciences and History and the NEM score, Notas de Enseñanza Media converted into the PSU Scale.
Numerical system from 1,0 to 7,0:
Numerical systemUS Letter grades
6,9 - 7,0A
6,5 - 6,8A-
5,9 - 6,4B+
5,4 - 5,8B
5,0 - 5,3B-
4,4 - 4,9C+
4,0 - 4,3C
3,9 - 3,5C-
3,4 - 2,4D
≤ 2,3F

Colombia

The most used grading systems are the numerical from 0 to 5 or from 0 to 10 and commonly are approved with 3 or 6, respectively. The letter system consists of E, S, A, I, D and is approved with A. The letter system is based on the numerical, meaning that the numerical system guides the letter one. While the universities only use the numerical system, with 3.0 being the passing grade, because it is more complex and students have more difficulty in approving a course.
Numerical system from 0 to 5:
Numerical systemLetter systemUS Letter grades
5.0–4.5Excelente A
4.4–4.0Sobresaliente A-
3.9–3.5Aceptable B+, B
3.4–3.0Insuficiente C, C-
2.9–0.0Deficiente D, F

Numerical system from 0 to 10:
Numerical systemLetter systemUS Letter grades
10–9.0Excelente A
8.9–8.0Sobresaliente B
7.9–6.0Aceptable C, D
5.9–4.0Insuficiente E
3.9–0.0Deficiente F

It is noteworthy that most schools no longer implement the Deficiente to represent a null performance because is believed that it might cause low self-esteem in students.

Ecuador

In Ecuador, the rating system is 10 out of 10, including two decimal places in both primary, secondary and university, the highest score is 10 and the lowest is 1. The minimum grade required to pass a year is 7, depending on how schools are organized. Since 2012 enjoy complete autonomy in Ecuador, so that some establishments maintain supplementary examination for those with less than 7, and other approved intensive recovery, but if the grade obtained is lower than 5, students are automatically disqualified and disciplinary actions are taken. If a student got 10 out of 10 in 90% of subjects in the first period, he is promoted to a senior year, after taking an entrance examination. Notes and academic qualifications and groups them reasoning thus:
This system is still applied to universities, being the "Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas - ESPE" the only exception, as they do not allow their students to take supplementary exams after every course.

Paraguay

The grades vary from 1 to 5, where 5 is the maximum grade achievable and 1 the lowest. The minimum for a pass is 2.
Grades range from 0 to 20, in an almost unique grading table. The passing grade is 11 in most schools and universities. In some preschool facilities, grades usually range from F to A+, following the American system, and in a few colleges, the passing grade is 10.
For most Peruvian universities the grading system is as follows:
Numerical systemDescriptionUS Letter grades
14.00–20.00ExcelenteA
11.99–13.99Muy buenoB
11.00–11.99AprobadoC
10.00–10.99AplazadoD
0.00–9.99DesaprobadoF

From 2017, Peru will adopt a new evaluation system. AD, A, B, C, D.

Uruguay

In Uruguay, high grades are very hard to achieve. In primary school, grades range in this order:
In secondary school, grades range from 1 to 12. 1 is the lowest and 12 is the highest. Passing an exam or course requires 6 out of 12 in high school or at a private university, and 3 out of 12 at a public university. In high school, a 6 corresponds to 50% on an exam or in a course while in a public university, a 3 corresponds to 60% in a course or exam. Grades of 10, 11, and 12 are considered excellent. Some private universities grade their students on a percentage basis, generally setting the passing benchmark between 60% and 70%.
Because of the acronym of the word "Sobresaliente" it is usual to pronounce it as "Sote".

Venezuela

Grades in Venezuela may vary according to the education level, but normally the grading system is numerical, and ranges from 00 to 20, 00 being the lowest and 20 being the highest, and 10 being the pass mark, equivalent to a "D" in the United States. This system is not required, however, and several schools in Venezuela deviate from it by following a letter-grade system similar or identical to those in the United States.
Shown here is the Venezuelan grading system in probable comparison with the United States grading system:
Venezuelan gradeAmerican letter gradeAmerican percentage
18–20A 90–100%
14–17B 80–89%
12–13C 70–79%
10–11D 60–69%
01–09E or F 0–59%