Grading Systems Around the World

By The Gradeculator Team · Last updated July 2026

A single reference table for how 35 countries grade their students — the native scale, the top grade, the pass mark, and an approximate (unofficial) US-letter equivalent for each. If you are an international student, a study-abroad applicant, or anyone trying to make sense of a foreign transcript, this page is built to give you fast, honest context in one place.

Grading Systems Comparison Table

The table is grouped by region and sorted alphabetically within each group. Click any column heading to re-sort the whole table by that column; click again to reverse the order. Country names in bold coral link to a detailed guide.

Notes
United States North America Letter A–F (higher is better). Secondary %: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69, F 0–59. College uses A+ to F mapped to a 0.0–4.0 GPA. A / A+ (4.0 GPA) D (60%, 1.0 GPA) — lowest grade still earning credit; F below 60% fails. A–F (this is the reference scale itself) Secondary uses a 5-grade A–F scale; colleges a 13-grade A+ to F scale on a 4.0 GPA. Exact % cutoffs vary by school/instructor.
Canada medium confidence North America Letter + % (higher is better), varies by province. E.g. Saskatchewan: A+ 90–100, A 80–89, B 70–79, C 60–69, D 50–59, F 0–49. A+ (typically 90–100%; Ontario often reserves A+ for 95–100%) Typically 50% (some provinces/programs use 60%) A–F, broadly similar to the US letter system No single national scale; grading varies by province, level and institution. A+ ranges differ (Alberta caps A+ at 90–100, Ontario at 95–100).
United Kingdom Europe Undergraduate honours by weighted %: First (70%+), Upper Second 2:1 (60–69%), Lower Second 2:2 (50–59%), Third (40–49%); higher is better. First-Class Honours (1st), 70%+ 40% (Third-Class Honours is the minimum honours threshold; below is fail/ordinary) First ≈ A, 2:1 ≈ A-/B+, 2:2 ≈ B/B-, Third ≈ C (approximate only) Marks are absolute, not percentiles; UK % rarely exceed ~80. Applies to England, Wales and NI; Scotland similar. No official US mapping exists.
Ireland medium confidence Europe University honours (First 70%+, 2:1 60–69%, 2:2 50–59%, Third 40–49%), pass ~40%. Leaving Certificate: H1–H8 / O1–O8, H1/O1 = 90–100%. University: First-Class Honours (70%+). Leaving Cert: H1 (90–100%) University ~40%; Leaving Cert H7/O6 (above H8/O7) needed to pass and earn points First ≈ A, 2:1 ≈ A-/B+, 2:2 ≈ B/B-, Third ≈ C (approximate only) Universities use a UK-style honours classification with a ~40% pass. Admission runs on the CAO points system (max 625).
Germany Europe University 1.0–5.0, LOWER is better — 1.0–1.5 sehr gut, 1.6–2.5 gut, 2.6–3.5 befriedigend, 3.6–4.0 ausreichend (pass), 5.0 fail. School 1–6; upper Gymnasium 0–15 points. 1.0 (sehr gut / very good); 15 points in the upper-secondary system 4.0 (ausreichend); anything better than 4.0 passes, 5.0 fails 1.0–1.5 ≈ A, 2.x ≈ B, 3.x ≈ C, 4.0 ≈ D (pass), 5.0 ≈ F (approximate only) Inverted scale: 1.0 is best and higher numbers are worse. University grades run 1.0–5.0; school report grades run 1–6.
France Europe 0–20 (higher is better); pass 10/20. Mentions: assez bien 12–13.9, bien 14–15.9, très bien 16–20. 20/20 (near-perfect is extremely rare); highest honour is mention très bien (16+) 10/20 16–20 ≈ A, 14–15.9 ≈ A-/B+, 12–13.9 ≈ B, 10–11.9 ≈ C/D pass (approximate only) Grading is severe: scores above 14 are rare and 12+ often puts a student in the top 10–20%. Used for the baccalauréat and universities.
Netherlands Europe 1–10, 10 is best; decimals used (e.g. 6.5). Higher is better. 10 (uitmuntend / outstanding) — extremely rare 5.5 (rounded to 6 when whole numbers only) ~A+ for 8–10; there is no official mapping Same 1–10 scale across secondary and university; a 10 implies perfection and is almost never awarded, an 8 average is considered excellent.
Spain Europe 0–10, 10 is best; 5.0 is the pass threshold. Higher is better. 10 (Sobresaliente); Matrícula de Honor is a top distinction for a limited share of students 5.0 ~A for 9–10, ~B for 7–8, ~C for 6, ~D for 5 (approximate only) Bands: Suspenso (<5, fail), Aprobado 5–6.9, Notable 7–8.9, Sobresaliente 9–10; Matrícula de Honor (~top 5%) above 9. Secondary and university.
Italy Europe Secondary 0–10 (pass at 6). University 0–30 per exam (pass 18), 30 e lode top; final degree 0–110 (pass 66). Higher is better. Secondary 10; University 30 e lode; degree 110 e lode Secondary 6/10; University 18/30 (degree 66/110) Secondary ~A+ for 9–10; University ~A for 28–30 (approximate only) Two distinct scales: secondary out of 10, university exams out of 30 with the special distinction 30 e lode; final degree out of 110.
Poland Europe Secondary 1–6, 6 best (pass 2). University 2.0–5.0 with half-steps (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0), 5.0 best (pass 3.0). Higher is better. Secondary 6 (celujący); University 5.0 (bardzo dobry) Secondary 2 (dopuszczający); University 3.0 (dostateczny) — 2.0 is a fail University 5.0 ~A, 4.0 ~B, 3.0 ~C; secondary 6 ~A+ (approximate only) Two scales: secondary 1–6 (1 = fail); university 2–5 where 2.0 fails and 3.0 is the minimum pass. "zal." (zaliczenie) denotes a non-graded pass.
Russia Europe 5-point scale, 5 is best (pass at 3). Higher is better. 5 (otlichno / excellent) 3 (udovletvoritelno / satisfactory) — 2 is a fail 5 ~A, 4 ~B, 3 ~C (approximate only) 5 otlichno (excellent), 4 khorosho (good), 3 udovletvoritelno (pass), 2 neudovletvoritelno (fail); 1 exists but is effectively never used. Schools and universities.
Sweden Europe Secondary (since 2011): A–F, A best, E lowest pass, F fail. University varies — often U/G/VG (three-grade) or Pass/Fail; some use ECTS A–F. A (secondary); VG (Väl godkänd) where the three-grade scale is used E (secondary); G / Godkänd (three-grade scale) — F/U is fail A–E roughly A through D (approximate only; Swedish A–F ≠ US A–F) The A–F letters are Swedish grade steps, not US letters (E is a pass, F the only fail). Universities set their own scales; ECTS A–F appears under Bologna.
Norway Europe Secondary 1–6, 6 best (pass 2). University ECTS A–F, A best, E lowest pass, F fail. Higher is better. Secondary 6 (outstanding competence); University A (excellent) Secondary 2; University E — F is fail Secondary 6 ~A; University A–E roughly A through D (approximate only) Two scales: numeric 1–6 in upper secondary (2 = minimum pass) and ECTS A–F at university, where E is a pass and F the fail; some courses use pass/fail.
Denmark Europe 7-point scale (7-trins-skala): 12, 10, 7, 4, 02, 00, -3; 12 is best, 02 the lowest pass. Higher is better. 12 (excellent — designed to align with ECTS A) 02 (adequate) — 00 and -3 are failing grades 12 ~A, 10 ~A-/B+, 7 ~B/C, 02 ~D (approximate only) Non-linear scale mapped to ECTS; leading zeros in 02/00 prevent tampering, -3 is the lowest. Introduced 2006/07 (replacing the 13-scale). Secondary and higher ed.
Australia Oceania University bands (higher is better): High Distinction 80–100, Distinction 70–79, Credit 60–69, Pass 50–59, Fail below 50. High Distinction (HD), 80–100% 50% (Pass) HD ≈ A/A+, D ≈ A-/B+, Credit ≈ B, Pass ≈ C/D (approximate only) Bands are notional % of maximum raw marks, not percentiles; universities scale marks. HD is awarded to only a small share of passing students.
New Zealand medium confidence Oceania University A+ to E/D with +/- (higher is better), mapped to % bands that vary by institution; also GPA. Secondary uses NCEA (Excellence/Merit/Achieved/Not Achieved). A+ (common cutoffs 85% or 90%) C- at most universities (~50%); below is fail (D/E) A+ to F, broadly similar to the US letter system University % cutoffs (e.g. for A+) differ between universities. Secondary uses NCEA’s four-tier standards-based system, not letter grades.
India Asia University CGPA 0–10 (10 best); Secondary (CBSE) percentage 0–100 with 9 letter grades A1–E2 (A1 best). 10.0 CGPA / A1 (91–100%) 33% at secondary (Grade D); ~40% at most universities 10 CGPA / 91–100% ≈ A; ~60% ≈ B/C No single national scale; CBSE uses A1–E2 bands, universities commonly a 10-point CGPA or raw percentage. Standards vary widely between institutions.
China Asia Percentage 0–100 (100 best), often mapped to A/B/C/D/F bands. 100% (A / 85–100) 60% 85–100 ≈ A; 60 = pass ≈ D; because exams are hard, ~75–85 can equal a US A Percentage-based; 60 is the standard pass threshold. Top universities (e.g. Peking, Zhejiang) use their own GPA conversion formulas rather than a national mapping.
Japan Asia University 秀/優/良/可/不可 (Shu/Yu/Ryo/Ka/Fuka) mapped to S/A/B/C/F percentages (Shu best); Secondary 5–1 numeric (5 best). 秀 Shu (S, 90–100%) / numeric 5 60% (可 Ka) 90–100 ≈ A/A+; 60 = pass ≈ D Traditional five-category system (Shu often only in four-grade universities as Yu). GPA increasingly used (~500 universities as of 2014). 60 is the pass mark.
South Korea Asia University GPA 0.0–4.5 with letters A+ to F (4.5 best); Secondary 9-rank relative scale (rank 1 = top 4%, best). A+ (4.5, 95–100%) 60% (grade D, GPA 1.0) A+/A ≈ A; 60 = pass ≈ D University GPA most commonly on a 4.5 scale (some 4.0 or 4.3). High schools use a 9-rank relative (norm-referenced) system based on class standing.
Singapore Asia University GPA (5.0 scale at NUS/NTU, 4.0 at SMU; A+ best); Secondary O-Level A1–F9 (A1 best). A+ (5.0 GPA) / A1 (75–100% at O-Level) C6 (50–54%) at O-Level; ~2.0 GPA to graduate at university A1 / A+ ≈ A; C6 = pass ≈ C- O-Level uses an A1–F9 nine-grade scale (A1 best, C6 minimum pass). Most universities use a 5.0 GPA (SMU 4.0); degrees carry honours classifications.
Malaysia medium confidence Asia Secondary SPM: A+, A, A-, B+, B, C+, C, D, E, G (A+ best, G = fail); University CGPA 0–4.0 (4.0 best). A+ (SPM) / 4.0 CGPA E is the minimum pass at SPM (G = Gagal/fail); C is treated as a credit for entry A+ / 4.0 ≈ A; C (credit) ≈ C; E ≈ marginal pass D SPM 10-point letter scale (A+ added 2009); C or above counts as a credit. Most universities use a 4.0 CGPA. Exact SPM % cutoffs vary by exam year.
Pakistan medium confidence Asia Percentage 0–100 mapped to A+/A/B/C/D/E/F (A+ best); universities commonly use GPA 0–4.0. A+ (80–100%) / 4.0 GPA 33% (grade E) 80–100 ≈ A; 33 = pass ≈ D- Intermediate/secondary (BISE boards) is percentage-based with A+ top and 33% pass. University GPA (typically 4.0) is common but less firmly documented.
Bangladesh Asia Secondary (SSC/HSC): GPA 0–5.0 with letters A+ to F (A+/5.0 best); University CGPA 0–4.0 (4.0 best). A+ (5.00) at secondary / 4.00 CGPA at university 33% (grade D, GPA 1.0) at secondary; D (2.0) at many universities A+ (80–100) ≈ A; 33 = pass ≈ D- Dual system: secondary uses a 5.0 GPA scale while universities use 4.0 CGPA. CGPA 3.00+ is First Class at public universities. Secondary pass mark is 33%.
Philippines Asia University 1.00–5.00 (1.00 best, 5.00 fail) most common, or 4.00–0.00 (4.00 best); K-12 percentage and/or letter grades. 1.00 (Excellent) on the 5-point scale / 4.00 on the alternative scale 3.00 on the 1–5 scale; ~75% at K-12 1.00 ≈ A; 3.00 = pass ≈ C Widely uses an inverted scale where 1.00 is best and 5.00 fails (e.g. University of the Philippines); some universities use a 4.00–0.00 scale instead.
Indonesia Asia Secondary 0–100 (100 best); University GPA/IPK 0.0–4.0 with letters A–E (A/4.0 best). 100 at secondary / A (4.00) at university Generally ~75 at secondary (varies by subject); minimum 2.00 CGPA to graduate A / 100 ≈ A; 2.0 = pass ≈ C Secondary uses 0–100; universities a 4.0 GPA (IPK) with letters A–E where E (0.0) fails. Minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA required to graduate.
Brazil Latin America 0–10, 10 best; pass typically 6.0 (varies 5.0–7.0 by institution). 10 6.0 (many federal universities); 5.0 at some private/state institutions ~A = 9–10, ~B = 8, ~C = 7, pass floor ~D (6.0) (approximate only) Official transcripts report the raw 0–10 numeric score; letter grades/GPA are not used internally. A 5.0–6.9 average often triggers a final exam.
Mexico Latin America 0–10 (sometimes 0–100), 10 best. 10 (Excellent) 6.0 in general education; 7.0 (i.e. 70) at degree-awarding universities ~A = 9–10, ~B = 8, ~C = 7, ~D = 6 (approximate only) Decimal system; 10 = Excellent, 6 = Sufficient. Universities commonly require a 70/7.0 average to pass a subject rather than the standard 60/6.0.
Argentina medium confidence Latin America 1–10 (sometimes 0–10), 10 best. 10 (Sobresaliente / Outstanding) 4 at most public universities; 6 in many secondary schools ~A = 9–10, ~B = 8, ~C = 6–7, pass floor ~D (4) (approximate only) Two passing thresholds exist (4 or 6); 4 is the more common default at universities. Grades of 9–10 are genuinely rare; a 7.5–8.0 average is strong.
Turkey medium confidence Middle East & North Africa Letter grades AA–FF mapped to a 4.0 GPA (AA=4.0); underlying 0–100 percentage. AA (4.0 GPA; 90–100) Course pass generally DD (~1.0 GPA); many programs require a ~2.0 cumulative GPA to graduate AA~A, BB~B, CC~C, DD~D (approximate only) Universities autonomously set exact percentage cutoffs; the AA–FF letter / 4.0-GPA system is standard but institution-specific thresholds vary.
Saudi Arabia medium confidence Middle East & North Africa Commonly a 5.0-point GPA (A+=5.0) with letters A+ to F; also 0–100 percentage. Some institutions use a 4.0 GPA. A+ (5.0 GPA; 95–100%) D = 60% (D+ for some programs); below 60% fails A+/A~A, B~B, C~C, D~D (60%) (approximate only) The 5.0-scale GPA is most widely used (post-1996); some universities use a 4.0 scale. Percentage-to-letter cutoffs vary by institution.
United Arab Emirates low confidence Middle East & North Africa No single national standard; universities commonly use letter grades A+ to F on a 4.0 GPA and/or 0–100 percentage. A+ / HD (High Distinction) — typically ~83–100 or 90–100 depending on institution Typically 60% (D) at course level; commonly a 2.0 cumulative GPA to remain in good standing A~A, B~B, C~C, D~D (approximate only) Highly institution-dependent (many universities follow US or UK models); school curricula (IB, CBSE, British, MoE) each differ. Treat any single mapping as indicative only.
Egypt medium confidence Middle East & North Africa 0–100 percentage with descriptive bands (Excellent, Very Good, Good, Pass, Fail); often reported also as GPA. Excellent (ممتاز): 90–100 in most faculties (85–100 in some, e.g. engineering/health) 50% (Pass) in most faculties; some faculties set the failure floor lower Excellent~A, Very Good~B, Good~C, Pass~D (approximate only) Band cutoffs differ by faculty type: arts/law/commerce use Excellent=90+, pass=50; engineering/education/fine-arts use Excellent=85+ with different lower bands.
Nigeria Sub-Saharan Africa 0–100 percentage mapped to a 5-point GPA and degree class; A=70–100 (5 pts) down to F. A (70–100), 5.0 points, First Class Honours 40% (E grade / 1 point) at undergraduate course level A~A (First Class), B~B (2:1), C~C (2:2), D/E~D (Third/Pass) (approximate only) Standard 5-point CGPA. Degree classes: First, Second Class Upper (2:1), Second Class Lower (2:2), Third, Pass. Cutoffs vary slightly by institution.
South Africa Sub-Saharan Africa 0–100 percentage with degree classifications; First Class = 75–100. First Class (75–100%) 50% (below 50% fails at most universities) First Class~A (75+), Upper Second~B (70–74), Lower Second~B-/C (60–69), Third~C/D (50–59) (approximate only) Percentage-based with distinction/class bands rather than letter grades. Exact class boundaries can vary between universities.

“Native scale” direction is stated per row (higher- vs lower-is-better). Countries marked medium or low confidence have no single national standard, so their figures are widely used conventions rather than universal rules. Verify against your own institution’s official policy.

Regional Context

Grading conventions cluster by region and educational tradition. Here is what to keep in mind for each part of the world covered above.

North America

The US and Canada both grade upward on letter scales (A–F) paired with a GPA, but there is no single Canadian standard — every province, and often every institution, sets its own percentage cutoffs and A+ range. American GPAs run on a 0.0–4.0 scale; a D (around 60%) is the lowest grade that still earns credit.

Europe

Europe is the most varied region on this page. The UK and Ireland classify degrees (First, 2:1, 2:2) rather than averaging points, and their marks rarely climb above 80. Germany runs an inverted 1.0–5.0 scale where 1.0 is best. France grades harshly out of 20, the Netherlands out of 10, Italy out of 30 per exam, and the Nordic countries mix national numeric scales with the ECTS A–F letters under the Bologna framework.

Oceania

Australia and New Zealand use named university bands — High Distinction, Distinction, Credit, Pass — sitting on top of percentage cutoffs (50% is the usual pass). High Distinction goes to only a small share of students, so it is more selective than an American A. New Zealand secondary schools use the standards-based NCEA system instead of letter grades.

Asia

Asian systems split sharply between school and university. India uses a 10-point CGPA at university and A1–E2 bands at CBSE secondary; China and Japan are percentage-based with a 60% pass; South Korea layers a 4.5 GPA over a norm-referenced 9-rank high-school system; and the Philippines uses an inverted 1.00–5.00 scale where 1.00 is the best grade. Pass marks are notably low in South Asia (33% in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh).

Latin America

Brazil, Mexico and Argentina all grade on roughly 0–10 numeric scales, but their pass marks differ: Brazil often 6.0, Mexican universities frequently 7.0, and Argentine universities as low as 4. Top scores of 9–10 are genuinely rare, so a strong Latin American transcript can look deceptively modest to a US reader.

Middle East & North Africa

This region is the least standardised. Many Gulf universities follow US-style GPAs (Saudi Arabia commonly on a 5.0 scale, the UAE on 4.0 or percentage), while Turkey uses AA–FF letters on a 4.0 GPA and Egypt uses descriptive percentage bands that shift by faculty. Institution-level variation is large — the UAE in particular has no single national standard.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Nigeria and South Africa both grade on 0–100 percentages tied to degree classifications. Nigeria maps these onto a 5-point CGPA with UK-style class names (First, 2:1, 2:2), while South Africa reports class bands directly, with a First Class at 75%+ and a 50% pass.

Detailed Country Guides

For the countries below we have full explainers with grade-by-grade conversion tables, worked examples, and GPA formulas:

Related Guides & Converters

Sources

The figures in this table are compiled from publicly documented national grading conventions, principally Wikipedia’s per-country “Academic grading in …” articles and the Scholaro country grading database. Representative examples include Academic grading in Germany, British undergraduate degree classification, and Academic grading in France. These are secondary sources: grading policies are ultimately set by individual ministries and institutions, and change over time. For any official use, confirm the current rules with the relevant institution or a recognised credential evaluator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the US-letter equivalents on this page official?

No. Every "approximate US letter" shown here is an unofficial, indicative comparison only. There is no international authority that maps one country’s grades onto another’s, and most national systems (including the UK’s) explicitly have no official US equivalent. Use these columns to build intuition, not to make admissions or hiring decisions. For anything official, you need a formal credential evaluation.

What is a credential evaluation and do I need one?

A credential evaluation is a formal report from a recognised agency (such as WES — World Education Services — or another NACES member in the US) that converts your foreign transcript into the local grading and credit framework. US and Canadian universities and employers routinely require one for international applicants. It is the only conversion that carries official weight; the table on this page does not replace it.

Why can’t you just convert my GPA between two countries?

Because grading cultures differ in ways a formula cannot capture. A French 14/20 and a German 2.0 are both strong results, but a naive percentage conversion would understate them next to a US GPA. Grade inflation, the rarity of top marks, whether a scale is norm-referenced, and institution-level policy all affect meaning. Any single-number conversion loses this context, which is exactly why credential evaluators review transcripts holistically.

Which countries grade on an inverted scale (lower is better)?

Germany (university 1.0–5.0, where 1.0 is best) and the Philippines (1.00–5.00, where 1.00 is best) both invert the usual direction. German and Polish school systems also use low-numbers-are-best conventions in places. Always check the direction before reading a transcript — a "1" can be the best or nearly the worst grade depending on the country.

Do school and university use the same scale within a country?

Often not. India (10-point CGPA at university vs A1–E2 at CBSE secondary), Italy (0–10 at school vs 0–30 per university exam), Bangladesh (5.0 GPA at secondary vs 4.0 CGPA at university), and Norway and Sweden (national numeric scales at school vs ECTS letters at university) all use different systems at different levels. This page notes the level for each entry.

How accurate is this data?

Rows are drawn from Wikipedia’s academic-grading articles and Scholaro’s country grading database. Where a country has no single national standard — Canada, the UAE, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and others — we say so and mark our confidence as medium or low. Cutoffs change over time and vary by institution, so treat every figure as a widely accepted convention rather than a universal rule, and verify against your own institution’s official policy.