Grading Systems by Country 2024

Each country follows its own grading system for measuring academic performance in school. Since the grading systems are not completely in alignment with each other, determining what qualifies as a good grade between countries can be a challenge. Each university that accepts international students must be familiar with the grading system for the various countries where their prospective students come from.

Grading System in China

China's grading system uses marks and grades that correspond to a number grade on a scale of 0 to 100. The passing mark is usually at 60. When being graded, students may be given a combination of marks, or a pass/fail grade.

Grading System in South Korea

Grading in South Korea varies depending on the type of school that is administering the grade. Middle schools use a five point grading scale with grades that are based on Korean characters. High schools use a 10-point grading scale based on the position of the student in the class. Universities use a letter grade system that corresponds to a number grade, similar to the grading system in the United States.

Grading System in Finland

The grading scale in Finland uses a 4 to 10 grading scale in comprehensive and upper secondary schools. In vocational and higher education institutions, a 0 to 5 grading scale is used.

Grading System in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's university system uses a grade point average (GPA) system. The GPA corresponds to a number that itself corresponds to a letter. Some universities (A, B, C, D, F). Some universities include A+, others do not.

What Are the Types of Grading Systems In Effect?

Different schools around the world use different types of grading systems. Some use letter grading from A to F, others use grading percentage from 0 to 100. Standard-referenced grading compares students to each other with letter grades, while the common scale grading uses pass/fail only.

Grading of absolute standards compares student success to a pre-established expectation of quality. Narrative grading involves writing a narrative feedback to the student.

Some countries use a different grading system for various types of schools, depending on the students' grade level.

In countries that use a letter-based scale, the letter E is often skipped. For example, most US schools use the grades A, B, C, D, and F. The symbols + or - may be used to indicate scores at the high or low end of that letter's respective range.
In countries that use a numerical scale, the lowest possible grade may be 1 or 0 (although 0 is often reserved for incompletes).
Scoring systems shown pertain primarily to government-funded primary and secondary schools. Preschools, private schools, and tertiary schools (colleges, trade schools) may use entirely different grading systems.
The Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) average reflects all grades earned for all semesters. It is determined by dividing the sum total of all grade points by the sum total of all credit hours attempted.
A Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated by dividing the total amount of grade points earned by the total amount of GPA credits attempted.

106 countries

Country	Low Score	High Score	Additional Details	Description	Lowest Passing Grade
Canada		100%	Score of 90-100% being equivalent to an A, 80-89% to a B, 70-79% to a C, 60-69% to a D, and anything...	Based on a percentage system	60%
India		100	GPA stands for the Grade Point Average. It is a standard method of calculating a student’s average s...	100-point scale	65
China		100	Most Chinese transcripts use a grading system with either marks or grades (letters or words) on a sc...	100-point scale	60
Indonesia		100	Default System/National Education Standards	100-point scale	54
Ethiopia		100		100-point scale	50
Egypt		100		100-point scale	50
South Africa		100	The percentages have been adjusted as follows: A 1st grade pass is awarded at 75% or above and a 2nd...	Percentage system	40
Iraq		100		100-point scale	60
Afghanistan		100	The criteria for good grades vary by school and grade level, but in most cases a grade of 75 or abov...	100-point scale	40
Malaysia		100	Malaysia has its own educational grade system. Different institutions use different grading systems....	100-point scale	40
Saudi Arabia		100	95 to 100 = 5.0 = A+ Excellent \| 90 to less than 95 = 4.75 = A Excellent \| 85 to less than 90 = 4.5 ...	100-point scale	60
Australia		100	Both NAPLAN and final year secondary school grades are designated in 'bands' as follows: In the fina...	Unique GPA scale	50
Syria		100	The minimum passing score varies from 50% to 60%. Syria has no national academic credit system. Univ...	Percentage system	50
Israel	1	100	In Israel, schools have grades from 1 to 100 starting in the 4th grade. Private schools typically us...	100-point scale	56
Nicaragua		100	The minimum passing grade for undergraduate students and students doing a post graduate program is 7...	100-point scale	70
Costa Rica		100	For primary school level, a score of 65 is good enough to pass, while in high school and further lev...	100-point scale	65
Panama		100	Panama's grading system is different for universities than for schools. The university uses a 0-100 ...	100-point scale	71
Eswatini		100		Percentage system	40
Malta		100	The numerical grading system is different to other places because the grading scale is from 0 to 100...	100-point scale	70
Italy		30	The lowest passing grade is 18.	20-point scale	18
San Marino		30	The University of San Marino uses the European Ects Credit System, and has adopted the same grades s...	20-point scale	18
Iran		20	Grading is based on a 0 to 20 scale with 10 as the lowest passing grade. At the master's level a min...	20-point scale	10
France		20	In France, school grades usually range from 0 (worst) to 20 (best), or sometimes from 0 (worst) to 1...	20-point scale	10
Algeria		20	A mark of 10.00 or higher is a pass.	20-point scale	10
Morocco		20	A score of 20 signifies perfection and is virtually never given. Scores of 19 and 18 are equally rar...	20-point scale	10
Peru		20	Grades range from 0 to 20 and are represented by a nearly unique grading table. For most schools and...	20-point scale	10
Venezuela		20	00 being the lowest, 20 being the highest, and 10 being a passing grade.	20-point scale	10
Chad		20		20-point scale	8
Benin		20		20-point scale	10
Tunisia	1	20		20-point scale	10
Belgium		20	Belgian universities use a scale of 0 to 20 for each subject. A weighted average is then calculated ...	20-point scale	10
Portugal	1	20	In Portugal, the grading system for primary and secondary schools up to grade 9 is as follows: From ...	20-point scale	10
Lebanon		20	Most schools use a 0-20 scale with a passing score of 10 out of 20 (sometimes the lowest passing sco...	20-point scale	7
Luxembourg	1	20	Excellent (18-20): outstanding performance/no or only insignificant errors. Very Good (16-<18): abov...	20-point scale	12
Ukraine	1	12	Primary education is free in government-run schools. Grading is administered by the Ministry of Educ...	12-point scale	4
Denmark	-3	12	The current scale, syv-trins-skalaen ("7 step scale"), was introduced in 2007, replacing the old 13-...	7-point scale	2
Uruguay	1	12	Grading scale 1-12 is used, where in grade 1 is the lowest and grade 12 is the highest. Grades of 10...	12-point scale	7
Brazil		10	Coeficiente de Rendimento or Índice de Rendimento Acadêmico. The majority of schools use a scale of ...	Varied	6
Mexico		10	Since decimal scores are common, a scale of 0 to 100 is often used to remove decimal points.	10-point scale	6
Vietnam	1	10	Schools and universities in Vietnam use a 10-point rating scale, with 10 being the best and 0 being ...	10-point scale	5
Spain		10		10-point scale	5
Argentina	1	10	Passing score being represented by a 4 and usually equivalent to a 70. 75% or more.		4
Romania	1	10	If the student scores 86%, she is given a grade of 8.60, which is rounded to 9. Additionally, a scor...	10-point scale	5
Netherlands	1	10	1 being the worst and 10 being the best. \| The score is determined by dividing the number of points ...	10-point scale	6
Ecuador		10	Ecuador's grading system is 10 out of 10 with two decimal places for both primary, secondary and uni...	10-point scale	7
Greece		10	Scale: 0.00-10.00 (0-100%) Pass (module): 5.00 (50%) The table below shows the Greek grading system ...	10-point scale	5
Belarus	1	10	Marks "1" and "2" are considered as "Fail" at school. In higher education "3" is also considered as ...	10-point scale	3
Finland		10	Several systems are used in different educational institutions in Finland. The "grade" system histor...	10-point scale	4
Moldova	1	10		10-point scale	5
Armenia		10	10-9 Excellent 7-8.99 Good, 5-6.99 Satisfied, <5 not enough (failure) Multiply the grade by 10 to co...	10-point scale	5
Lithuania	1	10	In Lithuania, the rating system was changed to a 10-point scale in 1993. Previously, he was given a ...	10-point scale	5
Albania	1	10	Grades from 4 to 10 are used in Albania, and some schools allow decimal points (up to the hundredth ...	10-point scale	5
Latvia	1	10	The Latvian academic performance evaluation system uses a 10-point scale, with a "10'' (Latvian: des...	10-point scale	4
Cyprus		10	The grading system is numerical, from 0 to 10, with increments of 0.5. The minimum passing grade is ...	10-point scale	5
Iceland		10		10-point scale
Andorra	1	10	5 is the passing score.	10-point scale	5
Chile	1	7	Grades are assigned on a numerical scale from 1.0 to 7.0 with at least one decimal point, with a min...	7-point scale	4
Switzerland	1	6	6 being the best, 1 being the worst and 4 being the lowest passing score.		4
Bulgaria	2	6	In Bulgaria, the following grade scale is used in schools: Exact scoring is often used in exams and ...	6-point scale	3
Singapore	1	6	6 being the best, 1 being the worst and 4 being the lowest passing score.		4
Russia	1	5	In higher education, most subjects are graded 'Pass/No pass' ('Credit/No Credit') (зачёт/незачёт, pr...	5-point scale	2
Japan	1	5			2
Philippines	1	5	The Elementary and high school grading system in Philippines uses a 5-point grading system. The lowe...	5-point scale	2.5
Turkey	1	5	In Turkey, high school exam grades range from 0 to 100, but final grades range from 1 to 5. Regulati...		2
Colombia		5	The most commonly used rating system is a number from 0 to 5 or 0 to 10, usually approved at 3 or 6 ...	6-point scale	3
Poland	2	5	The Polish grading system in higher education is based on the 5 to 2 scale, where 5 is the best mark...		3
Uzbekistan	2	5	The academic grading system of Uzbekistan is numerical. The highest grade is 5 (excellent = A), then...		3
Kazakhstan	1	5	Grade 2 is the unsatisfactory grade, while grade 3, 4 and 5 are the passing grades. Grade 3 indicate...	5-point scale	3
Honduras	1	5		5-point scale	3
Czech Republic	1	5	In the Czech Republic, a five-point grading system is used in both primary and secondary schools. Pl...	5-point scale	3
Hungary	1	5	There is one failing grade: 1 – elégtelen (inadequate). Generally, the minimum passing score is 50% ...	5-point scale	2
Kyrgyzstan	1	5		5-point scale	2
Paraguay	1	5	Grades range from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest achievable grade and 1 being the lowest. The mini...		2
Serbia	1	5	Serbia has the same grading system as the former Yugoslavia. In elementary and middle school, the fo...		2
Slovakia	1	5	Grading is on a five-point scale: 5: Excellent; 4: Very Good; 3: Good; 2: Satisfactory; 1: Unsatisfa...		2
Croatia	1	5	In Croatia, the following grade scale is used in schools: At the end of each semester, grades are av...	5-point scale	2
Bosnia and Herzegovina	1	5	Bosnia and Herzegovina uses grades 5 to 1 for primary and secondary education and grades 10 to 5 for...	5-point scale	2
Slovenia	1	5	Grading is on a five-point scale: 5: Excellent; 4: Very Good; 3: Good; 2: Satisfactory; 1: Unsatisfa...		2
North Macedonia	1	5	Grading is on a five-point scale: 5: Excellent; 4: Very Good; 3: Good; 2: Satisfactory; 1: Unsatisfa...	5-point scale	2
Estonia		5	A grade of A/5, B/4, C/3, D/2 and E/1 is considered as a pass, with a grade of F/0 considered as a f...	6-point scale	1
Montenegro	1	5			2
Jordan		4	Point Grading System (the course grades are recoded in letters) and Percentage Grading System.	Varied	2
Germany	6	1	In Germany, school performance varies from 1 (very good, sehr got) to 6 (poor, ungenügend). The fina...	6-point scale	4
Malawi	9	1	1 being the highest and 9 the lowest. MSCE	9-point scale	8
Austria	5	1	The Austrian grading system offers a range of five different grades (1 to 5), with 1 being the highe...	5-point scale	4
Ireland	8	1	Any score below 10% is classed as No grade (NG). At Higher Level, a C grade and above is considered ...	8-point scale	6
Namibia	4	1		4-point scale	4
Mauritius	9	1	The School Certificate results are graded from 1 to 9, where 1 & 2 are distinctions, 3 to 6 represen...	9-point scale	8
Nigeria	Varies	Varies	The choice of grading system in schools in Nigeria varies from institution to institution and, in so...	Varies	Varies
United States	F	A	In the United States, academic grading commonly takes on the form of five, six or seven letter grade...	5-point scale (letter grades)	D
Bangladesh	F	A	Grade Point Average (GPA) \| Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) \| `I’ stands for (incomplete), W (...	5-point scale (letter grades)	D
Thailand	F	A		5-point scale (letter grades)	D
United Kingdom	F	A	The grading system in the UK typically uses letters to denote different levels of achievement. In hi...	5-point scale (letter grades)	D
Kenya	E	A		5-point scale	D
Cameroon	E	A	A candidate with Grades A, B, or C has reached the standard of subject pass at the Ordinary Level. G...	5-point scale (letter grades)	C
Rwanda	F	A	Examination subjects are graded A - F, with each grade representing a specific number of points: A (...	6-point scale (letter grades)	E
Sweden	E	A	A to E represents a pass, and F represents a fail. Grades A, C, and E each have different requiremen...	5-point scale (letter grades)	E
Papua New Guinea	D	A		4-point scale (letter grades)	C
Hong Kong	F	A	Results of the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) and Hong Kong Advanced Level E...	6-point scale (letter grades)	D
Norway	F	A		6-point scale (letter grades)	E
New Zealand	E	A		5-point scale (letter grades)	C
Kuwait	F	A		A four-tier rating system and percentages	D
Bhutan	E	A	A (80% & above) excellent, E (Below 49.9%) - Fail.	5-point scale (letter grades)	D
Belize	F	A	The grading for secondary schooling follows a scale of 6 grade points. The scale of 1 resembles the...	5-point scale (letter grades)	D
Bahamas	F	A	Grade A is the highest possible grade and grades below D are considered failing. Plus (+) or minus (...	5-point scale (letter grades)	D
Barbados	G	A	The grading system constitutes of grade A onwards for outstanding to G for unsatisfactory. However t...	6-point scale (letter grades)	F

Which country has the best grading system?

China has the best grading system, followed by Korea, Finland, and Hong Kong.