Grade (education)

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Academic grading
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This article is about evaluation of school work. For other uses of the term "grade", see grade.
"GPA" redirects here. For other uses, see GPA (disambiguation).

In education, a grade (or mark) is a teacher's standardized evaluation of a student's work. In some countries, evaluations can be expressed quantifiable, and calculated into a numeric grade point average (GPA), which is used as a metric by employers and others to assess and compare students. A cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is the mean GPA from all terms, whereas GPA may only refer to a single term.

As cited by Neil Postman, Keith Hoskin argues that the concept of grading students' work quantitatively was developed by a tutor named William Farish, and first implemented by the University of Cambridge in 1792.[1] Hoskin's assertion has been questioned by Christopher Stray, who finds the evidence for Farish as the inventor of the numerical mark to be unpersuasive.[2] Stray's article elucidates the complex relationship between the mode of examination (testing), in this case oral or written, and the varying philosophies of education these modes imply, both to teacher and student. As a technology, grading both shapes and reflects many fundamental areas of educational theory and practice. Although many teachers have being shown to corrupt this priciple; and use it to grade their students into streamlines. An example of this is can be found on the following websites: http://www.mycollegesuccessstory.com/success-stories/bad-grade.html, or http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-ravitch/how-school-testing-got-co_b_47497.html

Contents

[edit] International grading systems

Most nations have individual grading systems unique to their own schools. However, several international standards for grading have arisen recently.


[edit] European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System

Main article: European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System

The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a standard for comparing the study attainment and performance of students of higher education across the European Union. For successfully completed studies, ECTS credits are awarded. One academic year corresponds to 60 ECTS-credits in all countries, irrespective of standard or qualification type and is used to facilitate transfer and progression throughout the Union.[3]

ECTS also includes a standard grading scale:

ECTS Scale Definition percentage range
A Excellent 90%–100%
B Above Average 80%–89%
C Average 70%–79%
D Below Average 60%–69%
F Fail 0%-59%

[edit] European baccalaureate

Main article: European baccalaureate


Grade Qualification
10 Highest mark achievable
8.5
7.5 Good
6 Sufficient
<5.5 failed
1 Worst grade (cheating, etc.)

[edit] International Baccalaureate

Level Approximate Conversion Rate (varies)
7 96-99
6 90-95
5 80-90
4 70-79
3 60-69
2 50-59
1 40-49

[edit] Grading systems by nation

[edit] Africa

Par with the United States with a few exceptions:

[edit] North America

Main article: Academic grading in North America

[edit] Canada

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 It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Academic grading in North America#Canada into Academic grading in Canada. (Discuss)

In Canada, grade point averages vary by province, by level of education (e.g., high school or university), by institutions (e.g., Queen's or Toronto), and even by different faculties in the same institution (e.g., Ryerson or Université du Québec à Montréal). The following are commonly used conversions from percentile grades to letter grades:

[edit] Alberta

In Senior High Schools:

Letter Percentage Provincial Standing Notes
A 80–100 Standard of Excellence Final course grades in this range are annotated with Honors Standing in the Alberta Senior High School Transcript.
B 65–79
C 50–64 Acceptable Standard
D 40–49 As of September 1986, final grades in this range are not awarded any credits toward Alberta Senior High School Diploma.
F 0–40 Failing grade with no credits awarded toward Alberta Senior High School Diploma.

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

Letter Grade Grade Points Notes
A+ 4.0
A 4.0
A- 3.7 Student may be awarded an Honors designation on a parchment if semester and cumulative grade point average of 3.7 is achieved on the first attempt of courses required towards graduation of major. In addition, students will need to complete graduation requirements within specific time restrictions.
B+ 3.3
B 3.0
B- 2.7
C+ 2.3
C 2.0
C- 1.7
D+ 1.3
D 1.0 Minimum general passing letter grade to receive credit for a course. Certain faculties may require higher grades to receive course credit.
F 0.0

There is no universal percentage grade associated with any letter grade in the Province of Alberta and such associations are made by professors or a bell curve.

[edit] Manitoba

The University of Manitoba uses a GPA system.

GPA Percent Letter Grade equivalent
4.5 90-100% A+
4.00 80-89% A
3.50 75-79% B+
3.00 70-74% B
2.50 65-69% C+
2.00 60-64% C
1.00 50-59% D
0.00 0-49% F

Taken from http://www.umanitoba.ca/law/newsite/faq.php

[edit] Saskatchewan

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

Percent Letter Grade equivalent Descriptors
90-100% A+ A superior / outstanding performance.
80-89% A A very good / excellent performance.
70-79% B A good / above average performance.
60-69% C A generally satisfactory, intellectually adequate performance.
50-59% D A barely satisfactory performance.
0-49% F An unacceptable performance.

Taken from http://www.usask.ca/calendar/exams&grades/gradingsystem/ and http://www.uregina.ca/gencal/ugcal/attendanceEvaluation/ugcal_64.shtml

[edit] British Columbia

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

Letter Percent
A+ 95–100
A  90-94
A− 85-89
B+ 80–84
B  75-79
B− 70-74
C+ 65-69
C  60–64
C− 55–59
D  50–54
E or UN or I  0–49 (temporary)
F  0–49 (permanent)

[edit] Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador

In Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador universities:

Letter Percent
A+ 90–100
A  83−89
A− 80−82
B+ 75−79
B  70−74
B− 65−69
C  60−64
C− 55−59
D  50−54
F  0−49

Grade F is the sole failing mark.

[edit] Ontario

In Ontario schools:

Letter Percent Level Qualification
A 80−100 Level 4 Above government standards
B 70−79.9 Level 3 At government standards
C 60−69.9 Level 2 Below, but approaching government standards
D 50−59.9 Level 1 Well below government standards
F 0−49.9 — Failing standards (used in high schools only)
R Remedial standards (used in elementary schools only)

There are also + and − modifiers. A+ is close to 100% and better than A, A is better than A−, A− is better than B+, etc. There are no modifiers for R or F. E sometimes appears in place of R or F to match the order of the four grades above it.

Ontario universities and colleges also use a similar grading system as the above and the system used in the United States. Some colleges use a 4.0 scale, while others a 4.3 or 12.0 scale.

Letter Grade 12.0 Grading Scale 4.0 Grading Scale
A+ 12.0 4.00 (4.33)
A 11.0 4.00
A- 10.0 3.67
B+ 9.0 3.33
B 8.0 3.0
B- 7.0 2.67
C+ 6.0 2.33
C 5.0 2.00
C- 4.0 1.67
D+ 3.0 1.33
D 2.00 1.00
D- 1.00 .67

Grade Point Chart:

Number of grade points for 1.0 credit course Number of grade points for 0.5 credit course Percentage Equivalency
A+ = 12.0 A+ = 6.0 90-100
A = 11.0 A = 5.5 85-89
A- = 10.0 A- = 5.0 80-84
B+ = 9.0 B+ = 4.5 77-79
B = 8.0 B = 4.0 73-76
B- = 7.0 B- = 3.5 70-72
C+ = 6.0 C+ = 3.0 67-69
C = 5.0 C = 2.5 63-66
C- = 4.0 C- = 2.0 60-62
D+ = 3.0 D+ = 1.5 57-59
D = 2.0 D = 1.0 53-56
D- = 1.0 D- = 0.5 50-52
F = 0.0 F = 0.0 0-49

Please note that the conversion between different point scales may vary. The Ontario Medical School Application Service (OMS AS)has defined conversions that can be found here: http://careers.mcmaster.ca/students/education-planning/virtual-resources/gpa-conversion-chart.

[edit] Quebec

In Quebec universities:

Letter Grade point Qualification
A+ 4.3
A 4.0 Excellent
A- 3.7
B+ 3.3
B 3.0 Very Good
B- 2.7
C+ 2.3
C 2.0 Good
C- 1.7
D+ 1.3
D 1.0 Passable
E 0.0 Failure ("échec")

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

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

The percent equivalent of each grade and the passing mark can vary. The passing mark in High School and CEGEP is 60%.

[edit] Costa Rica

Main article: Academic grading in Costa Rica

[edit] Mexico

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Mexican schools use a scale from 0 to 10 to measure students' scores. Since decimal scores are common, a scale from 0 to 100 is often used to remove the decimal point:

Students who fail a subject have the option of taking an extraordinary test (examen extraordinario, often shortened to extra) that evaluates the contents of the entire period. Once the test is finished and the score is assessed, this score becomes the entire subject's score, thus giving failing students a chance to pass their subjects. Those who fail the extraordinary test have 2 more chances to take it; if the last test is failed, the subject is marked as failed and pending, and depending on the school, the student may fail the entire year.

Some private schools (particularly in higher levels of education) require a 70 to pass instead of the regular 60.

Grades are often absolute and not class-specific. It may be the case that the top of the class gets a final grade of 79. Curve-adjustment is rare. Grad-level students are usually expected to have grades of 80 or above to graduate. Students in the honor roll are usually those with an overall GPA of 90 or higher upon graduation, and some private universities will award them a "With Honors" diploma.

[edit] United States

Grades in the United States:

Classical five-point discrete evaluation with grades is the system most commonly used in the United States, but there are many variations. There are also a few schools that eschew discrete evaluation (letter grading) in favor of pure discursive evaluation. There is no standardized system of grading in the United States, as these issues are left up to individual universities, schools, and states.

Grades in the United States are generally assigned by a letter: A (highest grade, excellent), B (above average), C (average), D (usually the minimum passing grade), and F (fail). Additionally, most schools will calculate a student's grade point average (GPA) by assigning each letter grade a number and using a mathematical formula to come up with a numerical representation of a student's work. Generally, American schools equate an A with a numerical value of 4.0.

The percentage needed in any given coursework needed to achieve a certain grade and the assignment of GPA point values varies from one school to another. The most general and common grading scale is as follows:

Grade Percentage GPA value
A 90-100 3.5-4.0
B 80-89 2.5-3.49
C 70-79 1.5-2.49
D 60-69 1.0-1.49
F 0 - 59 0.0

Whether the failing grade is F or E typically depends on time and geography. Some states, but not many, have tended to favor E since World War II while the majority of the country tends to use F. Another letter used to represent a failing grade is U, representing "unsatisfactory." Ultimately, the grade F traces to the days of two-point grading as Pass (P) and Fail (F). In recent years some schools have begun using an N for failing grades, presumably to represent NO CREDIT.

Chromatic variants (+ and −) are often used. In hypomodal grading on a 100-point scale, the prime letter grade is assigned a value centered around the one's digit 5: the + grade is assigned the top values of near the one's digit 9, and the − grade is assigned the bottom values near 0; thus, 80 to 83 is B−, 84 to 86 is B, and 87 to 89 is B+. In straight modal grading on a 4.0 decimal scale, the integer is the prime letter grade: the + range of the grade begins at X.333 (repeating), rounded to X.30, above the integer, and the − range of the grade begins at X.666 (repeating), rounded up to X.70, below the integer: thus, B = 3.0, B+ = 3.3, and B− = 2.7.

The A range is often treated as a special case. In most American schools, a 4.00 is regarded as perfect and the highest GPA one can achieve. Thus, an A, being the prime grade, achieves the mark of a 4.00; for the A+ mark, most schools still assign a value of 4.00, equivalent to the A mark, to prevent deviation from the standard 4.00 GPA system. However, the A+ mark, then, becomes a mark of distinction that has no impact on the student's GPA. A few schools do assign grade values of 4.33, however.

In many American high schools, students may also score above 4.0 if taking advanced, honors, Advanced Placement, or International Baccalaureate classes (for example, a "regular" A would be worth 4 points, but an A earned in an advanced class might be worth 4.5 or 5 points towards the GPA.)

There has been dispute[citation needed] over how colleges should look at grades from previous schools and high schools because one grade in one part of the country might not be the equivalent of a grade in another part of the country. In other words, an "A" might be 90-100 somewhere, and a 94-100 somewhere else. In middle and high schools that do not use a system based on academic credit, the grade point average is computed by taking the mean of all grades. In colleges and universities that use discrete evaluation, the grade point average is calculated by multiplying the quantitative values by the credit value of the correlative course, and then dividing the total by the sum of all credits.

For example:

Class Credits Grade Grade Points
Speech 101 3 A 3 × 4.0 = 12.0
Biology 102 4 B+ 4 × 3.3 = 13.2
History 103 3 B− 3 × 2.7 = 8.1
Physical Education 104 1 C 1 × 2.0 = 2.0
  • Total Credits: 11
  • Total Grade Points: 35.3
  • Grade Point Average: 35.3 / 11 = 3.209 or slightly below B+

In a standards-based grading system, a performance standard is set by a committee based on ranking anchor papers and grading rubrics, which demonstrate performance which is below, meeting, or exceeding the "standard." This standard is intended to be a high, world-class level of performance, which must be met by every student regardless of ability or class, although they are actually set by a committee with no reference to any other national standard. Levels are generally assigned numbers between zero and four. Writing papers may be graded separately on content (discussion) and conventions (spelling and grammar). Since grading is not based on a curve distribution, it is entirely possible to achieve a grading distribution in which all students pass and meet the standard. While such grading is generally used only for assessments, they have been proposed for alignment with classroom grading. However, in practice, grading can be much more severe rather than more generous 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.

Not to mention in some public secondary schools, staff members may require students a 3.0 GPA or higher to pass on to the next grade. If students expect to get any grade lower than a 3.0, they will not pass (even though a few requirements to not pass is to be absent from school 20 days or more/did not pass state test or cumulative test.)

[edit] South America

[edit] Argentina

In Argentina the GPA is calculated bimonthly, per semester or per year. Typically, grades vary between 1 and 10. The minimum grade for approval generally requires 60% which represents a grade 4 at University and 6 at Secondary School( some schools may require 70%). Depending on the University, the admittance may require:

  • the approval of an minimal knowledge level exam (that may include Chemistry, Maths and other subjects) called "Examen de Ingreso".
  • a 1 year course called "Ciclo Básico Común". (Only for the University of Buenos Aires).
  • High School average grade 60% or 70%.
  • and others.

[edit] Brazil

In Brazil The GPA is calculated bimonthly, per semester or per year (usually the GPA is calculated per year, sometimes per semester and rarelly bimonthly). Typically, grades vary between 0 and 10. The minimum grade for approval varies between 5.0 (most common grade system used in Brazil) and 6.0 or 7.0 (rarely used). The GPA can not be used for college entrance evaluation. For that, the typical evaluation is a specific exam created by each University known as "vestibular". Some other methods are used in order to enhance a student grade, such as ENEM (Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio - National High School Standardized Exam) or PAS (Programa de Avaliação Seriada - Continuous Evaluation Program) according to the choice of the university.

[edit] Chile

Main article: Academic grading in Chile

In Chile grades range from 1.0 to 7.0 with one decimal place and minimum passing grade being 4.0.

Conversion Table U.S to Chile GPA (data provided by IES Abroad)

U.S Letter Grade U.S numeric range Chile numeric range
A 3.95 - 4.0 6.4 - 7.0
A- 3.65 - 3.94 6.0 - 6.3
B+ 3.25 - 3.64 5.7 - 5.9
B 2.95 - 3.24 5.4 - 5.6
B- 2.65 - 2.94 5.0 - 5.3
C+ 2.25 - 2.64 4.7 - 4.9
C 1.95 - 2.24 4.4 - 4.6
C- 1.65 - 1.94 4.0 - 4.3
D 0.95 - 1.64 3.6 - 3.9
F 0.00 - 0.94 </= 3.5

[edit] Paraguay

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

[edit] Peru

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

[edit] Asia

[edit] Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia

Most of the universities and colleges and schools in Saudi Arabia,are very similar to United States except the way to say the grade. See the following to know :

Grade Percentage GPA value
Excellent 90-100 3.5-4.0
Very Good 80-89 2.5-3.49
Good 70-79 1.5-2.49
Acceptable 60-69 1.0-1.49
Weak 0 - 59 0.0

for more information , see : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_saudi_arabia

[edit] Hong Kong

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In Hong Kong, the system of grade point average (GPA)[4] is used in universities:

Grade GPA
A+ 4.30
A  4.00
A− 3.70
B+ 3.30
B  3.00
B− 2.70
C+ 2.30
C  2.00
C− 1.70
D+ 1.30
D  1.00
F  0.00

Some universities don't include A+ in the grades[5], or set the grade point of A+ to be 4.00[6], so that the maximum GPA attainable is 4.00 instead of 4.30. Some universities use a 12-point system called "CGA" instead[7]. Some universities do not include minus grades (i.e., no A-, B-, C-) and the grade point of A+, B+, C+, D+ is 4.5, 3.5, 2.5, 1.5 respectively.[8]

[edit] Russia and Former Soviet Union/CIS (without Moldova , Belarus and Ukraine)

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In Russia, Hungary and likely many of the former Soviet Union (with the notable exception of Moldova, that switched to the Romanian system) and some countries formerly associated with the Eastern Bloc, close variations of a five-point grading scale is used:

  • 5: Very good or Excellent, equal to highest distinction (best possible grade)
  • 4: Good (above average)
  • 3: Satisfactory, sometimes translated into English as Fair (lowest passing grade)
  • 2: Unsatisfactory (failing)
  • 1: Poor (lowest possible grade, "failing with distinction")

Qualifiers + and - are often used to add some degree of differentiation between the grades: e.g., 4+ is better than 4, but a little worse than 5-. Grading varies greatly from school to school, university to university, and even teacher to teacher, and tends to be entirely subjective, even for courses that lend themselves to objective marking, such as mathematics and applied sciences. Even though the grades technically range from 1 to 5, 1 is not common and is rarely given for academic reasons—in many cases, a 1 is given as a result of failure to show up for or to complete an exam. A 2 grade usually means that the student showed no or little knowledge in a subject (in Russia/Ukraine, but not in Hungary).

It may be worth mentioning that 1 is somewhat an exotic grade in Russian schools, but it does exist officially. The mostly used grades are 5 to 2. + and - modifiers follow the same tendency; they are used rarely in middle school, and almost never in colleges or universities. Some institutions and teachers (excluding Russia), unsatisfied with the five-point scale, work with various larger ones, but these grading systems are not recognized by the state and require conversion for official use.

It is necessary to understand that, in Russian universities, all of the courses are compulsory subjects. There are no electives in the sense of the Western system available in Russia. However, very rarely in some universities are there certain subjects that are not graded at all. Such subjects could be interpreted as additional electives, because they are not compulsory, do not contribute towards the degree, and will not be mentioned in the final degree paper (diploma). However, the grade ‘Attended’ is issued if the attendance requirements are met by a student.

The majority of subjects are graded on a ‘Pass/No pass’ (Credit/No Credit) basis (зачёт/незачёт, pronounced as "zach`ot/nezach`ot"), and the rest is graded in terms of numbers. The 'Pass/No Pass" grades do not have any official numeric representation. When "zachot"- (credit- or pass-) type subjects are graded as ‘Pass/Not pass,’ this simply represents a student's good or poor knowledge of a subject. Each university implements its own understanding of the appropriate level of knowledge a student should have in order to pass studied subjects. Students in Russia must pass all of the offered subjects in order to graduate.

Due to several ways to translate the word "zachet" from Russian into English (it can be translated as "credit" or "pass"), this type of grading is the source of problems for Russian students applying to Western universities. Such grades may confuse Western universities and make it difficult to correctly calculate students' GPA in terms of Western systems.

In the past recent years, some of these countries (excluding Russia) have started to implement the following grading system:

New System Old System
12 5+
11 5
10 5-
9 4+
8 4
7 4-
6 3+
5 3
4 3-
3 2
2 1
1 complete failing

[edit] United Arab Emirates

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

[edit] Others

[edit] Europe

[edit] Albania

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In Albania, grades from 1 (sometimes 0) to 10 are used, with some schools allowing decimals (up to the hundredth digit) and some others only allowing whole numbers.

Grade Qualification
10.00 Excellent
8.00–9.99 Very Good
6.00–7.99 Good
5.00–5.99 Sufficient
0.00–4.99 Insufficient

Most universities evaluate classes with two mid exams and a final. The final exam encompasses the whole course syllabus, whereas the mid exams usually review half. In some schools, if the average grade of the two mid exams is equal to or higher than 7.00, the student is able to pass the class without the need to take a final exam (since there are only two exams, some teachers also pass students who average 6.50; others weigh in the decision based on the student's performance in class). An average of less than 4.00 is failing; students who score such an average are not allowed to take the final exam.

In high schools, the year is divided into three trimesters and classes are usually yearlong. Students need an average of 6.00 or higher in the three trimestral exams to avoid having to take a final to pass the class. In the event of a student scoring less than 6.00 in the 3rd trimester, he or she would have to take a final exam, regardless of average. This is considered controversial, since the last trimestral exam is not more important than the first two, but the rule stands to prevent students who have already reached the minimum average (e.g., two 10.00 in the first two give a student the lowest possible average of 6.33) from not making an effort during the last three months of the year.

[edit] Bulgaria

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

  • 6: Отличен (Excellent, best possible grade)
  • 5: Много добър (Very Good, next highest)
  • 4: Добър (Good, indicates average performance)
  • 3: Среден (Sufficient, lowest passing grade)
  • 2: Слаб (Poor, failing grade)

For exact grading, two positions after the decimal point are used; thus, grades as, e.g., Poor (2.50), or Excellent (5.75), are common. Every passing grade at or above the .50 mark is prefixed with the term of the higher grade. The minimum is 2.00; grades below 3.00 are failing grades, and the maximum is 6.00.

Roughly, the Bulgarian grade system can be equated to the American one as the following: 6=A, 5=B, 4=C, 3=D, and 2=F.

[edit] Denmark

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The current scale, syv-trins-skalaen ("7-step-scale"), was introduced in 2007, replacing the old 13-skalaen ("13-scale"). The new scale is designed to be compatible with the ECTS-scale.

Syv-trins-skalaen consists of seven different grades, ranging from 12 to -3, with 12 being the highest:

Grade Description 13-scale-equivalent ECTS-equivalent
−3 entirely inadequate 00 F
00 inadequate 03 & 5 Fx
02 adequate the minimum acceptable (minimum passing grade) 6 E
4 fair numerous significant flaws, slightly below average 7 D
7 good numerous flaws (8 at 13-scale = average performance) 8 & 9 C
10 excellent few significant flaws 10 B
12 outstanding none or few insignificant flaws 11 & 13 A

This new scale remains an absolute scale, meaning that, proportions are not taken into consideration.

[edit] Iceland

Main article: Academic grading in Iceland

In Iceland, grades from 0 to 10 are used. It's very common also to grade simply in percentages.

[edit] Ireland

Main article: Academic grading in Ireland

[edit] The Netherlands

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In The Netherlands, grades from 1.0 up to 10.0 are used, with 1 being worst and 10 being best. The grades 9 and 10 are hardly ever given on examinations (on average, a 9 is awarded in only 1.5%, and a 10 in 0.5% of cases). Generally, either one or two decimal places are used, and a +/− means a quarter (rounded to either 0.8 or 0.3 if only one decimal place is used). Thus, a grade of 6.75 (or 6.8) could be written as 7−, whereas a grade of 7+ would count for 7.25 or 7.3.

The grade scale with the labels:

  • 10: excellent
  • 9: very good
  • 8: good
  • 7: more than sufficient
  • 6: sufficient
  • 5: nearly sufficient
  • 4: insufficient
  • 3: strongly insufficient
  • 2: poor
  • 1: very poor

Usually 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. Sometimes, when no decimal place is used, an additional grade, 6−, is used as "barely passed." In contrast with the usual interpretation as a 5.75, this grade represents what would have been a 5.5 if a decimal place were used. In some other situations, the decimal point is expressly forbidden to be used for any grade between 5.0 and 6.0, so that graders are forced to specify a clear pass/fail decision.

An alternative system classifies grades of 6.0 and up as always passing, but also allows one or two classes in a school year with a score between 5.0 and 6.0. However, the average of all grades over the year must be over 6.0. If students do not reach the average of 6.0 or have more than two courses with a score between 5.0 and 6.0, a secondary exam must be taken to pass the failing classes. A score below 5.0 is always insufficient and the exam must be retaken.

[edit] Others

[edit] Oceania

[edit] Australia

Main article: Academic grading in Australia

Australian primary and secondary schools are currently migrating to a common reporting and assessment format. Education is the responsibility of the states in Australia. In 2005 the Federal Government introduced a universal common assessment and reporting standards legislation that all states had to adhere to. The grading system is now structured as follows, though the percentages are only an approximate guide:

  • A: 90% and above (Excellent)
  • B: 80-89% (Good)
  • C: 70-79% (Average)
  • D: 60-69% (Below Average)
  • E: 59% and below (Failure)
Letter Percentile
A 93-above
B 92-83
C 82-73
D 72-63
E 62-below

Some (but not all) Australian tertiary institutions use close variations of the following grading structure:

  • HD: 85% and above (High Distinction)
  • D: 75-84% (Distinction)
  • Cr: 65-74% (Credit Pass)
  • P: 50-64% (Pass)
  • F1: 45-49% (Fail level 1)
  • F2: below 45% (Fail level 2)

Many courses also have Non-Graded Pass (NGP) and Non-Graded Fail (F), in which it is considered more appropriate to have qualitative than quantitative assessment. However, in some universities, an F1 category may be given a 'Pass Conceded' if the student's Weighted Average is greater than a nominated threshold. (More often than not, this is around the 53-55 range.)

Grade point averages are not generally used in Australia below a tertiary level. They are calculated according to more complicated formula than some other nations:

Grade Point Average (GPA) = Sum of (grade points × course unit values) / total number of credit points attempted, in which grade points are as follows:

  • High Distinction = 7
  • Distinction = 6
  • Credit = 5
  • Pass = 4
  • Fail level 1 = 1
  • Fail level 2 = 0

At some universities, such as University of Technology, Sydney, a GPA calculation out of 4 is calculated, whereby 4.0 = a High Distinction; 3.0 is a Distinction, 2.0 is a Credit, and 1.0 is a pass. In certain faculties, such as law, it is therefore possible to graduate with "honours" with a GPA of less than 2.5.

Whenever a course result is a Non-Graded Pass, the result will normally be disregarded in GPA calculation.

The term course unit values is used to distinguish between courses which have different weightings e.g. between a full year course and a single semester course.

The High School Certificate system varies from state to state. For example, in New South Wales, the UAI (Universities Admissions Index) determines tertiary positions. Government Supported Positions are given to students that achieve above a certain UAI threshold. (An example of this is a UAI of 85 for Civil Engineering at the University of New South Wales.[9]) The value of the UAI corresponds with the percentile the student is placed within the state of New South Wales.

By contrast, in Queensland, graduating Year 12 students are awarded an OP of between 1 and 25, 1 being the most coveted; students are allocated their OP by means of a summation of marks from all their year 12 (and in some cases, year 11) courses, and also from the QCS ([Queensland Core Skills]) test, this being a series of four tests held at the end of secondary education.

[edit] New Zealand

Main article: Academic grading in New Zealand

[edit] Criticism

This section requires expansion.

Some have argued that grades, like standardized tests are by no means an accurate way of measuring a student's intellectual aptitude and that they are simply "letters on paper." Since grading varies based on location, critics argue that high grades in one location could translate to lower grades from another.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Postman, Neil (1992) (in English). Techno poly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. New York City: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 13. 
  2. ^ Christopher Stray, "From Oral to Written Examinations: Cambridge, Oxford and Dublin 1700-1914," History of Universities 20:2 (2005), 94-95.
  3. ^ "European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System". EUROPA: Education and Training.
  4. ^ Examinations @ CityU
  5. ^ http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/iso/calendar/2006-07/english/pdf/p7_04.pdfPDF (63.4 KiB), section 13.2
  6. ^ http://www.hku.hk/pubunit/cal2006/images/pt16.pdfPDF (39.3 KiB), section UG5
  7. ^ http://publish.ust.hk/univ/cal0607/calendar/regu/ugregu.pdfPDF (99.2 KiB), section 21.4
  8. ^ Hong Kong PolyU GPA system explanation
  9. ^ http://www.uac.edu.au/pdf/2007_uai_coffs_csp_main.pdf

[7] [8]

[edit] External links

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Learning standards
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