Grading Systems in Other Countries - International Comparison

Learn about grading systems in different countries and how to convert grades.

Grading systems differ significantly between countries. What's a 5 in Poland may be equivalent to an 'A' or '10' in another country. If you're planning a school exchange, studying abroad, or are just curious - discover grading systems in different countries.

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Poland - Reminder

Scale: 1 - 6 (schools) or 2.0 - 5.0 / A-F (universities)

  1. 6 6 (excellent) - highest grade
  2. 5 5 (very good)
  3. 4 4 (good)
  4. 3 3 (satisfactory)
  5. 2 2 (passing)
  6. 1 1 (failing) - negative grade

Passing grade (minimum for promotion): 2

Germany

The German system works 'in reverse' - the lower the number, the better the grade!

Scale: 1 - 6 (lower is better)

  1. 1 1 (Sehr gut) = Very good ≈ Polish 6
  2. 2 2 (Gut) = Good ≈ Polish 5
  3. 3 3 (Befriedigend) = Satisfactory ≈ Polish 4
  4. 4 4 (Ausreichend) = Sufficient ≈ Polish 3
  5. 5 5 (Mangelhaft) = Insufficient ≈ Polish 2 (failing!)
  6. 6 6 (Ungenügend) = Very insufficient ≈ Polish 1

Passing grade: 4 (Ausreichend)

Note! In Germany '1' is the best grade, and '5' is already failing!

United States (USA)

The American system uses letters A-F and GPA (Grade Point Average).

Letter system:

A A (90-100%) = Excellent ≈ Polish 6
B B (80-89%) = Good ≈ Polish 5
C C (70-79%) = Average ≈ Polish 4
D D (60-69%) = Passing ≈ Polish 3
F F (0-59%) = Failing ≈ Polish 2 or 1

GPA System (Grade Point Average):

4.0 A = 4.0
3.0 B = 3.0
2.0 C = 2.0
1.0 D = 1.0
0.0 F = 0.0

Passing grade: D (60%)

In the USA, GPA matters - perfect is 4.0 (all A's)

United Kingdom (UK)

The British system differs depending on education level:

GCSE (exams at age 16):

9 9 = Highest grade ≈ Polish 6
8-7 8-7 = Very good ≈ Polish 5-6
6-5 6-5 = Good ≈ Polish 4-5
4 4 = Standard Pass (passed) ≈ Polish 3
3-1 3-2-1 = Not passed

A-Levels (exams at age 18):

A* A* = Outstanding ≈ Polish 6
A A = Very good ≈ Polish 5-6
B B = Good ≈ Polish 5
C C = Satisfactory ≈ Polish 4
D D = Weak ≈ Polish 3
E E = Very weak (minimum pass) ≈ Polish 2-3
U U = Unclassified (not passed)

France

The French system uses a 0-20 point scale:

Scale: 0 - 20

18-20 18-20 = Très bien (Very good) ≈ Polish 6
16-18 16-18 = Bien (Good) ≈ Polish 5-6
14-16 14-16 = Assez bien (Fairly good) ≈ Polish 5
12-14 12-14 = Passable (Passable) ≈ Polish 4
10-12 10-12 = Satisfaisant (Satisfactory) ≈ Polish 3-4
0-10 0-10 = Insuffisant (Insufficient) - not passed

Passing grade: 10/20

In France, an average of 16/20 is already a very good result!

Czech Republic

The Czech system is very similar to Polish, but with reversed logic (like Germany):

Scale: 1 - 5 (lower is better)

  1. 1 1 (Výborný) = Excellent ≈ Polish 6
  2. 2 2 (Chvalitebný) = Praiseworthy ≈ Polish 5
  3. 3 3 (Dobrý) = Good ≈ Polish 4
  4. 4 4 (Dostatečný) = Satisfactory ≈ Polish 3
  5. 5 5 (Nedostatečný) = Insufficient ≈ Polish 2 or 1

Passing grade: 4

In Czech Republic '1' is the best grade, and '5' is failing

Spain

The Spanish system uses a 0-10 scale:

Scale: 0 - 10

9-10 9-10 = Sobresaliente (Outstanding) ≈ Polish 6
7-9 7-9 = Notable (Notable) ≈ Polish 5
5-6 5-6 = Bien/Suficiente (Good/Sufficient) ≈ Polish 4
0-5 0-5 = Insuficiente (Insufficient) - not passed

Passing grade: 5/10

Matrícula de Honor (MH):

Highest possible grade (above 10), awarded to the best students

Japan

The Japanese system uses letters and percentages:

Letter scale:

S S (90-100%) = Excellent ≈ Polish 6
A A (80-89%) = Very good ≈ Polish 5
B B (70-79%) = Good ≈ Polish 4
C C (60-69%) = Satisfactory ≈ Polish 3
D D (50-59%) = Weak ≈ Polish 2-3
F F (0-49%) = Not passed

Passing grade: C (60%)

In Japan, S (Superior) is the highest grade, above A

Comparison Table - Conversion Between Countries

Approximate conversion (simplified):

PolskaNiemcyUSAUKFrancjaGPA
6 (cel)1AA*18-204,0
5 (bdb)1-2A-/B+A16-183,7
4 (db)2-3B/C+B/C14-163,0
3 (dst)3-4CD12-142,0
2 (dop)4-5DE10-121,0
1 (ndst)5-6FU0-100,0

These are approximate values - exact conversion depends on the university!

ECTS System - Universal European System

ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) is used at universities in Europe:

A A = Excellent (top 10% of students)
B B = Very Good (next 25%)
C C = Good (next 30%)
D D = Satisfactory (next 25%)
E E = Sufficient (bottom 10% who passed)
F F / FX = Fail (not passed)

ECTS facilitates grade transfer between European universities (e.g., ERASMUS)

Tips for Grade Conversion

  • There's no single universal table - each university has its own conversion rules
  • When applying abroad, use official converters from the destination university
  • WES (World Education Services) offers professional grade conversion
  • Some countries (USA, UK) may require additional certificate translation
  • GPA is often required when applying to USA/Canada
  • Check specific university requirements - they may vary!

Summary

  • Grading systems differ significantly between countries
  • In Germany and Czech Republic: lower number = better grade (opposite of Poland!)
  • USA/UK: letter system A-F
  • France: scale 0-20, Spain: 0-10
  • ECTS is the European university standard
  • Grade conversion requires considering context and university rules