In Germany, there are two different types of grading systems. The (1) school grading system and (2) the university grading system.
(1) The German university grading system
The university grading system allows for grade gradations from 1 to 5. Grades are usually given in the decimal range. The following evaluations represent the grades:
| Grade | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 - 1.4 | very good | The performance meets the requirements to a particularly high degree. |
| 1.5 - 2.4 | good | The performance fully meets the requirements. |
| 2.5 - 3.4 | satisfactory | The performance generally meets requirements. |
| 3.5 - 4.0 | sufficient | The performance shows deficiencies, but still meets requirements overall. |
| 4.1 - 5.0 | insufficient / failed | The performance does not meet the requirements and even the basic knowledge is so incomplete that the deficiencies cannot be remedied in the foreseeable future. |
Note
There are also universities or faculties where the grading is done in jumps of three decimals. Here the grading scale is then limited to: 1.0, 1.3, 1.7, 2.0, 2.3, etc.
(2) The German (high) school grading system
The school grading system is used in Germany from elementary school to the Abitur (general university entrance qualification).
From elementary school to the beginning of high school, grades are assigned in 6 gradations, with grade 1 being the highest and grade 6 being the lowest. Upon entering the senior high school (Oberstufe), a 15-point system is sed. This represents the following evaluations:
| Points | Description |
|---|---|
| 15 | highest grade in the German school system |
| 13 - 14 | very good |
| 10 - 12 | good |
| 07 - 09 | satisfactory |
| 04 - 06 | sufficient |
| 01 - 03 | insufficient |
| 00 - 02 | poor / fail |