German Grading System Explained

Over the past four years, Germany has seen a 107% surge in Indian students, making it a top study destination. If you too are eyeing higher studies at top German universities, you must understand the nuances of the German grading system to navigate the academic requirements in Germany. This will help you aim for the right universities. 

Here is a guide to the German grading system, including a German GPA calculator to understand your academic scores more accurately

What is German Grading Scheme

The German grading scheme is well-known for its transparency and precision. Germany’s university grading system differs from its school grading system. For instance, students' academic performance at the school level is measured on a scale of one to six, where one represents exceptional scores, and six is considered a fail. 

On the other hand, the university grade system follows a one to five scale, with one being the highest and five being the lowest score. If you have scored one on your examination, it means that you were able to successfully attempt around 90–100% of your test, whereas a score of 5 means that your performance was below satisfactory. 

Grades Awarded in German Education System

You can refer to the following table to understand the German marking system and its corresponding significance: 

Grade Type	Meaning	Status
1	Great, very good, or even outstanding academic work (sehr gut)	Pass
2	The candidate has performed as per expectations. It means good or gut performance.	Pass
3	This means that the performance is befriedigend or average. It can also be called satisfactory.	Pass
4	Sufficient performance or ausreichend. The candidate has done satisfactorily with some mistakes in this case.	Pass
5	mangelhaft or deficient. It means the candidate has not met the set expectations and is only well-versed in basic concepts.	Fail
6	It means ungenügend, which equates to inadequate. This means that the candidate does not even possess clarity of basic concepts.	Fail

Source: Official University Websites

Read More: Education System in Germany

German Grade Conversion

You will need to convert your CGPA to German scores while applying for higher studies at various reputed universities in Germany. Aspirants  may use the following  German GPA converter for their reference: 

US GPA to German Grade 

Grade in Germany	What it Means	Letter Grade in the USA	USA GPA (Grade Point Average)
1.0	Sehr gut (Very good)	A+
1.0		A	4.0
1.3		A-	3.7
1.7		B+	3.3
2.0	Gut (Good)	B	3.0
2.3		B-	2.7
2.7		C+	2.3
3.0	Befriedigend (Satisfactory)	C	2.0
3.3		C-	1.7
3.7		D+	1.3
4.0	Ausreichend (Sufficient)	D	1.0
5.0	Nicht Ausreichend (Insufficient)	F	0.0

UK Grade to German Grade 

Grade in Germany	What it Means	Equivalent Grade in the UK
0.8	Sehr gut (Very good)	First-class (with Distinction)
1.0		First-class
1.3		First-class
1.7		Upper second-class (2:1)
2.0	Gut (Good)	Upper second-class (2:1)
2.3		Lower second-class (2:2)
2.7		Lower second-class (2:2)
3.0	Befriedigend (Satisfactory)	Third class
3.3		Third class
3.7		Third class
4.0	Ausreichend (Sufficient)	Unclassified or Passed without honors
5.0	Nicht ausreichend (Insufficient)	Fail

ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) to German Grade 

Grade in Germany	What it Means	ECTS Equivalent
1 – 1.5	Excellent (Outstanding)	A
1.6–2.0	Sehr gut (Very good)	B
2.1–3.0	Gut (Good)	C
3.1–3.5	Befriedigend (Satisfactory)	D
3.6–4.0	Ausreichend (Sufficient)	E
4.1–5.0	Nicht ausreichend (Fail)	F

Minimum GPA Grade Requirements for German Universities

The minimum GPA requirements for admissions may vary across institutions. For instance, the Technical University of Munich does not have a specific GPA requirement, whereas the Freie Universitat Berlin insists that applicants have a minimum GPA of 3.0. 

Most German universities follow an NC or numerus clausus system. The lowest GPA (grade point average) of an accepted student at a German university in the last semester determines the NC.  

The lower the NC for any program or institution, the higher its selectiveness. For example, if a program at an institution has an NC of 1.9, then the student accepted in the previous semester with the lowest GPA had 1.9 as the GPA. 

Conclusion

The German grading system can be a bit different from what you are used to, but it is not hard to comprehend. You should keep an eye on the GPA requirements of your preferred universities while applying and use the converter above to understand how your grades stack up under the German system.

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