Dutch grading system
Ten point grading system
There are many different grading systems in the world, such as (from lowest to highest grade) 1 to 5, 1 to 10, 1 to 20, 1 to 100, 5 to 1, F to A. In Holland a ten point system is used in both secondary and higher education. A grade of 10 is the highest and 6 is the minimum pass grade.
10 | Outstanding * |
9 | Very good * |
8 | Good |
7 | More than satisfactory |
6 | Satisfactory |
5 | Almost satisfactory |
4 | Unsatisfactory |
3 | Very unsatisfactory * |
2 | Poor * |
1 | Very poor * |
* The grades 1-3 are hardly ever awarded and 9 and 10 are very rare.
Comparing your marks
Several countries use grading systems that look similar to the one used in Holland. One example is the 1-100 system. However, it would be inaccurate to compare a 90-100 grade in such a system with a 10 in the Dutch system, or a 80-90 with a 9, and so on.
An 80 in China, for example, is not considered a good grade since most grades in higher education in China are between 80 and 100. In Holland, however, an 8 is a very good grade, since most grades are between 6 and 8; only excellent students achieve a grade higher than 8.
