All About the German Grading System

The German Grading System works entirely differently from most other countries in the world. Where most countries use higher numbers to represent better performances, the German Grading System does the opposite. It uses a reverse grading scale, meaning lower numbers like 1, 2, 3,… represent higher grades or better performance. 

Indian students going to apply to German universities this year or next would need to convert their Indian grades into the German grade equivalents. One way to convert their grades is to apply the Bavarian Formula. It involves a mathematical conversion system to convert your Indian or foreign grades into German grades. 

Most German universities don't ask you to submit converted grades to them at the time of application; instead, you're required to submit your Indian grades as such, and the university's admission team will do the conversion internally. If a university uses a third-party service for this, then you will be auto-directed to the third party's page, like Uni-assist, and you will have to pay the fees for the service to get your converted German grades. Alternatively, some universities have built-in calculators on their application websites, which help students to get their grades converted easily. 

In this article, we will be talking about what the German Grading System is, the mathematical calculations involved in converting Indian grades into German equivalents and the scale of the German Grades. 

What is the German Grading System?

To study in Germany, knowledge of the German Grading System is a must. The German Grading System is different from its:

1. Primary and lower secondary education (classes 1st to 10th), in which grades are provided either on a 5 or 6-point scale

2. Upper secondary education (from class 1oth to 12th/13th), in which the number equivalents of grades are provided, such as 1+, 1 and 1-

3. Tertiary education, in which a 1 to 5 point scale is used for grading the performance of students. All universities use the same school except the German Law Schools, which use an additional grade between 2 and 3, to increase one more grade, as achieving a 1 or 2 grade is extremely rare and shows very good performance. 

How is the German Grading System Different from the Indian Grading System?

The biggest difference between a German Grading System and an Indian Grading System is that the former one uses lower numbers, such as 1, 2, and 3, for better performances and the latter one uses the reverse scale, i.e. the greater numbers, i.e, 8, 9 and 10 for better performances. 

The German Grading Scale for higher education ranges from 1 to 5, while the Indian Grading System ranges from 1 to 10. Some universities in India also evaluate students’ performances based on percentage, in which, again, a higher number or percentage means better performance.

So, Indian students heading to study in a German university need to convert their Indian grades into German grades. 

If you're interested to study in Germany, it may as well be advantageous to learn about the exams required to study in Germany for Indian students.

What is the Scale of the German Grading System?

In Germany, either a 5-point scale or a 6-point scale is used to evaluate the performance of the students - irrespective of their academic levels. This means the grade scale remains the same for all school and college students. The higher numeric grades, i.e. 4, 5 and 6, are given to students who showed the worst performance in their batch. The intermediate grades, such as 2 and 3, are given to average to good performers, while 1 is for the top performers.  

What Does Each Grade Mean in the German Grading System?

Germany uses a 1 to 5 grading scale, and here is what each of these ones mean -

Note:-

• The grade between 2 and 3 is termed “vollbefriedigend”. 

• For students who passed with distinction or an absolute grade of 1.0, "mit Auszeichnung bestanden" is used in the description in the report card.

How to Convert Indian Grades into German Grades?

The German universities do not accept foreign grades directly, but standardise them as per their own grading scale before accepting. That’s why Indian grades are also not accepted as it is by the German universities. 

The formula required for converting Indian marks or CGPA into German grades is the Modified Bavarian Formula. The Modified Bavarian Formula is given here below:

X = 1 +3 ✕ [(N(max) - Nd)/(N(max) - N(min))]

Here, 

• X = grade sought (converted German grade)

• N(max) = upper corner value (maximum possible grade) according to the evaluation guidelines of the ZAB

• N(min) = lower corner value (minimum passing grade) according to the evaluation guidelines of the ZAB

• Nd = foreign average grade

OR alternatively, this formula can be explained as - 

German Grade = 1 +3 ✕ [(Maximum Grade - Your Grade)/(Maximum Grade - Minimum Passing Grade)]

This was all about the German Grading System. If students wish to study in Germany, they can get in touch with Shiksha's Expert Counsellors, who have expertise in getting students into the university of their dreams. For doubts, drop your queries in the comments below.