Grades and study results
Secondary education study results
Secondary education institutions often use a grading system from 1 to 6. Grades 5 and 6 are failing grades.
| Grade | Description | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sehr gut | Very good |
| 2 | Gut | Good |
| 3 | Befriedigend | Satisfactory |
| 4 | Ausreichend | Sufficient |
| 5 | Mangelhaft | Almost sufficient |
| 6 | Ungenügend | Fail |
Study results at the upper secondary education at a Gymnasium
Gymnasiums assess upper secondary education (gymnasiale Oberstufe) study results by using different grades:
| Grades | Description | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 13, 14, 15 | Sehr gut | Very good |
| 10, 11, 12 | Gut | Good |
| 7, 8, 9 | Befriedigend | Satisfactory |
| 4, 5, 6 | Ausreichend | Sufficient |
| 1, 2, 3 | Mangelhaft | Almost sufficient |
| 0 | Ungenügend | Fail |
Secondary education documents
Students receive a diploma and a transcript from the school. This is often 1 document consisting of multiple pages. The federal state is also mentioned on the diploma.
On the diploma, you can often find information about the as well. In other words, whether the student can continue on to higher professional education and/or research-oriented higher education with the diploma.
Transfer entitlement
The possibility to continue on to an advanced programme, in some cases with exemptions for several subjects or a certain period.
Higher education study results
Most German higher education institutions assess study results in the following way:
| Grades | Description | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 - 1.5 | Sehr gut | Very good |
| 1.6 - 2.5 | Gut | Good |
| 2.6 - 3.5 | Befriedigend | Satisfactory |
| 3.6 - 4.0 | Ausreichend | Sufficient |
| 4.1 - 5.0 | Mangelhaft | Almost sufficient/fail |
Higher education documents
After completing a study programme, students usually receive the following documents:
- a diploma; and
- a diploma supplement.
Diploma
There are different diplomas in research-oriented higher education and higher professional education. Some diploma names are found in both types of education, such as the Diplom, bachelor’s degree and master’s degree. If you want to know the level of those diplomas, you will have to check at which type of educational institution the diploma was obtained.
Diploma supplement
German higher education institutions often use the Diploma Supplement (DS). You can find more information on the Europass website, including examples of diploma supplements.