Grading systems

See how study results are assessed in Scottish secondary and higher education.

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In Scotland, educational institutions usually assess study results with letter grades.

Secondary education grading system

In Scotland, schools assess the National 5 courses, the Highers and Advanced Highers with letter grades from A to D, with D being a fail (below 40%).

  • A = 70-100% (good to very good);
  • B = 60-69% (more than sufficient);
  • C = 50-59% (sufficient);
  • D = 40-49% (insufficient).

Valuation of study results

Check out more information (in Dutch) about the valuation of study results achieved.

Higher education grading system

The assessment scale used in Scottish higher education runs from A through D or E. There is no national standard for awarding grades. Many Scottish universities apply this system, with D being the lowest satisfactory score.

Scottish credits

In Scotland 1 SCQF credit point stands for 10 contact hours. You can find more information about Scottish credits in the PDF: Ready Reckoner for SQA Qualifications in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).