Grades and study results
How do educational institutions assess study results in Sri Lanka? And what documents do students receive when they have completed a study programme?
Secondary education study results
Since 2001, secondary education schools have been assessing study results with the letters A through E, with an A as the highest score and E as the lowest possible passing grade.
For the GCE O/L and GCE A/L, the Department of Examinations uses the following system to assess study results:
| Percentage | Result | Letter grade | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100-75 | Distinction | A | Outstanding |
| 74-65 | Very Good Pass | B | Very good |
| 64-50 | Credit Pass | C | Good |
| 49-35 | Ordinary Pass | S | Satisfactory |
| 34-00 | Weak (Failure) | W/F | Fail |
Secondary education documents
The Department of Examinations is responsible for the national examinations that students take at the end of key stage 1 (grades 10-11) and key stage 2 (grades 12- 13). The Department of Examinations also awards the official diplomas:
- General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level); and
- General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level).
Please note: documents from secondary schools are therefore not official.
Higher education study results
Higher education institutions use a number of grading systems in conjunction. One system uses a 100-point scale. Sometimes, the points are therefore given as percentages, with 100% (100 points) as the highest score. In addition, institutions also use letters (grades) and a Grade Point Average (GPA).
For example, the University of Colombo uses the following 3 systems to assess study results:
| Score (marks) | Grade | Grade Point Average (GPA) |
|---|---|---|
| 80-100 | A+ | 4.00 |
| 75-79 | A | 3.75 |
| 70-74 | A- | 3.50 |
| 65-69 | B+ | 3.25 |
| 60-64 | B | 3.00 |
| 55-59 | B- | 2.75 |
| 50-54 | C+ | 2.50 |
| 45-49 | C | 2.25 |
| 40-44 | C- | 2.00 |
| 30-39 | D | 0.00 (Fail) |
| 0-29 | E | 0.00 (Fail) |
| Incomplete | I | - |
| No Credit | NC | - |
| Audit | AU | - |
| Withdrawn | W | - |
| Withdrawn-failing | WF | - |
| Repeat completed | RC | - |
Some institutions award students with good study results with an honours classification (1st/2nd class), denoted on their diploma. Institutions use the GPA system to calculate who is eligible for an honours classification.
Higher education documents
Students can prove that they have completed a higher education study programme with the following documents:
- a diploma; and
- an official transcript (official transcript of record).
Please note: there are different types of bachelor's and master's degrees in Sri Lanka (we describe them on our Higher education webpage). To determine the level of a bachelor's or master's degree, you need to check what type of bachelor's or master's degree it concerns. This is often not mentioned on the diploma and transcript. You then have to check other things to determine the type of bachelor's or master's degree. Use our tips below.