UK grading system Everything you need to know
The United Kingdom, a country renowned for many great things and providing academic excellence, is one of them. Therefore, this country is among the top 5 favourite destinations for international students for study purposes. If you’re willing to study in the UK, then you should know about the UK grading system.
The UK university grading system is a standard way to measure one’s academic performance. Many countries follow their grading method. In this blog, you will learn everything relevant about the UK grading system. So, without any further ado, let’s go!
What is the grading system in the UK?
The UK grading system for honours is based on degree classes like first class, second class, third class, and fail. This method provides a clear sense of measuring a student’s academic performance.
| Grade Letter | Percentage | Definition | Degree Class (UK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 70% - 100% | Excellent to Outstanding | First-Class Honours |
| B | 60% - 69% | Good to Very Good | Upper Second-Class Degree |
| C | 50%-59% | Satisfying | Lower Second-Class Degree |
| D | 40% - 49% | Sufficient | Third Class Degree |
| F | 0 - 39% | Unsatisfactory | Fail |
The Postgraduate grading system in the UK
The UK grading system for postgraduate degrees is measured by grades like distinction, merit, pass, and fail. The minimum passing mark is 50% instead of 40%, like honours.
| Percentage | Grade Remarks (UK) | Letter Grades | Grade Descriptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70% - 100% | Distinction | A | Pass |
| 60% - 69% | Merit or Commendation | B | Pass |
| 50%-59% | Pass | C | Pass |
| 0 - 49% | Fail | F | Fail |
The UK grading system and the ECTS grading system
ECTS stands for European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, which is a standard grading system used in European countries. This grading system is used while transferring credits to different institutions in different countries.
| Percentage Score | ECTS Grade | ECTS Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 70% - 100% | A | Excellent to outstanding performance with minor errors |
| 60% - 69% | B | Very good or above average performance with some errors |
| 50%-59% | C | Good performance with some notable errors |
| 40% - 49% | D | Satisfactory with significant shortcomings |
| 0 - 39% | E/F | Not sufficient or fail |
The UK grading system and the US grading system
The US grading system is quite popular among many countries, and you will find that every year many USA students enrol in UK universities. So, let’s compare the UK grading system and the USA grading system.
| UK grading system | Percentage | US grading system |
|---|---|---|
| First-Class Degree | 70% -100% | A |
| Upper Second-Class Degree | 60% - 69% | A- / B+ |
| Lower Second-Class Degree | 50% -59% | B / B- |
| Third Class Degree | 40% - 49% | C+/C/C- |
| Fail | 0 - 39% | F |
The UK grade systems into GPA
Many universities and colleges generally use a GPA (grade point average) to measure the academic performance of students. A typical conversion from UK grade systems to GPA is given below:
| Percentage | UK grading system | GPA equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Above 70% | First-Class Degree | 4.0 |
| 60% - 69% | Upper Second-Class Degree | 3.3 - 3.9 |
| 50%-59% | Lower Second-Class Degree | 2.7 - 3.2 |
| 40% - 49% | Third Class Degree | 2.0 - 2.6 |
UK grading system vs Indian grading system
While considering international students, India will remain at the top, as the greater portion of international students going to the UK for study purposes are from India. The Indian universities use a 10-point GPA system.
Let’s see a basic comparison of the grading systems of the UK and India:
| British grading system | Percentage | Indian grading system |
|---|---|---|
| First-class honours | Above 80% | 10 |
| First-class honours | 75% - 79% | 9 |
| First-class honours | 70% - 74% | 8 |
| Upper second-class honours | 60% - 69% | 7 |
| Lower second-class honours | 50%-59% | 6 |
| Third-class honours | 45% - 49% | 5 |
| Third-class honours | 40% - 44% | 4 |
On a final note
It looks like we have hit the bottom. A wide number of international students from every corner of the world go to the UK every year to earn a higher degree, as it’s a beacon of academic excellence.
So, every aspiring student should be aware of the UK grading system so that they don’t face any hassle related to this in the future. Well, that’s about it, and we wish you nothing less than the best in your future endeavours. Good luck!
FAQ's
Is a 70 an A in the UK?
Yes, 70% is equivalent to an A or first-class degree in the UK.
What grade is 75% UK?
75% in the UK indicates a first-class honours degree.
What is the grade scale in the UK?
The grade scale in the UK is given below:
| Grade Letter | Percentage | UK grade scale |
|---|---|---|
| A | 70% - 100% | First-Class Honours |
| B | 60% - 69% | Upper Second-Class Degree |
| C | 50%-59% | Lower Second-Class Degree |
| D | 40% - 49% | Third Class Degree |
| F | 0 - 39% | Fail |