Studying in Germany as a foreigner: How grades work

You are familiar with school grades from your home country, right? You received an assessment of your performance at the end of the school year with a grade on your report card. There are two grading systems in Germany, but only one of them plays a role for students from abroad.

Two systems, one comparable statement

In elementary school and up to the end of tenth grade, there are grades 1 to 6. 1 means "very good", grade 6 stands for "insufficient". To pass a written exam or test, you must have a grade of at least 4, which is "sufficient".

A grade of 5 or 6 means you have failed an exam. You can usually compensate for a grade 5 in your certificate with a grade 3 in another subject. If you are lower than a 5 on your report card, you will probably have to repeat the school year or the exam.

There is a different grading system in the gymnasiale Oberstufe from year 11 onwards. Here, performance is assessed with points. The points range from 0 to 15, with 0 points corresponding to "unsatisfactory" and 15 points being "better than very good".

In this points system, three points each result in a grade. This means that 15 to 13 points correspond to "very good" and 12 to 10 points are "good".

At the university or university of applied sciences, there is again a grading system from 1 to 6. You will encounter this system during your studies in Germany, so you should familiarize yourself with it. This grading system will accompany you until you graduate.

Good grades are a prerequisite for admission

If you are applying for a place at university in Germany, you will probably have to submit your school reports. You will probably need to have them translated and notarized to prove that you meet the necessary requirements for your studies.

German students must also meet these requirements in order to obtain a place at university. There is a limit to the number of students, especially in popular degree courses with many prospective students. You must then provide proof of at least a certain final grade in your last certificate in order to be admitted to the course.

These regulations can be very strict. They may even prevent you from enrolling at your chosen university. If this is the case for you, look for another university in a different city and check the conditions for admission there.

Sometimes it also helps to wait a semester or two and then reapply. If the number of students drops by then, you may be accepted even with lower grades.