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Why a 1 is the best grade, and what a 4 still means
Written by
Janine El-Saghir
Janine El Saghir is an editor at How-to-Germany.com, where she specializes in the practical aspects of daily life and integration for expatriates. With years of...
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Erkan Boga
Erkan Boga is the founder and CEO of qmedia GmbH, the publishing house behind How-to-Germany.com. He established the platform with the clear vision of creating...
- 1 is the best grade, 6 the worst. A 4 (ausreichend) is the lowest mark that still counts as enough.
- In the last two years before the Abitur, points from 15 to 0 replace the grades. 15 to 13 points equal a 1.
- Foreign grades are converted with one formula, the modified Bavarian formula, using an upper and a lower reference value set for each foreign scale.
German grades look upside down to most parents from abroad: a child who comes home with a 1 has done as well as possible. The scale is the same in all 16 states and fixed in their joint agreement on the school system. Teachers grade written tests, oral participation and practical work across the year, and the report card shows the result twice a year. If your child is new to German schools, read the first report card with the table below, and see the school system overview for what the grades decide.
The 1 to 6 scale and the 15 points
| Grade | German name | Meaning | Points (final two years) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | sehr gut | very good | 15, 14, 13 |
| 2 | gut | good | 12, 11, 10 |
| 3 | befriedigend | satisfactory | 9, 8, 7 |
| 4 | ausreichend | adequate | 6, 5, 4 |
| 5 | mangelhaft | poor | 3, 2, 1 |
| 6 | ungenügend | very poor | 0 |
| Within each grade, the higher point value marks the upper end of the grade. Sources: agreement of the 16 states on the structure of the school system (2020), Eurydice, assessment in general secondary education in Germany, retrieved 8 November 2026. | |||
The points grade more finely than the six marks: 12 points are the top of a 2, 10 points its bottom. States may also use points in other grades and school types.
What the grades decide
- Moving up a year. From grade 3, a child is promoted if it has at least a 4 in the subjects that count. A 5 can usually be offset by better grades elsewhere.
- The recommendation after grade 4. The primary school’s report and recommendation guide the choice of secondary school.
- Certificates after grades 9 and 10. The first school-leaving certificate needs at least a 4 in every subject or on average. It is the usual way into vocational training.
- The Abitur grade. Points from the course work of the last two years and from the exams make up the final average on the Abitur certificate.
In the first two years of primary school most states write a report on progress instead of grades. Report cards can also comment on participation and behavior.
How foreign grades are converted
German universities and admission offices convert a foreign overall grade with the modified Bavarian formula, set by the education ministers in 1991 and last amended in 2013:
German grade = 1 + 3 × (upper reference value − your mark) ÷ (upper reference value − lower reference value)
The upper and lower reference values for each country and certificate come from the Central Office for Foreign Education (anabin database). The result keeps one decimal and is not rounded. Two examples with made-up scales show how it works:
| Example scale | Your mark | Calculation | German grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper value 10, lower value 5 | 8 | 1 + 3 × (10 − 8) ÷ (10 − 5) = 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Upper value 100%, lower value 40% | 75% | 1 + 3 × (100 − 75) ÷ (100 − 40) = 2.25 | 2.2 |
| Illustration only. The real values for a country come from the Central Office for Foreign Education. Our own calculation, 8 November 2026. | |||
The formula is made for university applications, not for school report cards. For a child who changes school, ask the new school how it handles placement and grades. IB points have their own fixed values: IB points converted to German grades.
Tips for parents
- Ask the teacher at the first parents’ evening how much oral participation counts in each subject. It is part of the grade, not an extra.
- While your child is still learning German, ask whether the school offers German as a second language lessons or a German class.
- Keep every report card. A new school may ask for the last one, and universities ask for the final certificates.
Bottom line
Read German grades from the top: 1 and 2 are strong, 3 is solid, 4 is enough. For a university application with a foreign certificate, look up the formula values for your country before you compare yourself with Abitur grades.
Part of education in Germany. Compare: US · UK · India.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A 4 (ausreichend, adequate) is the lowest grade that still counts as enough. A 5 (mangelhaft) and a 6 (ungenügend) are below that. A single 5 can often be offset by better grades in other subjects when the school decides on promotion.
In the final two years before the Abitur, all states grade in points from 15 to 0. States may also use points earlier or in other school types. 15 to 13 points equal a 1, and 12 to 10 points a 2.
They can. Besides the subject grades, a report card may comment on or grade a pupil’s participation in class and conduct at school. How a state handles it varies.
With fixed values from the agreement between the states: 42 points or more equal a 1.0, 24 points are the lowest value. 33 points, for example, give a 2.5.
Sources (as of 8 November 2026)
Sources (as of 8 November 2026)
- Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education (KMK), agreement of the states on the common basic structure of the school system of 15 October 2020 (in German): grades 1 to 6, the 15-point system.
- Eurydice, European Commission, Germany: assessment in primary education, assessment in general lower secondary education and assessment in general upper secondary education: names of the grades, points and grades, promotion, certificates.
- KMK, agreement on the overall grade of foreign school-leaving certificates (1991, version of 2013, in German): the modified Bavarian formula.
- KMK, agreement on the recognition of the IB Diploma (version of 15 June 2023, in German): IB points and German grades.