I literally had no idea about the grading system in Australian schools until recently and we have been in Oz now for going on 5 years. To be honest, I had a partial idea from what my kids have told me, but never did any research on the topic. I am just not the type of parent to be overly obsessed with their grades. As long as they receive good reports from their teachers, they are passing and they seem happy – I’m good with that. Lately, I’ve had my kids coming home and telling me that the 84 they received as a test result, was at least “still an A”, was absolutely driving me mad. How the heck is 84 an A? I’m like “was that out of a possible 85 points?” “No, out of 100.” Huh?
Here’s the academic grading system I grew up with, which completely makes sense to me.
| LetterGrade | Percentage | GPA |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97–100 % | 4.33 or 4.00 |
| A | 93–96 % | 4.00 |
| A− | 90–92 % | 3.67 |
| B+ | 87–89 % | 3.33 |
| B | 83–86 % | 3.00 |
| B− | 80–82 % | 2.67 |
| C+ | 77–79 % | 2.33 |
| C | 73–76 % | 2.00 |
| C− | 70–72 % | 1.67 |
| D+ | 67–69 % | 1.33 |
| D | 63–66 % | 1.00 |
| D− | 60–62 % | 0.67 |
| F | 0–59 % | 0.00 |
Here is what it looks like in Australia:
| Australian Grade | Grade Name | Percentage (%) | GPA Scale | US Equivalent | UK Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD | High Distinction | 83 to 100 | 7 | A+ | First Class |
| D | Distinction | 73 to 82.99 | 6 to 6.99 | A | Second Class – Upper Division |
| C | Credit | 63 to 72.99 | 5 to 5.99 | B | Second Class – Lower Division |
| P | Pass | 50 to 62.99 | 4 to 4.99 | C | Third Class |
| N | Fail | 0 to 49.99 | 0 to 3.99 | F | Fail |
So a B is somehow 63 -72…that looks like failing to me. haha! Welcome to the upside down place. Life in Australia is always surprising me. Whilst writing this I am messaging with a Singaporean friend…they also use the same grading as Oz. It must be a commonwealth country thing. I suppose it’s time for me to stop teasing my children about making up their grades. haha!
* I also meant to share that GPA in Oz is between 0-10. Also mind boggling to hear my kids talk about an 8 or 9 GPA – say what!?
Five Abroad 
I think the Aussie grading sounds more precise. I get annoyed with the plus minus system in the USA myself
It’s so much simpler than what we have in the US.
Maybe the students are less stressed out as a result too? Hadn’t thought of that.
That’s possible
Just found your blog! We moved to NZ from Scandinavia. I think (not sure) that I just learned the Danish grading system (which is ridiculous) and now I need to learn the NZ system… Hope it will be easier than in Denmark (I come from Finland myself).
Hi nordicdowager, welcome to the Southern Hemisphere! The beauty of ex-pat living is all these wonderful “extra” bits of knowledge we gain from living abroad. I’m amazed that after living here for 5 years to still be learning new things. I don’t know what the schools are like as far as grading in NZ but friends have shared stories about how much more free and independent the kids are. Barefoot at school, lots of time outdoors, etc. It should be awesome!
That sounds good! In Denmark the kids are very free (no uniforms, a lot of freedom and play) so it will be great if they can continue that here. The uniforms will be a big change but as all their classmates were almost jealous of the uniforms back in DK, they actually look forward having them here….
Uniforms are great! There is no need to think about what to wear. Also, less clothing is purchased throughout the year as a result. We love them!