All you need to know about grading system if you are studying in Australia

by Oliver · Published November 19, 2020 · Updated December 1, 2020

What will you do if you are moving to Australia for education and still not aware of its grading system? Because doing extensive research before going abroad is an ultimate way of clearing all doubts. Especially, if you are planning to continue your education in Australia, you must be aware of all the learning frameworks. It must not be surprising for you to know that every state has molded the gradation as per their needs and feasibility. For an international student, I can’t imagine how tough it would be to understand and adapt yourself to the new educational setup.

Another thing to ponder is that not every state holds a separate grading setup but also every educational institute. The major confusion all new students find in Australia is varied grade names, ranks, and percentages. We recommend you to go into the university’s details before enrolling.

You can find a quick review of Australia’s grading system in this article. We hope it will clear some of your doubts and help you decide which institute you want to continue your academics.

University gradation system

In every gradation system, two things are covered. The first is the grade. The second is the percentages. If we start talking about the first aspect that is grading, you have to clear your mind from all other grading frameworks because you might find Australia’s setup pretty messy. You can say, it is nearly flipped in comparison to the other states. And, yes, there is one more thing to remember, there is a possibility of having similar grading scales across multiple states of Australia but few universities may feature diverse percentage scales.

Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree

For all undergraduate and postgraduate students, the grades are designated as follows:

HD grade for High Distinction on 85-100%
D grade for Distinction on 75-84%
C grade for Credit on 65-74%
P grade for Pass on 50-64%
F grade for Fall on <50%

Degree with Honors

As you know, an Honours Degree simply adds an extra year to your decided graduation year, you can expect certain changes in its grading scale, as well. And, this additional year is for developing practical skills along with completing supervised research.

H1 grade for First Class Honours on 80-100%
H2A grade for Second Class Honours (Division A) on 75-79%
H2B grade for Second Class Honours (Division B) on 70-74%
H3 grade for Third Class Honours on 65-69%
P grade for Pass on 50-64%
N grade for Fail on <50%

Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks (ATAR)

You must have heard about GPA along with its importance in completing education and getting further admission. But, if you are moving to Australia, let’s learn about ATAR. Grade Point Average (GPA) is not an officially used criterion in the Australian education system. It can easily be calculated with this formula “Sum of (Grade Point × Credit Points) ÷ Sum of (Credit Points)”.

ATAR has replaced GPA and now is recognized as a chief scale for evaluating the student’s academic performance in Australia. If you are looking for a brighter future, aim to excel in ATAR. If you get successful in surpassing their rankings in flying colors, you will be privileged with Australian government-sponsored employment.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

Enlisting criteria of every single university of Australia seems impossible but we are presenting you with the grading framework of all the universities that come under ACT.

A Extremely High Standard of Achievement: 85 – 100%
B grade is for High Standard of Achievement: 70 – 84%
C grade is for Acceptable Standard of Achievement: 50 – 69
D grade is for Limited Standard of Achievement: 25 – 49
E grade is for very Limited Standard of Achievement: <25

In respect of GPA, achieving and maintaining 6 – 7 points is very much acknowledged by Australian educational institutions. It will help you not only academically but also professionally.

Primary, Secondary and Senior Secondary Gradation in Australia

If you have moved to Australia and are searching for an ideal school for your kid, first understand their grading system. Because to know about your child’s academic growth, you must know where he or she has been ranked as per the school’s criteria.