The Danish Grading Scale
Understanding Marks According to the Danish Grading Scale
When attempting to understand the value of marks given in the system of another country, it is important not to automatically assume that the practice is similar to your own familiar system.
While some systems use a fixed distribution curve and expect all classes to fall within that curve, others specify the level of performance necessary for each mark. Denmark grades each student on his or her specific level of performance; therefore "grading on the curve" is not a valid structure used at RU. Please note that ECTS marks are not to be understood as US marks (A, B, C, etc.). We do not provide official translation from Danish grades to specific country grades. That is left up to each school to determine.
In Denmark, where education at all levels, including higher education, is regulated by the Ministry of Education, the marking scale and its use is described in a ministerial order which gives the following overview of the scale:
Explanation of the Mark
Danish Mark | Explanation of the Mark | Equivalent ECTS |
|---|---|---|
12 | Is given for an excellent performance, displaying a high level of command of all aspects of the relevant material with no or only a few minor weaknesses | A |
10 | Is given for a very good performance, displaying a high level of command of most aspects of the relevant material with only minor weaknesses | B |
7 | Is given for a good performance, displaying good command of the relevant material and some weaknesses | C |
4 | Is given for a fair performance, displaying some command of the relevant material but also some major weaknesses | D |
02 | Is given for a performance meeting only the minimum requirements for acceptance | E |
00 | Is given for a performance which does not meet the minimum requirements for acceptance | Fx |
-3 | Is given for a performance which is unacceptable in all respects | F |
The participation of external examiners from other institutions in almost all exams contributes to the stability of the scale and should prevent individual interpretation bias in marks.