Case 1
- Grade points (0–15)
- 8
3.0
Open with these valuesGrade Points Calculator (0–15)
3.0
Result: 3.0On the German upper-secondary scale the decimal mark is (17 − points) ÷ 3, with 0 points counting as a 6. Eight points are a 3.0, fourteen a 1.0, four a 4.3. Five points is the pass mark: anything below is a Defizit.
The numbers at a glance
| Grade points (0–15) | Result |
|---|---|
| 5 | 4.0 |
| 6 | 3.7 |
| 7 | 3.3 |
| 8Your value | 3.0 |
| 9 | 2.7 |
| 10 | 2.3 |
| 11 | 2.0 |
Worked examples
Case 2
- Grade points (0–15)
- 14
1.0
Open with these valuesCase 3
- Grade points (0–15)
- 4
4.3
Open with these valuesHow it's calculated
Mark = (17 − points) ÷ 3, and 0 points = 6.0
- StepEnter the grade points from the certificate, 0 to 15.
- ResultRead the decimal mark; the table below names the matching 1+ / 1 / 1− step.
What this number means
German upper-secondary schools grade in points from 0 to 15 rather than in marks. The KMK agreement on the gymnasiale Oberstufe, section 9.2, gives the key in bands: mark 1 corresponds to 15, 14 or 13 points depending on the tendency, mark 2 to 12, 11 or 10, and so on down to mark 6, which is 0 points. That is the source, and it names bands rather than decimals. The decimal mark follows from it. Taking the five whole-mark anchors the agreement itself sets — 14 is a 1, 11 a 2, 8 a 3, 5 a 4, 2 a 5 — exactly one straight line passes through all five, and it is (17 − points) ÷ 3. The tendencies then land on the usual plus and minus steps of 0.3, so 13 points read as 1.3 and 15 as 0.7. Zero is the one exception. The line would give 5.67 there, but the agreement states plainly that mark 6 is 0 points, so the 6 wins. This page converts in one direction only, points to mark, because the two directions produce two different quantities and each page here reports one. For the other direction, read the table above. It does not print the official wording — sehr gut, gut, befriedigend — and it does not flag a Defizit, which is a legal consequence rather than a calculation.
Bands from the KMK, the decimal derived
The agreement fixes which points make a 1, a 2 and so on. The decimal value in between is the straight line through those anchors, (17 − points) ÷ 3, not a separate official table.
Below 5 points is a Defizit
Four points still count as a pass mark of 4− in the subject, but a half-year result under 5 points counts as a shortfall towards the Abitur. How many are tolerated is set by each state.
One direction per page
This calculator goes from points to a mark. The reverse reading is in the table above; a mark entered as a number would produce a different quantity, and each page here reports exactly one.
Commonly misread
Reading 15 points as a 1.0
Fourteen points is the plain 1.0. Fifteen is a 1+, which is 0.7 on the decimal scale.
Treating 0 points as 5.67 because the formula says so
The KMK agreement states that mark 6 corresponds to 0 points. The straight line only holds between its anchors.
Assuming 4 points means failing the subject
Four points is a 4−, still a pass. It counts as a Defizit for the Abitur qualification, which is a separate rule.
Reference table
| Grade points | Mark | Decimal |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 1+ | 0.7 |
| 14 | 1 | 1.0 |
| 13 | 1− | 1.3 |
| 12 | 2+ | 1.7 |
| 11 | 2 | 2.0 |
| 10 | 2− | 2.3 |
| 9 | 3+ | 2.7 |
| 8 | 3 | 3.0 |
| 7 | 3− | 3.3 |
| 6 | 4+ | 3.7 |
| 5 | 4 | 4.0 |
| 4 | 4− | 4.3 |
| 3 | 5+ | 4.7 |
| 2 | 5 | 5.0 |
| 1 | 5− | 5.3 |
| 0 | 6 | 6.0 |
Questions
How do I convert grade points into a mark?
Use (17 − points) ÷ 3, treating 0 points as a 6. Eight points give 3.0, eleven give 2.0, four give 4.3.
How many points is a 1?
Fourteen points. The KMK agreement assigns 15, 14 and 13 points to mark 1 depending on the tendency, so 15 is a 1+, 14 the plain 1 and 13 a 1−.
How many points do I need to pass?
Five points is the plain mark 4 and the usual pass threshold. Four points is still a 4− rather than a failure, but it counts as a Defizit in the Abitur qualification.
Is this scale the same in every German state?
The point scale itself is, because the KMK agreement binds all states. What differs is how many points a given percentage earns and how many Defizite are tolerated, both of which each state regulates separately.
Why does the calculator not go the other way?
Because points and marks are two different quantities, and each page here reports one number. The table above lets you read the conversion in either direction.
Sources and last check
Information, not professional advice.