Academic grading in the Netherlands

This article is about the current type of grading used in the Netherlands, which has remained unchanged for several decades.

In the Netherlands, most institutions grade exams, papers and thesis on a scale from 1 (very poor) to 10 (outstanding). The scale is generally further subdivided with intervals of one decimal place, although the use of halves (e.g., 7.5) and quarters (e.g., 7+ or 7−, rounded to 0.8 or 0.3) is also common. Thus, a 6.75 could be written as 7− and count as a 6.8, whereas a 7+ would be a 7.25 and count as a 7.3. Marks given in decimals are usually rounded to the nearest full mark for the final mark. At all levels of education, some subjects may be graded with the marks "insufficient" (O, or onvoldoende), "pass" (V, or voldoende) and in some cases "good" (G, or goed). On report cards, these are mostly shown as letters rather than numbers.

The grading scale with labels:

The lowest pass mark is decided upon by the educational institute. It is usually set at 5.5 as narrow pass, and 5.4 and below constitute a fail. If no decimal places are used, 6 and up is a pass and 5 and below a fail. Sometimes, when no decimal place is used, an additional grade, 6−, is used to indicate that the student has "barely passed". In some cases, usually in high schools, fail marks may be compensated with high passes, provided the average mark is a pass. For example, a mark 4 and 9 would average at ((4+9)/2=) 6.5 which makes for a pass. Compensation of marks is not always allowed in the course specifications, or a lower limit may be set (e.g., a mark below 4 may not be compensatable).

The mark 9 is seldom awarded (in only 2.7% of cases), and the highest pass mark 10 is extremely rare (in only 0.1% of cases) as this implies perfection, which is hardly ever present in student work, or indeed the lecturer's own work. Therefore, an average grade of an 8 is considered "excellent". Depending on the grade, universities can grant some honors, although this system is very limited compared to some other countries. Most universities offer the distinction "cum laude", which on average only offered to a few percent of students, although the exact requirements vary. In general, a degree is awarded "cum laude" if the average of grades is at least 8 or 8.5, and no individual grade under 6 or 7 has been awarded. In most cases, the final thesis needs to be awarded at least an 8 or 8.5. For an average grade better than 7, but not meeting the criteria for cum laude, met genoegen ("with pleasure") is sometimes awarded.

Converting the numbers of the Dutch grading system into the letters of systems such as those used in the United States and Great Britain, is difficult, especially given the fact that the Dutch grading system is linear rather than curved. It can really only be done if one can compare the frequency distribution of grades in the two systems. It should also be borne in mind that Dutch secondary education is banded at an early age. The university-preparatory vwo education is attended by only the most able 25% or so of candidates. This becomes relevant in comparing fractions of students attaining various grades with other systems where a higher or lower number of candidates are assessed at the level concerned, as selection effects influence this comparison. Moreover, the equivalence of university preparatory education the world over should not be assumed, as the American high school level or (barely) passing British and commonwealth A-levels with a D mark are inadequate for admission to Dutch research universities, as they do not equate the vwo and are organised completely different. Applied to the Dutch system, the majority of pupils would most likely be sent through the havo system either doing A-levels and scoring relatively modest grades, or taking a more vocational path via the GNVQ system that introduces a less academic tone already at age 16. The havo only provides access to universities of professional education, while the vwo is required for admission to research universities. A thorough exploration of other systems is not warranted here, but care must be taken not to assume too much in the equivalences of qualifications that play different roles, in different systems, in the context of different traditions.

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