Grades play a prominent role in any student’s career. If you’re applying for admissions for various courses or appearing for competitive exams, grades are a must to evaluate. Every country has a different grading system. The UK is one of the top countries to offer higher education to thousands of students every year.
The grading system in UK is unique. However, the grading systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland are similar. In comparison, the Scottish grading system differs from them all. The grading system in the UK includes highlights of your academic strengths and specific skills beneficial while searching for a job. It will help employers understand you much better.
After a brief understanding of the grading system in UK, let’s dive in deeper to understand more about the grading system.
Degree Options at the UK
The UK has two options for students pursuing an undergraduate degree. They are the Ordinary Degree and Honors Degree.
Ordinary Degree: Bachelor of Art (BA) or BSc (Bachelor of Science) degree. You can choose the subject combinations and complete 15 credit hours in 3 years. If you select an ordinary degree, you should clear all the chosen subjects to get a degree.
Honors Degree: It is one of the popular degrees. You choose a specialized subject along with compulsory subjects and finish the 20 credit hours in 4-years. It specifies your qualified subjects and highlights your specialization and performance level during the course.
How does Grading System in UK work?
The below table describes the grading system in detail:
| Grade | Percentage | Definition | Honors Degree | Foundation Degree |
| A | 70%-100% | Excellent to Outstanding | First | Distinction |
| B | 60%-69% | Good to Very Good | Upper Second 2.1 | Merit |
| C | 50%-59% | Satisfactory | Lower Second 2.2 | Pass |
| D | 40%-49% | Sufficient | Third 3 | Pass |
| E | 0%-39% | Unsatisfactory | Fail | Fail |
Now, let’s understand what each honors degree represents.
First Class (1st)
If you achieve 70% or more, then you get a first-class degree. It is the highest degree among the undergraduate honors degree program. Obtaining this degree will open doors to more opportunities.
Upper Second Class (2.1)
Upper Second Class is the minimum requirement of the employers. You need to score 60-69% to achieve this 2nd highest degree in the undergraduate honors program.
Lower Second Class (2.2)
If you score between 50-59%, then you will get this lower second-class degree. However, this degree is not helpful to find a job for a lifetime. However, it is hard but not impossible.
Third Class (3)
If you score between 40-49%, you will achieve a third-class degree. Although it means you have cleared your honors degree, your employability chances have been reduced.
Fail
If you score below 40%, you have failed your honors degree. Based on the university, you may get an ordinary degree, or you may have to retake your subjects.
Conclusion
The grading system in UK is unique and requires the students to work hard and pursue good scores to build their future in the country. Work hard to score well and build a bright future.
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