Grading system in Austria for teachers
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The Grading system in Austria uses a main school scale from 0 to 7, with 7 as the best grade and 0 as the worst. No single pass mark or percentage key is stated.
Regional authorities set the grading rules, with national coordination by the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Institute for Quality Assurance in the Austrian School System (IQS).
This page explains how to read Austrian grades, who sets them and how they appear in reports, and what teachers working with Austrian students online or abroad should know.
It also covers the Reifeprüfung, related grading systems, and sources used for verification.
Reading the Austrian scale
Austrian grading uses a five-part scale for the Standard and Standard AHS educational objectives. “Very good” for Standard objectives is equivalent to “Satisfactory” for Standard AHS objectives.
| Grade | Passing |
|---|---|
| 7 | Yes |
| 5 | Yes |
| 2 | Yes |
| 1 | Yes |
| 0 | Yes |
The sources state no pass mark for this scale; the grades report levels of achievement.
An end-of-year report with assessments in all compulsory subjects and no subject marked “fail” means pupils have completed the grade successfully. There is no single pass mark or percent key (Eurydice).
Compared with related systems
Austria
No pass mark
Denmark
5 of 7 grades pass
Finland
6 of 7 grades pass
Georgia
6 of 10 grades pass
Who sets Austrian grades and how they are reported
Austrian grading rules are set by the regions and coordinated nationally by the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Institute for Quality Assurance in the Austrian School System (IQS); practice differs somewhat between regions.
The School Education Act generally regulates progression between classes and stages.
Students in compulsory secondary schools and academic secondary schools’ lower cycle receive an end-of-year report at the end of each school year, showing grades for their subjects (Eurydice).
If you teach Austrian students online or abroad
Ask students which documents they will submit, then check the grade key shown on each report card or transcript. Record the grades and their key together in your gradebook.
Set the scale up once in a gradebook so every report card and transcript you produce uses the same key.
Related grading systems
- Denmark7-step numeric scale, 12 is best; passing grade 02 (Den tilstrækkelige præstation)
- Finland7-step numeric scale, 10 is best; passing grade 5 (välttävä)
- Georgia10-step numeric scale, 10 is best; passing grade 5 (Low)
- Italy11-step numeric scale, 10/10 is best; passing grade 6/10 (Sufficient attainment; pass)
- Germany6-step numeric scale, 1 is best; passing grade 4 (Ausreichend)
- Ireland8-step numeric scale, 1 is best; passing grade 7
Sources and verification
- [1]iqs.gv.at. BiSt-UE_RM_E8_Schulbericht_II_20140131.pdf. pdf. Accessed Oct 10, 2026. Official source
- [2]eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu. Assessment in general lower secondary education. Accessed Oct 10, 2026. Credential evaluator
- [3]eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu. Assessment in general upper secondary education. Accessed Oct 10, 2026. Credential evaluator
The facts on this page were last verified on Oct 16, 2026. Suggest a correction
Frequently asked questions
What is a passing grade in Austria?
Austrian pupils complete a grade successfully when their end-of-year report assesses all compulsory subjects and none is marked “fail.” Progression may still be allowed with one “fail” if the class conference approves and the stated conditions are met.
Do schools in Austria use percentages for grades?
No single percentage key is stated for Austrian grades. The Standard and Standard AHS objectives use a five-part grading scale, while writing results use a separate scale from 0 to 7 points.
