The Belgian Grading System in Secondary and Higher Education
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The Belgian grading system for Orientation certificates uses grades A to C, with A best and C worst; no single pass mark or percentage key is stated.
This page explains how to read the scale and how grading works, with guidance for teachers working with Belgian students online or abroad. It also covers the main school-leaving exam, related systems, and sources used for verification.
Reading the Belgian scale
The Orientation certificates run from A, the best grade, to C, the worst; no single pass mark is stated for this scale.
| Grade | Meaning | Passing |
|---|---|---|
| A | Successfully completed the academic year and is allowed to progress to the next school year. | Yes |
| B | Successfully completed the academic year, but can only progress to the next year after consideration of certain restrictions. | Yes |
| C | Has not successfully completed the academic year and is not permitted to progress to the next year; indicates serious deficiencies. | Yes |
The sources state no pass mark for this scale; the grades report levels of achievement.
In the French and Flemish Communities, secondary schools most commonly use a scale from 1 to 100, and also use scales from 1 to 10, 1 to 20 or percentages.
Higher education institutions in the French Community often use a scale from 1 to 20, while the Flemish Community’s higher education scale names 18 as Uitmuntend and 10 as Voldoende (Nuffic).
Compared with related systems
Belgium
No pass mark
Denmark
5 of 7 grades pass
Finland
6 of 7 grades pass
Australia
No pass mark
How grading works in Belgium
Each of Belgium’s three Communities sets its own grading rules, and practice differs considerably between regions. In the French Community, schools decide how to award points, and the class council certifies pupils at the end of each school year.
In the Flemish Community, schools decide how to award marks, while the class council evaluates each student and makes the final decision collectively.
In the German-speaking Community, assessment is continuous, and the governing body decides whether pupils progress to the next year.
Orientation certificates A, B and C indicate whether pupils may progress, may progress subject to restrictions, or may not progress, respectively (Eurydice).
If you teach Belgian students online or abroad
Students may bring a Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur, a leaving certificate. Check the document and ask the student to confirm what each recorded grade represents before entering it 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)
- Australia4-step letter-grade scale, A is best; passing grade No pass mark
- Canada11-step letter-grade scale, A+ is best; passing grade D (Marginal)
- 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]nuffic.nl. Grades and study results | Nuffic. Accessed Oct 8, 2026. Credential evaluator
- [2]nuffic.nl. Grades and study results | Nuffic. Accessed Oct 8, 2026. Credential evaluator
- [3]eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu. Assessment in the first stage of secondary education. Accessed Oct 8, 2026. Credential evaluator
- [4]eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu. Assessment in the second and third stage of secondary education. Accessed Oct 8, 2026. Credential evaluator
- [5]eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu. Assessment in general lower secondary education. Accessed Oct 8, 2026. Credential evaluator
- [6]eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu. Assessment in general upper secondary education. Accessed Oct 8, 2026. Credential evaluator
- [7]eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu. Assessment in general secondary education. Accessed Oct 8, 2026. Credential evaluator
The facts on this page were last verified on Oct 15, 2026. Suggest a correction
Frequently asked questions
What is a passing grade in Belgium?
Belgium has no single passing grade because grading rules vary among its three Communities. In the German-speaking Community’s secondary-school Orientation certificates, A means the pupil completed the year successfully, B means successful completion with restrictions on progression, and C means the pupil did not complete it successfully; no numeric pass mark is stated.
How do Belgian grades convert to US grades?
No general conversion from Belgian grades to US grades is stated. Belgian grading practices differ by Community, and secondary schools may use several different scales.
Do schools in Belgium use percentages for grades?
Yes. In secondary education in the French and Flemish Communities, schools commonly use a 1-to-100 scale and may also use percentage scales, alongside 1-to-10 and 1-to-20 scales.
Is a B a good grade in Belgium?
A is the best Orientation certificate, while B is below A and indicates that a pupil may progress only subject to restrictions. These certificates are used in the German-speaking Community’s secondary schools.
