Mexico Grading System for primary and secondary schools
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The Mexico grading system uses a numeric scale from 5 to 10 in primary and secondary school, with 10 as the best grade and 5 as the worst. The lowest passing grade is 6; there is no percentage key.
Regions set the grading rules, with national coordination by the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP).
This page explains how Mexican school grading is administered and offers context for teachers working with Mexican students online or abroad. It also points to related grading systems and sources used to verify the information.
The Mexican grading scale: 5 to 10
In primary and secondary education, grades run from 5 to 10, and a final subject average of at least 6.0 is the minimum required to pass.
| Grade | Passing |
|---|---|
| 10 | Yes |
| 9 | Yes |
| 8 | Yes |
| 7 | Yes |
| 6 | Yes |
| 5 | No |
A final average of at least 6.0 is required to pass primary and secondary subjects; primary grades two through six require a final average of at least 6 in formative fields, and secondary requires at least 6 in each discipline.
In secondary education, 6 and 7 are passing grades, while 0 to 5 are failing grades; the pass category is called Satisfactorio/Suficiente (S). Grades and averages are expressed as numbers truncated to tenths.
Compared with related systems
Mexico
5 of 6 grades pass
Netherlands
5 of 10 grades pass
How Mexican school grading is run
Mexican grading rules are set by the regions and coordinated nationally by the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP), so practice differs somewhat between regions.
The SEP sets the content and design of the national Boleta de Evaluación, the official report card for preprimary, primary and secondary education.
The federal SEP also sets and implements evaluation, accreditation, promotion and certification processes for basic education (Diario Oficial de la Federación).
The final exam may be prepared by a school or zone technical council, or the local education authority. It uses open-ended questions on students’ most relevant learning across all subjects studied (Diario Oficial de la Federación).
If you teach Mexican students online or abroad
Students from Mexico may bring a Boleta de Evaluación, an official report card.
Check the document’s grading key and ask the student or school to confirm how its grades correspond to your system. Record the grades with their original key 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
Sources and verification
- [1]dof.gob.mx. DOF - Diario Oficial de la Federación. Accessed Sep 24, 2026. Official source
- [2]dof.gob.mx. DOF - Diario Oficial de la Federación. Accessed Sep 24, 2026. Official source
- [3]nuffic.nl. Grades and study results | Nuffic. Accessed Sep 24, 2026. Credential evaluator
The facts on this page were last verified on Sep 26, 2026. Suggest a correction
Frequently asked questions
What is a passing grade in Mexico?
In primary and secondary school, a final subject average of at least 6.0 is required to pass. In secondary education, grades 6 and 7 are passing, while 0 to 5 are failing.
Is a 7 a good grade in Mexico?
A 7 is passing in secondary school and falls in the Satisfactorio/Suficiente (S) category.
