UK Education Grading System 2025

The United Kingdom is a top destination for many students across the world. Understanding the UK grading university system is quite important if you want to succeed as a UK student.

In this post, we'll discuss the UK Education Grading System 2025, the student assessment criteria in the UK, GCSE uk education grades and the grading system for 16 different Universities in the UK. 

If you're considering studying an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in the UK, then you'll find the article very helpful. Here, you'll learn how to calculate your grades and familiarise yourself with the grading system of Universities you're interested in studying in the UK.

 

What is the UK Grading System?

The UK Grading System is a numerical or alphabetical scale that evaluates students academic performance in the United Kingdom. 

This grading system is highly regarded for its excellent structure and is adopted across many countries in the world. Schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland use the UK grading system to assess their students test scores and general academic performance.

Scotland however, uses a different grading system. In the UK, the grading system varies at different levels of education.

 

Undergraduate Grading System

The United Kingdom is one of the best places to pursue an undergraduate degree. The undergraduate graduate grading system in uk schools system is a standard scale that assesses undergraduate students’ knowledge and skills on a course they're studying.

This grading system has been proven very effective and adopted in Canada, India and many other countries with little variations to fit their educational system. 

Here are the 5 grades in UK university system.

 

Percentage	Grade
70% or above	First Class Honours
60-69%	Upper Second Class Honours or 2:1
50-59%	Lower Second Class Honours or 2:2
40-49%	Third Class Honours
0 - 39%	Fail

 

Masters Degree Grading System

The Master's degree grading system in uk universities is used to evaluate postgraduate students in the UK. It is divided into four. Check the table below for the percentage and respective grades.

 

Percentage	Grade
70%+	Distinction
60-69%	Merit
50-59%	Pass
40-49%	Fail

 

For Integrated Masters, the results differ a little. The grading for Integrated Masters is similar to the undergraduate british grading system university degree:

 

Percentage	Grade
70%+	First Class Honors
60-70%	Second Class Honors
50-60%	Lower Second Class Honours
45-50%	Third Class Honours
40-45%	Pass
Below 40%	Fail

 

What are the Assessment Criteria at UK Universities 

In the UK, students are assessed in different ways. UK universities use  the the following methods to measure the level of the students academic performance.

 

1. Tests & Examination

Students are given tests and exams to determine how well the students understands the course.

 

2. Coursework

Coursework are written or practical assessments such as reports, projects, lab reports and presentations.

 

3. Dissertation 

Dissertation are research projects used to assess Ph.D students in the university. It is usually expected to be submitted at the end of the student's final year.

 

4. Portfolio 

A portfolio is an accumulation of a student's work throughout their course of study.

 

5. Practicals

Practical assesses the students practical knowledge.

 

6. Oral assessment 

The oral assessment is used to evaluate the student's ability to express their understanding of their study program.

 

What is the GCSE Grading System

GCSE is an exam that students in the UK must undertake after completing high school.

The GCSE grading system in the UK uses a standard  scale from 9 to 1. The system was introduced in 2017 to replace the old GCSE letter grading system that scored students from A - G.

The new GCSE grading system awards 9 as the highest grade and 1 the lowest. So if you get a 9, you have an outstanding academic knowledge whereas if you get a 1, you have failed poorly.

To pass their GCSE, students will need a 4 or 5.

 

Birmingham City University Grading System 

Birmingham city university is a popular UK university that uses the general UK grading system.

• First Class Honours (1st) – this is the highest grade you can obtain and you will receive this if you achieve 70% or above in your assignments.

• Second Class Honours: upper division (2:1) – following a first, this is the second highest grade you can attain and you will receive this if you achieve 60–69% in your assignments.

• Second Class Honours: lower division (2:2) – if you receive 50-59% in your assignments, you’ll be graded a 2:2.

• Third Class Honours – you’ll receive this classification if you’re graded 40–49% in your assignments.

 

Coventry University Grading System

This table below shows Coventry grading system used to assess students in the university of Coventry.

UCLan mark	Designation
75 - 84	Distinction Honours
70 - 74	Distinction
67 - 69	Merit
64 - 66	Pass
60 - 63	Pass
57 - 59	Pass
54 - 56	Pass
50 - 53	Pass
47 - 49	Pass (GE) , Fail ( Major)
44 - 46	Pass (GE) , Fail ( Major)
42 - 43	Pass (GE) , Fail ( Major)
41	Pass (GE) , Fail ( Major)
0 - 40	Fail

 

Glasgow University Grading System

Here is Glasgow university grading system for honours GPA.

Honours GPA	Honours Classification
18.0 - 22.0	First Class
17.1 - 17.9	Either First or Upper Second
15.0 - 17.0	Upper Second Class
14.1 - 14.9	Either Upper Second or Low
12.0 - 14.0	Lower Second Class
11.1 - 11.9	Either Lower Second or Third Class
9.0 - 11.0	Third Class
8.1 - 8.9	Either Third Class or Fail
0.0 - 8.0	Fail

 

Liverpool Hope University Grading System

This liverpool hope university grading system assesses student's coursework and examinations.

Percentage	Grade
70 - 100%	First Class Honors
60-69%	Upper Second Class Honors
50-59%	Lower Second Class Honours
40-49%	Third Class Honours

 

Loughborough University Grading System

The type of degree classification students achieve depends on how they perform in each module they take in either their undergraduate or postgraduate degree.

Percentage	Grade
70 - 100%	First Class Honors
60-69.9%	Upper Second Class Honors
50-59.9%	Lower Second Class Honours
40-49.9%	Third Class Honours
0-39%	Pass

 

Nottingham Trent University Grading System

Here's Nottingham trent university grading system used in Nottingham trent university system.

Class	Scale
First (Excellent)	Exceptional 1st
	High 1st
	Mid 1st
	Low 1st
Upper Second (Very Good)	High 2.1
	Mid 2.1
	Low 2.1
Lower Second  (Good)	High 2.2
	Mid 2.2
	Low 2.2
Third (Sufficient)	High 3rd
	Mid 3rd
	Low 3rd
Fail(Insufficient)	Marginal Fail
	Mid Fail
	Low Fail
Zero	Zero

 

UK Higher Education Grading System

The UK higher education grading system is divided into 4 sections. It varies from university to university but generally this is how students academic performance is graded in the United Kingdom.

• First-Class Honours (First or 1st) (70% and above) 

• Upper Second-Class Honours (2:1, 2.i) (60-70%) 

• Lower Second-Class Honours (2:2, 2.ii) (50-60%)

• Third Class (less than 50%)

 

University of Dundee Grading System Percentages

This is a standard grading system used for assessing the academic performance of undergraduate degrees in the university of dundee.

Reporting Scale	Descriptor	Honours Class	Associated Aggregation Scale
A1	Excellent	1st	23
A2			22
A3			21
A4			20
A5			19
B1	Very Good	2:1	18
B2			17
B3			16
C1	Good	2:2	15
C2			14
C3			13
D1	Satisfactory	3rd Class	12
D2			11
D3			10
M1	Marginal Fail		9
M2			8
M3			7
CF	Clear Fail		5
BF	Bad Fail		2

University of Essex Grading System

This is the University of Essex grading system.

Percentage	Grade
80+	Exceptional First Class Honors
70-79	First Class Honors
60-69%	Upper Second Class Honours
50-59%	Lower Second Class Honours
40-49%	Third Class Honours
39 or below	Fail

University of Hertfordshire Grading System

Percentage	Grade
70 - 100%	First Class Honors
60-69.9%	Upper Second Class Honors
50-59.9%	Lower Second Class Honours
40-49.9%	Third Class Honours

University of Leicester Postgraduate Grading System

University of Leicester postgraduate grading system is used to assess the postgraduate students in leicester university 

Scale	Grade  Description	Division
70.00 - 100.00	First Class Honours
65.00 - 69.99	Second Class Honours	Upper Division
60.00 - 64.99	Second Class Honours	Upper Division
50.00 - 59.99	Second Class Honours	Lower Division
45.00 - 49.99	Third Class
40.00 - 44.99	Pass
	Pass
0.00 - 39.99	Fail
	Conditioned Pass

 

University of Portsmouth Grading System

Here is the University of Portsmouth grading system. It provides a transparent way of evaluating students academics.

Percentage	Grade
70 - 100%	Distinction
60-69%	Merit
50-59%	Pass
40-49%	Pass
0-39%	Fail

 

University of Salford Grading System

The University of Salford Grading System uses the first class, second class, third class, pass and fail grading system.

Scale	Grade  Description	Division
70.00 - 100.00	First Class Honours
65.00 - 69.99	Second Class Honours	Upper Division
60.00 - 64.99	Second Class Honours	Upper Division
50.00 - 59.99	Second Class Honours	Lower Division
45.00 - 49.99	Third Class
40.00 - 44.99	Pass
	Pass
0.00 - 39.99	Fail
	Condoned Pass

 

University of Sunderland Grading system

Here is the University of sunderland grading system

• First class honours (1st)

• Second class honours, upper division (2:1)

• Second class honours, lower division (2:2) 

• Third class honours (3rd)

• Ordinary degree (Pass)

 

University of West London Grading System

University of west london grading system provides a reliable way of assessing student’s grade in london

Percentage	Grade
70 - 100%	First Class Honors
60-69%	Upper Second Class Honors
50-59%	Lower Second Class Honours
40-49%	Third Class Honours
0-39%	Fail

 

University of Wolverhampton Grading System

The University of wolverhampton grading system uses the following percentage grading system to evaluate students per

Percentage	Grade
70 - 100%	First Class Honors
60-69%	Upper Second Class Honors
50-59%	Lower Second Class Honours
40-49%	Third Class Honours
0-39%	Fail