Coming from an Asian country, grades were (and still are) extremely important to me. It’s natural for everyone who studies at university to want to do well - a little showing off never hurts, right? However, when I got the results of my first test back and saw immediately that it wasn’t an ‘A’, I had to do some thinking.
The Dutch grading system is based on a 10-point system, with 0 being the lowest and 10 being, of course, the highest. It seemed pretty simple at first, as most grading systems translate over to others, but the Dutch system is a bit different in that it’s linear. In Asian countries, most grades sit between the values of 70-95 (between a C and an A), and getting anything below a 60 was nigh-unheard of. In the Netherlands, the system works such that most grades sit between a 6 to an 8 – quite expected, but there is a good amount of people that get below 5s. I’ve found that a lot of the ‘grade inflation’ I saw back home was absent here: if you knew the material well enough, you’d pass. If you didn’t – too bad, you can try again.
So I resolved to not be too hard on myself if I got anything that normally would’ve warranted disownment back home. The Dutch system has no ‘curve’, which also prevents grade inflation. I personally think the system is very forgiving, with emphasis on second chances. Obviously, try to do your best, but it’s not the end of the world if you get a 5. And don’t worry – I’ll cover what getting a 5 actually means in this article.
5.5 and under
Most students who get a 5.5, the passing grade, are perfectly content with themselves: a pass is a pass, as the saying goes. And they’re right – nothing wrong with a good ol’ 5.5. Getting this grade indicates that you know the material sufficiently enough to pass, and that means you don’t have to retake the test.
However, getting below a 5.5 means that you failed. There’s no two ways about it – you’ll have to resit. Don’t worry too much, though: at the University of Twente, and other Dutch universities, you’ll always have the chance to retake the test a couple of weeks after the first exam. Failing is part of the process, and most students see it as a lesson rather than a setback. Of course, it’s annoying to have to retake a test, but it’s not the end of the world, and you’ll bounce back.
A hearty 6
When most people hear that you got a 6, they’ll most likely say: “Not bad.” And that’s what a hearty 6 is: definitely not a bad grade, but not necessarily a reason to throw a party in your student house either. You passed, and for some courses, that’s really all that matters. You won’t have to watch droning videos about God-knows-what and stay up late studying for that test you just want to get over with anymore. If, however, you’re not satisfied, fear not: at the University of Twente, you have the right to repair your grade by showing up to the resit. In some courses for Mechanical Engineering (and also for other programmes), you can repair your grade even if you did pass, though it is best to ask your professor about these matters. Most courses have the option of retaking the test when the exam window opens again.
7: very nice!
You got a 7? “Very nice”, some people would say. For some courses (especially in engineering), getting a 7 is a godsend: you’re in the upper echelon now. I’d say a 7 is like the Swiss army knife of grades – it does the job, and it does the job quite well. Getting a 7 proves that you know your stuff, and you know it enough to have people say that you’re decently knowledgeable about a topic. Of course, it’s a far cry from the 9s and 10s people covet, but if you have a 7 in your report card, it’s more reason to celebrate than to cry.
An 8? Why is 6 afraid of 7…
8s are gr8. Simple as that. If you got an 8, you’re definitely in the upper quartile of your class, and people will likely go to you if they must resit the course. An 8 is the equivalent of an A in the American and British curricula, and if people are bragging about those there, you definitely have bragging rights in the Netherlands if you get an 8. It’s a fine grade, and you can give yourself a pat on the back for it. I’d say it’s the silver medal of grades most of the time, or the phone right below the flagship of a brand: still pretty darn good, but not quite as desirable as its flashy older brother.
People do get 9s!
Getting a 9 gives you this sort of high, and for good reason: hardly anybody ever gets 9s, so if you’re one of the lucky few, make sure you remember that feeling. If you get a 9, people say you’re almost as good as the professor teaching the course – in fact, you should be teaching it! A 9 is a fantastic grade and shows that you worked hard to be at the top – keep doing what you’re doing!
Are you from (10)essee…?
If you somehow, for some reason, have the universe align in your favour and get a 10, then it’s a legitimate reason to go out for a drink or throw a party. A 10, some students say, is ‘for God’ – you wrote the essay, you did the presentation, you made the test. Getting a 10 is almost unheard of, and students sit around and tell tales and myths of this unreachable grade. A 10 is absolute perfection, and it proves that you know the material inside and out, and that you studied everything there is to study. It’s an achievement, definitely, and having that shiny 10 on your report card signifies that you were at the top of the top.
It can be confusing for outsiders who don’t know what it truly means to get 8s, 9s and 10s at Dutch universities. It’s hard to say that these grades are the crème de la crème when other grading systems are already littered with 80s and 90s. To prove the haters wrong, refer to Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education, for grade conversions.
