universities (except for law schools) grade with a scale of 1 to 5: 1.0–1.5 sehr gut (very good: an outstanding achievement) 1.6–2.5 gut (good: an achievement which lies substantially above average requirements) 2.6–3.5 befriedigend (satisfactory: an achievement which corresponds to average requirements) 3.6–4.0 ausreichend (sufficient: an achievement which barely meets the requirements) 5.0 nicht ausreichend / nicht bestanden (not sufficient / failed: an achievement which does not meet the requirements) Most of the universities use "mit Auszeichnung bestanden" (passed with distinction/excellent) if the grade is a perfect score of 1.0. Law schools For law students at German universities, a similar system to the 1 to 5 scale is used that comprises one more grade that is inserted between 2 (gut) and 3 (befriedigend), named vollbefriedigend. This is because the grades 2 (gut) and 1 (sehr gut) are extremely rare, so an additional grade was created below gut to increase differentiation. Every grade is converted into points similarly to the Gymnasium system described above, starting at 18 points (excellent) down to 0 points (poor). 4 points is the lowest pass grade. Overview * This conversion scheme is intended as a guideline, as exact conversions may differ. Conversion of grades A matter of particular interest for those considering studying abroad or even enrolling full-time in a German university is the conversion of grades. While the below information may prove useful, it is recommended to contact the interested university directly to inquire which method they use to convert grades. Modified Bavarian formula A number of systems exist for the conversion of grades from other countries into German grades. One such system, used by most universities in North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria, is called the "Modified Bavarian Formula": where = German grade, = best possible score in foreign country's grading system, = lowest passing score in foreign grading system and = obtained foreign grade (to be converted into German grade). The resulting value is rounded to the next German grade (e.g. 1.6 is rounded to the German grade 1.7 and 2.4 is rounded to 2.3). For resulting values between two German grades, the score is rounded to the better grade (e.g. 2.5 is rounded to the German grade 2.3 and 1.15 is rounded to 1.0). Latin grades In particular doctorate's degrees, e.g. Dr. phil. or Dr. rer. nat., are graded by using the Latin versions. In this case the grade (Note/Zensur) is called Prädikat. The