ðə skˈeɪl stˈɑːɹɾᵻd ˈaʊt æz ɐ ɹˈɛlətˌɪv skˈeɪl bˌʌt hɐz sˈɪns ɪts ˌɪntɹədˈʌkʃən ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti θɹˈiː tʃˈeɪndʒd tʊ ɐn ˈæbsəlˌuːt skˈeɪl æɾ ˈɔːl lˈɛvəlz ʌv ˌɛdʒuːkˈeɪʃən.
The scale started out as a relative scale but has since its introduction in 1963 changed to an absolute scale at all levels of education.