Australia Grading System: Everything You Need To Know

Age, weight, height and now grades! As if college students don’t have enough numbers that try to define them. Pro-tip: If you ever bring home a bad grade sheet, just tell people that your grades are underwater. Why? Because they’re all below C-level! Not your style? Don’t worry. We have a better way to help you. The first step to getting good grades is understanding how you’ll be graded.  A new system can be tricky to grasp at first, so we’ve done our best to explain the Australian grading system to anyone that needs it. 

University Grading Scale in Australia

In Australia, the grading system is a little different from other grading systems worldwide, making it appear a little complicated to understand at first. Most Australian universities use a standard grading system, but variations across states and institutions may vary. The Australia grading system structure is also modified to assess various programmes, courses, and levels. For instance, the Australia grading system, different for graduate and postgraduate degrees and vocational courses.

For Graduate and Post Graduate Students

The basic structure of the Australia grading system is similar to that of the letter grade system in the United States. However, they do not use the A-F grading scale. Instead, the letters assigned are abbreviations of the description of the student's performance. The grade break up is as follows:

For Vocational courses

A vocational course emphasizes hands-on learning and gets students ready for a specific trade or skilled job. This contrasts with the more intellectual and theoretical courses, wherein one course may lead to several different jobs. For example, a marketing course can get you a career in sales, advertising or PR, a vocational course will lead to one specific job. Vocational programmes are created expressly to give students the skills they need to enter the workforce. Students who have a clear idea of their professional path and want to learn the skills to get there should take vocational courses. The Australia grading system for vocational courses is as follows:

Australia grading system by territory 

The grading scheme is similar but not identical across Australia's six states and three internal territories. The basic framework for all colleges is the same, although each state makes adjustments to incorporate its own rules, laws, and demands.
Want to study in Australia? Check out our guide to getting an Australian Student Visa!

New South Wales grading system

New South Wales is located on the east coast of Australia. Sydney is the capital, and the state is known for its beaches and sunny weather. Some of the top universities in the state are:
1. The University of New South Wales
2. The University of Sydney
3. Macquarie University
4. Western Sydney University
5. The University of Technology Sydney
Instead of the letter grades being the abbreviation of the grade description, New South Wales follows the conventional US letter grade system. The Australia grading system for universities in New South Wales is as follows: 
Think Australia is too expensive? Think again! Read our Guide to Student Scholarships in Australia and cut down the cost of your education.

Victoria grading system

Victoria is a mountainous coastal region in Australia. Melbourne is the capital of the state and it is the second smallest state in Australia. The top universities of the state are: 
1. Monash University
2. The University of Melbourne
3. RMIT University
4. Deakin University
5. La Trobe University
The Australia grading system in Victoria is as follows:

Queensland grading system

Queensland is the second largest state of Australia and has Brisbane as its capital. Some of the top universities in Queensland are:
1. The University of Queensland
2. Queensland University of Technology
3. Griffith University
4. James Cook University
5. Central Queensland University
The Australia grading system for Queensland is as follows:

South Australia grading system

South Australia is a dry arid state in the country and is home to around 1.8 million people. Some of the top universities of the state are:
1. The University of Adelaide
2. University of South Australia
3. Flinders University
4. Torrens University Australia
The Australia grading system for South Australia is as follows:

Western Australia grading system

Western Australia is the largest state in the country and is home to 2.7 million people - contributing to over 11% of the country’s total population. Some of the top universities in the state are:
1. University of Western Australia (UWA)
2. Curtin University
3. Murdoch University
4. Edith Cowan University
The Australia Grading system for Western Australia is as follows:

Tasmania grading system

Tasmania is the smallest territory of Australia and is home to around 500,000 people. The University of Tasmania is the most well-known college in the area. The Australia grading system for Tasmania is as follows:

Northern Territory grading system

The Northern Territory is incredibly sparsely populated, inhabited by only around 200,000 people. The capital of this state is Darwin, and the most renowned university in the area is Charles Darwin University. 
The grading system in this state differs slightly due to the presence of two separate marking scales, but the letter grade system stays constant across both grading scales. The Australia  Grading system for the Northern Territory is as follows.

The Australia grading system is pretty straightforward once you get a basic idea of how it works. The descriptions of the letter grades are not used worldwide, but are simple enough to understand. We hope you’ve found this article helpful and that you now feel better prepared for your studies in Australia.

Are you ready to study in Australia? Well, don't forget to book your student accommodation here!