Academic Grading System in Australia (Complete Overview by Region)

Academic grading systems tend to differ across countries and regions. This is observed in a country such as Australia. The Australian system can be quite complicated for new overseas students to understand as there is a considerable difference with other grading systems in the world. For instance, students who are unfamiliar with the Australian grading system will often get stressed at first when they find out they have earned a ‘D’, which is actually a high Distinction grade!

In this guide, we will look at the grading systems that form the foundation of Australian education. As Australia is a large and diverse country, the grading systems tend to differ across different regions. It would be further advised to check with the specific university or educational institute websites as grading systems can vary.

General Grading Scale in Australia

Below is a compilation of the basic grading system that is common to most universities (which have their own minor variations). This applies to both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. The British and American equivalents are detailed next to the Australian grade.

However, Degrees with Honours tend to have a different grading scale. Honors degrees usually include an additional year of study to the standard undergraduate degree.

Australian Capital Territory

The two dominant tertiary institutions of higher education include the Australian National University and the University of Canberra, both of which follow a grading system similar to the one given below.

Victoria

One of the most popular study destinations in Australia, the state of Victoria has around nine different universities in its region. These include the University of Melbourne, Monash University, La Trobe University, Swinburne University of Technology, and Deakin University.

New South Wales

Home to the city of Sydney, the state of New South Wales is an alternatively popular study destination in the country. Universities in this state include the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, Macquarie University, and the University of Newcastle.

Northern Territory

Australia’s Northern Territory is home to only one tertiary institution which is Charles Darwin University, which follows a grading system similar to the one below.

Queensland

Universities in Queensland include the University of Queensland, Bond University, and Griffith University.

South Australia

The state of South Australia’s tertiary institutions follows a grading system based on the table below. Universities include Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Adelaide, the University of South Australia, and Flinders University.

Western Australia

Universities in the state of Western Australia follow a grading system similar to the table below and include institutions such as Curtin University, Murdoch University, Edith Cowan University, and the University of Western Australia.

Use of the Grade Point Average (GPA System) and the ATAR in Australia

Although not very common, GPA scores tend to be used in relation to Law and Medicine courses in Australian universities.

GPA = (Sum of all grade points x Course unit values) / Total number of credit points

ATAR scores or the Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks are also a strong component of the education system. Government-sponsored positions and opportunities are offered to students who surpass a certain ATAR threshold.

The value, as expected, will correspond to academic performance. For example, an ATAR score of 80.00 explains that a student with such a score has performed better than 80% of all other students in that cohort.

This article sums up the academic grading system for different regions in Australia. There may be differences if you compare it to other popular study destinations like the US and the UK, however, it is not as complicated as it seems. This unique grading system even makes Australia one of the popular study destinations among international students!

We hope that this article on the grading system in Australia was helpful. If you are interested in studying abroad, check out the Available Programs for International Students and the Australia Study Guide sections!