What is a good grade in France?
Anything from about 12 upward is respectable, 14 or 15 is strong, and 16 and above is excellent. If that sounds harsh, it is because the scale is not calibrated to be completed. Perfection is not withheld as a punishment; it is simply not the top of the ladder anyone is climbing.
Why does it feel so severe to Americans?
Because the American A is attainable and expected, and because grade inflation has moved the American ceiling down within reach. A French 12 and an American B look similar on paper and mean quite different things about the room.
Is one better than the other?
They answer different questions. The French mark tells you how far you are from mastery. The American grade tells you how you did against the standard set. He finds the second one flattering. I find the first one bleak. We have not resolved this.
Roughly, on paper
| French mark | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 16–20 | Excellent — rare |
| 14–15 | Strong |
| 12–13 | Good, solid |
| 10–11 | Pass |
| Below 10 | Not passing |
Questions, answered
What is a good grade in the French system?
French schools mark out of 20. Around 10 is a pass, 12 to 13 is good, 14 to 15 is strong, and 16 or above is excellent. Full marks are rare enough to be remarkable.
Why do French schools grade out of 20?
It is the long-standing national convention across school and university. The scale is designed to measure distance from mastery rather than to be routinely completed.
Is 12 out of 20 a good grade?
Yes. In the French system 12 is a solid, respectable mark, well above the pass threshold of 10. It reads lower to an American eye than it means.
He judges America weekly on Instagram, and Le Bulletin collects the best of it once a month.