🎓 German Grade Average Calculator (Notenschnitt)

Notenschnitt is the grade average printed on every German school report (Zeugnis). German schools mark performance with the numbers 1 to 6, and unlike the American letter system the scale runs in reverse: 1 is the best grade (sehr gut) and 6 the worst (ungenügend). Each grade carries an official verbal label, and teachers refine it with tendencies such as 1+ (very close to the next better grade) or 2− (tending towards a 3). Internationally this inverted scale confuses exchange students and parents alike, which is why this tool and our GPA calculator make a natural pair.

On top of the numbers comes weighting. A Klassenarbeit (written exam) usually counts twice as much as a single oral grade, so the report average is a weighted mean, not a plain one. Formally: Schnitt = Σ(grade × weight) ÷ Σ(weight). If you need the unweighted version, simply leave every weight at 1 — the math then reduces to the ordinary mean explained in our average calculator.

This calculator accepts every grade from 1+ down to 6, applies your weights, and returns three things: the weighted Schnitt to two decimals, the equivalent in the 15-point system of the gymnasiale Oberstufe (Punkte), and the verbal grade word a German report would use. It is built for students, parents and teachers who want to project a Zeugnis before it is issued — and for anyone comparing a German transcript against other grading systems. To convert a single percentage score into a mark first, see the grade calculator.

Compared with the 4.0 systems used in the United States and many other countries, the German scale is inverted: 1 is the best mark and 6 the worst, so a low Schnitt is a strong result. The average matters at specific moments - the Zeugnis at the end of each school year, applications for apprenticeships (Ausbildung) or jobs, the move to a Gymnasium after primary school, and the final grade lists for Abitur admission. Because it can be compared at a glance, schools and employers ask for it first.

The tool computes the weighted mean of the entered grades: Schnitt = Σ(grade × weight) ÷ Σ(weight). Tendencies convert to decimals with ±0.33 per step: 1+ = 0.67, 1 = 1.00, 1− = 1.33, 2+ = 1.67 and so on up to 6 = 6.00. The first two rows start with weight 2 to mirror the common convention that written exams (Klassenarbeiten) count double; rows for oral participation keep weight 1.

Beyond the headline number the tool derives two extra values. The Punkte equivalent translates the Schnitt into the 15-point system used in the Oberstufe: Punkte ≈ 17 − 3 × Schnitt, displayed rounded to one decimal. A Schnitt of 2.33 therefore corresponds to 10.0 points, sitting between 2 (11 points) and 2- (10 points). The verbal grade applies the official thresholds: averages up to 1.5 count as sehr gut, 1.6–2.5 as gut, 2.6–3.5 as befriedigend, 3.6–4.5 as ausreichend, 4.6–5.5 as mangelhaft and 5.6 or worse as ungenügend.

For context, a 4 (ausreichend) is the passing boundary in most Länder. If you want to stress-test how strongly a single exam pulls the average, duplicate its row and raise the weight — the share mechanics are the same as in our percentage calculator.

A concrete example: German 2 with weight 2, Maths 3 with weight 1, English 2- with weight 2 and PE 1 with weight 1 give (2 x 2 + 3 x 1 + 2.33 x 2 + 1 x 1) / 6 = 12.66 / 6 = 2.11 - gut, or 17 - 3 x 2.11 = 10.67 points on the 15-point scale. Note that 2- counts as 2.33, not 2. For the printed value, schools differ between commercial rounding (2.45 to 2.5) and mathematical rounding (2.45 to 2.4); the tool always shows the unrounded two-decimal figure so you can apply your own rule.

German reports refine the six base grades with tendencies, producing a 16-step scale. In German documents the verbal terms are sehr gut, gut, befriedigend, ausreichend, mangelhaft, ungenügend; the last column shows their English meaning, and the Punkte column gives the official 15-point Oberstufe equivalent of each single grade.

A 1+ is the strongest mark on the scale (0.67), while a straight 6 is the only grade without tendency steps and maps to 0 points in the Oberstufe.

The colour bar below visualises the full scale from 1 (best) to 6 (worst); the dashed markers sit exactly on the verbal thresholds used when a Schnitt is converted into a word.

For averages (Schnitt), schools group the decimal values into verbal categories:

The Punkte column uses the continuous formula 17 − 2 × Schnitt, rounded to one decimal. Note the edge case: a straight 6 officially counts as 0 points, so averages of 5.6 and above sit in ungenügend territory where the linear approximation overstates the point value.

By default the calculator fills the first two rows with weight 2 — the classic convention that a written exam (Klassenarbeit) counts twice — while oral participation and similar marks keep weight 1. Adjust the numbers to match your school's scheme.

A worked example with the five preset rows:

Sum of weighted values = 16.33, total weight = 7, so the Schnitt is 16.33 ÷ 7 = 2.33, which falls into the gut category. The Punkte equivalent is 17 − 2 × 2.33 = 12.3.

1. Enter a subject name in each row — it is optional and only labels the calculation.
2. Pick the grade from the dropdown, including tendencies such as 1+ or 2−.
3. Check the weight: rows one and two default to 2 for double-counted written exams, the rest to 1.
4. Use Add row to expand to up to 15 rows, and Remove to delete rows you do not need.
5. Click Calculate Schnitt to see the weighted average, the 15-point equivalent and the verbal grade.

How do plus and minus tendencies count in the average?

Each tendency step is worth 0.33: a 1+ is counted as 0.67, a 1− as 1.33, a 2+ as 1.67 and so on. The tool therefore uses the common one-third convention that schools apply when they compute averages with tendency grades. If your school only awards whole numbers, simply pick the plain grades 1 to 6.

How do the weights work?

The average is weighted: Schnitt = Σ(grade × weight) ÷ Σ(weight). By default the first two rows carry weight 2, mirroring the widespread rule that a Klassenarbeit counts double, while oral participation counts once. A grade with weight 2 influences the Schnitt exactly twice as much as the same grade with weight 1.

Which Schnitt counts as gut?

Averages up to 1.5 count as sehr gut (very good) and averages from 1.6 to 2.5 as gut (good). A Schnitt of 2.33 therefore still receives the word gut. From 2.6 the category becomes befriedigend, from 3.6 ausreichend — which is the typical passing boundary — from 4.6 mangelhaft and from 5.6 ungenügend.

How does the 15-point Oberstufe system map onto grades 1–6?

In the Oberstufe each grade becomes points: Punkte = 17 − 2 × base grade, with +1 for a plus tendency and −1 for a minus. That gives 15 points for 1+, 14 for 1, 13 for 1−, 12 for 2+ and so on down to 0 points for a straight 6. For averages the tool uses the continuous approximation Punkte ≈ 17 − 2 × Schnitt, shown with one decimal.

What rounding do German schools use for the Schnitt?

It differs by Bundesland and school type. Many schools round commercially, meaning halves are rounded up (2.45 → 2.5), while others use mathematical rounding, where the last digit decides. Because the conventions vary, this calculator always displays the raw two-decimal value and leaves the final rounding to you.

Why is 1 the best grade in Germany?

The German scale historically counts deficiency steps rather than achievement levels: 1 marks (almost) no deficiencies and 6 means the requirements were not met at all, even with help. When comparing with GPA-style systems — where higher is better — remember that the German scale is inverted, so a 1.0 student corresponds to a 4.0 student abroad.

Are my grades stored anywhere?

No. The complete calculation runs locally in your browser, nothing is transmitted, and the tool is free to use without registration. You can close the page at any time and nothing is saved.

Remember the direction of the scale: lower is better, so an average of 1.9 is stronger than 2.4. Rounding conventions differ between Bundesländer and school types — many schools round commercially (halves up, so 2.45 becomes 2.5), others apply mathematical rounding, and the tendencies printed on a report may follow local rules. This tool deliberately shows the unrounded two-decimal value so you can apply your school's convention yourself. In grades 1 and 2 many primary schools replace marks entirely with Verbalbeurteilungen (written comments), so no Schnitt exists yet. For the Abitur, the official Abi-Schnitt follows a separate formula based on points per course and is not modelled here — treat every result as an orientation aid, not a promise of the printed Zeugnis. Finally, weight realistically: if your school counts exams threefold, set the weight to 3 instead of 2.

Weights should mirror how a subject is really assessed: if a subject has two written exams per half-year and one oral grade, giving the written side weight 2 and the oral side weight 1 reflects the timetable. A subject with a low weight can only move the average slightly, so a single weak mark there barely hurts - and one strong mark there barely helps. Check with your teacher which components count before you set the weights.