Academic Grading in Poland

'Credit' is a way of measuring a student's courseload. 'Marks' or 'Grades' are an analytical tool designed to indicate a Polish student's level of mastery of the syllabus and its objective. All student records contain both the Polish system grades and the ECTS credits granted for each class.

The Polish Grading System

The below given table depicts the grading system used at Polish higher education institutions:

Grades are given from 2 to 5

1. Grade: 5
   Scale: 5.50
   Grade Description: Celujący (Excellent)
   US Grade: A
   
   
2. Grade: 5
   Scale: 5.00 - 5.49
   Grade Description: Bardzo Dobry (Very Good)
   US Grade: A
   
   
3. Grade: 4
   Scale: 4.50 - 4.99
   Grade Description: Dobry Plus (Fairly Good)
   US Grade: B
   
   
4. Grade: 4
   Scale: 4.00 - 4.49
   Grade Description: Dobry (Good)
   US Grade: B
   
   
5. Grade: 3
   Scale: 3.50 - 3.99
   Grade Description: Dostateczny Plus (Satisfactory Plus)
   US Grade: C
   
   
6. Grade: 3
   Scale: 3.00 - 3.49
   Grade Description: Dostateczny (Satisfactory)
   US Grade: C
   
   
7. Grade: 2
   Scale: 1.00 - 2.99
   Grade Description: Niedostateczny (Unsatisfactory)
   US Grade: F
   

The rating is done every semester (two times in a school year). Depending on the topic, the final grades may be dependent on the result of a solitary exam, or on the learner's performance throughout the semester. In the latter situation, usually a point scheme, not the 2–5 scale is applied. The points gathered during the semester are calculated and converted to a final score according to the special scale.

As a failing score means just having to repeat the unsuccessful subject, and can ordinarily be amended on a retake examination (and in certain cases also on a singular "committee exam"), it is applied much more generously, and it is quite common for a substantial number of students to bomb a class on the first try.

The ECTS Credit System

The European Credit Transfer System is a popular Europe-wide system for calculating and reassigning the academic acclaim that a student has received. The system was first hurled in 1989 by the European Commission and is by now the customary system for all upper education in Poland, as well as in 45 additional countries that partake in the Bologna Process. ECTS makes credit received at a Polish university is clearer and more easily transportable to other institutions.

The system accepts that the standard workload increases up to 60 ECTS per school year (30 ECTS each semester). 'Courseload' takes into reason homework and reading time, as well as lecture hall time. A student may accept that each point of ECTS is cleared by an entire courseload of 26 to 30 hours of schoolwork.

ECTS

1. Grade: A
   Grade Description: Excellent
   US Grade: A
   
   
2. Grade: B
   Grade Description: Very Good
   US Grade: B
   
   
3. Grade: C
   Grade Description: Good
   US Grade: B
   
   
4. Grade: D
   Grade Description: Satisfactory
   US Grade: C
   
   
5. Grade: E
   Grade Description: Sufficient
   US Grade: C
   
   
6. Grade: FX
   Grade Description: Fail
   US Grade: F
   
   
7. F        
   

Transferring Grades and Credits to other Institutions

When relocating credit from the Jagiellonian University to an additional institution, results will be issued on the Polish scale only and credit points for each subject will be given as ECTS scale score. Descriptions of the Polish grading scheme and ECTS are contained within the transcripts.

If you are applying for a new MA or a PhD. programme, eventually it is the decision of the University in which you are seeking admission how the credits and marks earned at the Jagiellonian will be calculated. Many US colleges, for instance, consider 2 ECTS points to be about 1 US 'credit hour'.

1. Grade: 6
   Grade Description: Celujący (Excellent)
   US Grade: A
   
   
2. Grade: 5
   Grade Description: Bardzo Dobry (Very Good)
   US Grade: A
   
   
3. Grade: 4
   Grade Description: Dobry (Good)
   US Grade: B
   
   
4. Grade: 3
   Grade Description: Dostateczny (Satisfactory)
   US Grade: C
   
   
5. Grade: 2
   Grade Description: Dopuszczający (Passing)
   US Grade: D
   
   
6. Grade: 2
   Grade Description: Mierny (Mediocre)
   US Grade: D
   
   
7. Grade: 1
   Grade Description: Niedostateczny (Unsatisfactory)
   US Grade: F