Grade distribution

Institutional grading system
All programmes offered by the HZ University of Applied Sciences (HZ) use a numerical 10-point grading scale in accordance with the Dutch grading system for higher education. An exception is made for master programme River Delta Development where an alphanumerical grading scale is being used.

Numerical grading scale

The assessment of each test results in a grade that is expressed as a number from 1 to 10 rounded to one decimal place. Grade 5.5 is the minimum grade to pass tests and exams. The grades may be described according to table 1. An exception applies to HZ Personality tests and exams. In that case, the assessment may be expressed as “Passed” or “Not Passed” instead of a grade.

Grade	Description
10 9.5 - 9.9	Excellent
9.0 - 9.4 8.5 - 8.9	Very good
8.0 - 8.4 7.5 - 7.9	Good
7.0 - 7.4 6.5 - 6.9	Very satisfactory
6.0 - 6.4 5.5 - 5.9	Satisfactory
5.0 - 5.4 4.5 - 4.9	Almost satisfactory
4.0 - 4.4 3.5 - 3.9	Unsatisfactory
3.0 - 3.4 2.5 - 2.9	Very unsatisfactory
2.0 - 2.4 1.5 - 1.9	Poor
1.0 - 1.4	Very poor

Grading scale for master River Delta Development

An alphanumerical grading scale is used by this master programme. The assessment of each test is expressed as an alphanumerical result on a four point scale: insufficient (I), sufficient (S), good (G) and excellent (E). sufficient (S) is the minimum grade to pass tests and exams.

European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)
Dutch higher education institutions apply the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS):

1 credit = 28 hours of workload
60 credits = 1 year of workload

For more information about the ECTS, consult the ECTS Users’ Guide 2015 published by the European Commission.

Transparency in student performance levels
In addition to the institutional grading scale and explanation of that scale it is necessary to provide transparent and coherent information on the performance of the individual student. That is due to different cultural and academic traditions. European educational systems have developed not only different national grading scales but also different ways of using them within the same country, in different subject areas or institutions. It is essential to acknowledge that these differences exist. Offering transparency to all stakeholders within the European Higher Education Area makes sure that grades awarded in all countries, subject areas or institutions can be properly understood and correctly compared.

In accordance with the ECTS the HZ offers information on the performance of the individual student via a statistical distribution table of the passing grades awarded in the programme or field of study attended by the student. That table is called a grade distribution table and shows how the grading scale is actually used in that programme. A grade distribution table is included in each diploma supplement.

HZ Grade distribution tables
Each study year the HZ compiles three different grade distribution tables based on specific aggregations of grades for compulsory exams achieved during the past four study years. Exemptions, non-numerical grades and grades for exams excluded from the study programme are not taken into account. Please access on of the following links to view the applicable grade distribution table.

Grade distribution table for exchange students

This table is based on the distribution of all numerical examination results of 5.5 or higher obtained by all HZ students combined. This table is used to interpret the marks obtained by exchange students.

Grade distribution table for graduates from the Associate degrees and Bachelor programmes

The second grade distribution table is compiled per associate degree or bachelor programme and applicable for interpretation of numerical grades, 5.5 or higher, achieved by undergraduates (associate degrees and bachelor degrees). To compile this table exam grades achieved by the students from the programme in question are taken into account. In case less than 1000 exam grades are available, the table is compiled from all exam grades, 5.5 or higher, by the students from the faculty (domain) offering the programme in question.

Grade distribution table for graduates from the Master programmes

The third grade distribution table is compiled from the exam grades, sufficient or higher, achieved by the students from the master programme River Delta Development. This table is exclusively applicable for interpretation of grades achieved by graduates from this master.

Interpretation

In table 2 an example of a grade distribution table is shown.

Grade	Number of registrations	Equivalent percentage	Cumulatief percentage
10	968	0.8%	0.8%
9.5 - 9.9	1,445	1.1%	1.9%
9.0 - 9.4	5,120	4.1%	6.0%
8.5 - 8.9	9,090	7.2%	13.2%
8.0 - 8.4	22,171	17.6%	30.8%
7.5 - 7.9	19,862	15.8%	46.6%
7.0 - 7.4	24,383	19.4%	66.0%
6.5 - 6.9	18,385	14.6%	80.6%
6.0 - 6.4	15,642	12.4%	93.1%
5.5 - 5.9	8,720	6.9%	100.0%
Totaal	125,786	100.0%

The equivalent percentage field shows the absolute percentage of students that achieved a result that was equal to one of the grades in the corresponding range. The cumulative percentage field shows how often students achieve a grade within the corresponding range and higher. For example 19.4% (24,383) out of 125,786 students achieved a grade between 7.0 and 7.4 and 66.0% of the students achieved a grade 7.0 or higher.

Disclaimer
While every effort is made by HZ to ensure that all information on this website is correct at the time of publishing, some information may be incomplete or inaccurate or may have become out of date. HZ cannot be held liable for possible inaccuracies or omissions on this website. No rights can be derived from the contents of this website.