German Law Grade Calculator
Enter exams with 0 to 18 points – overall grade and band instantly
Calculated in your browser – your inputs are not transmitted and are kept on this device only if you choose
Your results
0 to 18 points per result. Results without points are ignored.
Overall grade
9.00points
9.003 results (weight 3) give 9.00 points – satisfactory.
- Grade band
- satisfactory
- Number of results
- 3
- Sum of weights
- 3
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The German legal grading scale
German legal exams are not graded on the school scale but in points from 0 to 18. The scale and its grade bands are set out in section 1 of the Regulation on a Grade and Point Scale for the First and Second Legal Examination (JurPrNotSkV).
The bands: 16–18 points "very good", 13–15 "good", 10–12 "fully satisfactory", 7–9 "satisfactory", 4–6 "sufficient", 1–3 "deficient" and 0 points "insufficient". The band fully satisfactory from 10 points exists only in the legal system – in practice it marks the threshold to a distinction-level result.
Worked examples
- Points
- 9 · 12 · 9
- Overall grade
- 10.00
- Band (10–12 points)
- Fully satisfactory
- Points
- 8 · 9 · 11
- Exact value
- 9.3333…
- Overall grade (truncated)
- 9.33
Why the result is truncated, not rounded
Section 2 JurPrNotSkV requires the overall grade to be determined "to two decimal places without rounding up or down". An average of 9.995 is therefore 9.99 – not 10.00.
This is not a detail: that is exactly where the boundary between "satisfactory" and "fully satisfactory" sits. Rounding here would report a distinction that was not actually reached. This calculator truncates.
What the JurPrNotSkV does not regulate is which decimal values of the overall grade map to which band – that is set by state law (JAG/JAPO) and differs between federal states. The band shown here follows the point ranges from section 1; the law of your state is what binds.
Frequently asked questions
The 18-point scale, distinction thresholds and calculation explained
How many points make a distinction-level result?
In practice a result from 9 points is often treated as a distinction, while the band "fully satisfactory" under section 1 JurPrNotSkV only begins at 10 points. Which threshold counts in a given case – for instance for access to the higher judicial service – depends on state law and the specific job posting. The calculator reports the band according to the point ranges of the JurPrNotSkV.
What does "vollbefriedigend" mean?
Fully satisfactory covers 10 to 12 points and describes, under section 1 JurPrNotSkV, "a performance above average requirements". This band exists only in the German legal grading system – it sits between satisfactory (7–9) and good (13–15) and fills a gap the school grade scale does not have.
Is the overall grade rounded?
No. Section 2 JurPrNotSkV requires the overall grade to be determined "to two decimal places without rounding up or down". The value is therefore cut off after the second decimal place. 9.3333 becomes 9.33, and 9.995 becomes 9.99 – not 10.00.
How do I weight individual exams?
The weights of individual exam components are set by state law (JAG/JAPO) and differ between federal states and between the first and second examination. A heavier weighting of the oral examination or of particular written papers is common. Enter the weights that apply in your state in the "Weight" column; if all components count equally, leave every weight at 1.
Does the scale apply to both the first and second examination?
Yes. The JurPrNotSkV expressly covers both the first and the second legal examination – the point scale and the grade bands are identical. The differences lie in which components make up the examination and how they are weighted, not in the scale itself.