Calculating Your Abitur Grade: Points, Blocks and Conversion Table
How Block I and Block II become the Abitur grade: the formula and full conversion table of the KMK, minimum points to pass and a worked example.
Education & Career3 linked calculatorsReading time: 6 min.
The Abitur grade comes from a points account: up to 900 points from the qualification phase and the final exams. How this account is converted into an average grade is set out in an agreement of the Standing Conference of Education Ministers (KMK) that applies equally in every federal state.
Key takeaways
- Block I (qualification phase) gives at most 600 points, Block II (final exams) at most 300.
- You pass with at least 200 points in Block I, 100 in Block II and 300 in total, plus further conditions.
- A grade of 1.0 starts at 823 points; below that, the grade drops by one tenth every 18 points.
- The formula result is not rounded but truncated to one decimal place.
From grades to points
In the upper secondary level, work is graded on the German 1 to 6 scale, but converted into points from 0 to 15 for the Abitur. The key is set by the KMK (item 9.2):
| Grade | Points by tendency |
|---|---|
| 1 (very good) | 15 · 14 · 13 |
| 2 (good) | 12 · 11 · 10 |
| 3 (satisfactory) | 9 · 8 · 7 |
| 4 (sufficient) | 6 · 5 · 4 |
| 5 (poor) | 3 · 2 · 1 |
| 6 (insufficient) | 0 |
The average of your course points and what it means as a grade is shown by the upper secondary grade calculator.
The two blocks of the overall qualification
Results from the four half-years of the qualification phase and from the final exams are weighted 2 : 1. Together they give at most 900 points.
- Block I, qualification phase (up to 600 points): 36 half-year results are counted; two advanced-level subjects count double. The sum of points is divided by the number of results counted and multiplied by 40, rounded to whole points.
- Block II, final exams (up to 300 points): with four exam subjects each result counts five times, with five exam subjects four times.
Exactly which courses must be counted and how extended essays or special projects count is regulated by each state within the KMK agreement.
Minimum points to pass
The KMK agreement sets minimum values (items 9.5.2, 9.5.7, 9.5.8):
- Block I: at least 200 points to be admitted to the exams; no more than 20% of the half-year results counted below 5 points and none with 0 points.
- Block II: at least 100 points, with at least 5 points (single weighting) in at least two of four exam subjects (three of five), including one advanced-level subject.
- Total: at least 300 points, which corresponds to a grade of 4.0.
Check your state's rules
States may have stricter or additional rules, for example on low marks in certain subjects. Your state's upper secondary regulations are binding; if in doubt, ask your school's upper secondary coordinator.
The formula for the Abitur grade
From the total points E, the average grade N follows from N = 5 2/3 − E ÷ 180 (KMK, annex 4). The result is truncated to one decimal place, not rounded.
Example: 450 points in Block I and 200 in Block II give 650 points. The formula yields 2.056, so truncated the Abitur grade is 2.0.
Calculate your Abitur grade from your points
Enter Block I and Block II: the calculator shows your grade, any missing minimum points and how many points you need for the next step.
Conversion table: points to Abitur grade
The table is produced with the same calculation function as the Abitur calculator and matches the KMK conversion table (annex 4).
| Total points | Abitur grade |
|---|---|
| 823 to 900 | 1.0 |
| 805 to 822 | 1.1 |
| 787 to 804 | 1.2 |
| 769 to 786 | 1.3 |
| 751 to 768 | 1.4 |
| 733 to 750 | 1.5 |
| 715 to 732 | 1.6 |
| 697 to 714 | 1.7 |
| 679 to 696 | 1.8 |
| 661 to 678 | 1.9 |
| 643 to 660 | 2.0 |
| 625 to 642 | 2.1 |
| 607 to 624 | 2.2 |
| 589 to 606 | 2.3 |
| 571 to 588 | 2.4 |
| 553 to 570 | 2.5 |
| 535 to 552 | 2.6 |
| 517 to 534 | 2.7 |
| 499 to 516 | 2.8 |
| 481 to 498 | 2.9 |
| 463 to 480 | 3.0 |
| 445 to 462 | 3.1 |
| 427 to 444 | 3.2 |
| 409 to 426 | 3.3 |
| 391 to 408 | 3.4 |
| 373 to 390 | 3.5 |
| 355 to 372 | 3.6 |
| 337 to 354 | 3.7 |
| 319 to 336 | 3.8 |
| 301 to 318 | 3.9 |
| 300 | 4.0 |
Whether your grade is enough for a restricted-admission subject is checked against the last selection threshold by the NC calculator.
Frequently asked questions about the Abitur grade
How many points do I need for a 1.0?
Is the Abitur grade rounded?
When have I passed the Abitur?
Is the conversion the same in every state?
Sources
Every figure in this article comes from these primary sources or from the linked calculators, which are based on the same sources.
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Full-stack developer and founder of HEADON.pro. Developer of Rechnerzentrale.