You're wondering: at what average do I get a 7? Or an 8? In the Netherlands, final grades are usually rounded to whole numbers. Here you'll read how this works and what the thresholds are.
How does rounding work?
In the Netherlands, the standard rounding rule usually applies:
- Below .5 → round down (6.4 → 6)
- From .5 → round up (6.5 → 7)
- Exactly at .45 or .449 → usually down (depends on decimals)
Rounding thresholds per grade
At which average do you get which final grade?
- 10: average 9.50 or higher
- 9: average 8.50 - 9.49
- 8: average 7.50 - 8.49
- 7: average 6.50 - 7.49
- 6: average 5.50 - 6.49
- 5: average 4.50 - 5.49 (insufficient!)
Note: Some schools use 5.45 as the threshold for a 5, or use different rounding methods!
Magister and SOMtoday
In student tracking systems like Magister, you often see your exact average with decimals. However, the report shows the rounded grade.
Always check your average before the report meeting. A 6.45 might become a 6, while a 6.50 becomes a 7 - that's one point difference!
Strategic planning
Knowing how rounding works helps in planning your study:
- At 6.4? Focus on that extra point to get to 6.5+ for a 7
- At 6.6? You can take it easier - you'll get a 7 anyway
- At 5.4? All hands on deck to reach that 5.5 for a passing grade!
Calculate your target grade
Use our calculator to calculate what grade you need to reach your desired average. This way you know exactly what to do.