kids encyclopedia robot

Academic grading in Philippines facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Philippines has different ways that colleges and universities give grades. Many schools, especially public ones, use a grading system where 1.00 is the best grade and 5.00 is the lowest. This is like getting a perfect score versus a failing one.

Understanding the 5.00 to 1.00 Grading System

In this system, a lower number means a better grade. For example, a 1.00 is excellent, while a 5.00 means you didn't pass.

What are Latin Honors?

Some universities, like the University of the Philippines and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, give special awards called "Latin Honors" to students who achieve very high grades. These honors show how well a student did throughout their studies.

University of the Philippines and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila Latin Honors
Latin Honors Grade Point Range
Summa Cum Laude 1.00 - 1.20
Magna Cum Laude 1.21 - 1.45
Cum Laude 1.46 - 1.75

How Grades are Described (Datamex University Example)

To help you understand what each grade means, here's an example from Datamex University. It shows how grade points relate to percentages and descriptions like "Excellent" or "Pass."

Datamex University Grading System
Grade Point Percentage Description
1.00 95%-100% Excellent
1.25 91%-94% Superior
1.50 88%-90% Very Good
1.75 86%-87% Good
2.00 84%-85% Very Satisfactory
2.25 82%-83% High Average
2.50 79%-80% Average
2.75 77%-78% Fair
3.00 75% - 76% Pass
4.00 58%-74.99% Conditional if Pass/Failed
5.00 Below 58.49% Failing Final Grade

Another Way to Grade: The 1.000 to 4.000 System

Some universities, like De La Salle University and FEU Institute of Technology, use a different system. This one is more like what you might find in American universities. In this system, 4.0 is the highest grade, and 0.0 means you failed.

What Each Grade Means (De La Salle University Example)

Here's how grades are described in the 1.000 to 4.000 system, using De La Salle University as an example.

De La Salle University & FEU Institute of Technology Grade Point System
Grade Point Description Percentage
4.0 Excellent 97% - 100%
3.5 Superior 93% - 96%
3.0 Very Good 89% - 92%
2.5 Good 85% - 88%
2.0 Satisfactory 80% - 84%
1.5 Fair 75% - 79%
1.0 Pass 70% - 74%
0.0 Fail Below 69%

Latin Honors in the 4.0 System

Just like with the 5.00-1.00 system, universities using the 4.0 system also give Latin Honors for excellent academic performance.

De La Salle University Latin Honors
Latin Honors Grade Point Range
Summa Cum Laude 3.800 - 4.000
Magna Cum Laude 3.600 - 3.799
Cum Laude 3.400 - 3.599
Honorable Mention (ID# 112 and above) 3.200 - 3.399
Honorable Mention (ID# 111 and below) 3.000 - 3.399

The Letter Grade System

Other universities, like the Ateneo de Manila University, use a letter grade system (A, B, C, etc.). The percentages that match each letter grade can be different for each school.

Ateneo de Manila University Letter Grades

Here's an example of how letter grades work at Ateneo de Manila University, specifically for their Mathematics Department.

Ateneo de Manila University Letter Grade System (Mathematics Department)
Grade Point Letter Grade Percentage
4.0 A 92% - 100%
3.5 B+ 86% - 91%
3.0 B 77% - 85%
2.5 C+ 69% - 76%
2.0 C 60% - 69%
1.0 D 50% - 59%
0.0 F Below 50%

Latin Honors with Letter Grades

Ateneo de Manila University also awards Latin Honors based on a student's overall grade point average.

Ateneo de Manila University Latin Honors
Latin Honors Grade Point Range
Summa Cum Laude 3.87 - 4.00
Magna Cum Laude 3.70 - 3.86
Cum Laude 3.50 - 3.69

It's important to remember that there isn't one single grading system for all universities in the Philippines. Each school has its own rules for how grades are given and what counts as a passing grade.

See Also

kids search engine
Academic grading in Philippines Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.