Written by Jazmin
25 Jun 2025
We all come from different parts of the world, often with education systems that are very different from the European model. So, if you’re about to begin your studies in Sweden, you’re probably wondering: What should I expect when it comes to grades? In this blog, I’ll walk you through how grading works in Sweden, and share some key differences I noticed compared to the system in my home country, Peru.
Letters, Not Numbers
In Peru, the grading system is numerical—ranging from 1 to 20. A 20 is the highest grade, and anything below 11 (or 13, depending on the university) is considered a failing grade. I know that in other countries, grades also go from 1 to 10, but they still stick to numbers.
That’s why I was so surprised when I found out that Sweden uses letters for grading—from A to F. Here, A is the highest grade, and F means you failed. At first, it was a bit confusing, but soon I learned what each grade means:
- A & B: Exceptional work
- C: Good and solid performance
- D & E: You passed, but your work needs improvement
- F: Fail
Your Grade Depends on One Thing!
Back in my bachelor’s studies, every course had a mix of assignments, exams, and class participation. For example, exams could make up 50% of the final grade, assignments 40%, and participation the remaining 10%. There were multiple opportunities to prove yourself throughout the semester.
So when I started my master’s in Sweden, I was surprised—and honestly a bit stressed—to learn that most of my courses, especially the more theoretical ones, were graded based on just one final assignment. Usually, it’s a single essay at the end of the course that determines whether you pass or fail. Yes, your entire grade depends on that one piece of work!
At first, this felt really overwhelming. I remember my first course—I nearly died of anxiety trying to write the “perfect” essay because I was so scared of failing. But over time, I realized this stress was mostly coming from my own expectations.
The good news is that in Sweden, if you don’t pass an assignment, you’re usually given several chances to redo it.
Did You Fail the Examination?
When I was doing my bachelor’s degree in Peru, failing an exam usually meant one thing: you had to retake the entire course. There were no second chances or re-examinations—if you didn’t pass, well… tough luck. You just had to study harder next time and hope for a better outcome.
That’s why I was pleasantly surprised when I learned how different things are in Sweden. If you receive an F—which means you didn’t pass an assignment—you’re usually given at least two more chances to redo it. There’s always a scheduled re-examination date, so you’re not left without options.
Many students even plan to use the re-exam date from the beginning if they know they’ll struggle to meet the first deadline. Of course, this comes with a risk: you won’t get feedback on a first attempt, and that might make it harder to improve. But the flexibility is there if you need it.
What I’ve come to appreciate is that the Swedish system is genuinely focused on learning and improvement, not punishment. So even if it feels intense at first—especially when your whole grade depends on one essay—it’s also much more forgiving and supportive than I expected.
