What is a passing grade in Italian university?

The minimum passing grade for Italian university exams is 18 out of 30 on the trentesimi scale. Grades below 18 are not recorded on the student's transcript — the exam is treated as if it was never taken, and the student can retake it with no penalty. The highest grade is 30 e lode (30 with honors), awarded by unanimous committee decision.

How do Italian grades convert to American grades?

There is no official conversion, but a common approximation maps Italian school grades as follows: 9-10 ≈ A, 8 ≈ B, 7 ≈ C, 6 ≈ D (minimum pass). For university trentesimi: 28-30 ≈ A, 25-27 ≈ B, 22-24 ≈ C, 18-21 ≈ D. Use the grade calculator with an Italian scale selected to see instant conversions for any score.

What is 110 e lode in the Italian grading system?

110 e lode is the highest possible graduation score in the Italian university system. It combines a perfect 110 out of 110 with cum laude honors, awarded only by unanimous decision of the thesis committee. It is roughly equivalent to summa cum laude in the American system and represents exceptional academic achievement across all coursework and the thesis defense.

What does trentesimi mean?

Trentesimi (literally 'thirtieths') is the Italian university grading scale from 0 to 30, used for individual exam results. The minimum passing grade is 18/30. A unique feature of this system is that students can refuse a passing grade and retake the exam to try for a higher score, since only accepted grades are recorded on the transcript.

Italian Grading System

Understand the three Italian grading scales: school (1-10), university (trentesimi, 0-30), and graduation (laurea, 0-110)

Italian Grade Quick Reference

Italy uses three grading scales depending on the education level. Click any row to open the calculator with that score pre-filled. For scores of 30 e lode or 110 e lode (cum laude honors), the distinction is awarded by unanimous committee decision beyond the numeric score.

School (1-10)

Score	Classification	%	Try in calculator
10 / 10	Eccellente	100%	Try in calculator →
9 / 10	Ottimo	90%	Try in calculator →
8 / 10	Buono	80%	Try in calculator →
7 / 10	Discreto	70%	Try in calculator →
6 / 10	Sufficiente	60%	Try in calculator →
5 / 10	Insufficiente	50%	Try in calculator →

University — Trentesimi (0-30)

Score	Classification	%	Try in calculator
30 / 30	Ottimo	100%	Try in calculator →
27 / 30	Buono	90%	Try in calculator →
24 / 30	Discreto	80%	Try in calculator →
20 / 30	Sufficiente	66.7%	Try in calculator →
18 / 30	Sufficiente	60%	Try in calculator →

Graduation — Laurea (0-110)

Score	Classification	%	Try in calculator
110 / 110	Eccellente	100%	Try in calculator →
100 / 110	Ottimo	90.9%	Try in calculator →
88 / 110	Buono	80%	Try in calculator →
77 / 110	Discreto	70%	Try in calculator →
66 / 110	Sufficiente	60%	Try in calculator →

Open Grade Calculator

School Grades (1-10)

Italian primary and secondary schools use a 1-10 grading scale. The minimum passing grade is 6, which corresponds to 'Sufficiente' (Sufficient). Grades are whole numbers, and each has an official classification: • 10 — Eccellente (Excellent) • 9 — Ottimo (Outstanding) • 8 — Buono (Good) • 7 — Discreto (Fair) • 6 — Sufficiente (Sufficient, passing) • 5 — Insufficiente (Insufficient, failing) • 4 — Gravemente insufficiente (Seriously insufficient) • 1-3 — Scarso (Poor) To convert a test score to the Italian school scale: calculate the percentage (score ÷ total × 100), then multiply by 10 and divide by 100. Select 'Italian School (1-10)' in the calculator to see these classifications automatically.

Example: A student scores 37 out of 50 on a math test. Percentage = (37 ÷ 50) × 100 = 74%. To convert to the Italian school scale: (74 × 10) ÷ 100 = 7.4, rounded to 7 (Discreto). This is a passing grade, one step above the minimum of 6.

$Italian school grading scale from 1 to 10 with classifications$

Italian school scale: 6 is the minimum passing grade (Sufficiente)

Italian school grades are always whole numbers. A score of 75% converts to 7.5, which is typically rounded to either 7 or 8 depending on the teacher's policy.

Try this example →

University Exams (Trentesimi, 0-30)

Italian university exams use a 0-30 scale known as 'trentesimi'. The minimum passing grade is 18. Grades below 18 are not recorded on the transcript — the student simply retakes the exam. Classifications: • 28-30 — Ottimo (Excellent) • 25-27 — Buono (Good) • 22-24 — Discreto (Fair) • 18-21 — Sufficiente (Sufficient, passing) • Below 18 — Insufficiente (Insufficient, not recorded) The highest possible grade is '30 e lode' (30 cum laude), awarded by unanimous committee decision for exceptional performance. Use the Weighted Average mode with the 'Italian University (0-30)' scale to calculate your exam average.

Example: A student earns 22 out of 30 on an oral exam. This is 22/30 = 73.3%, classified as Discreto. Because 22 is above the minimum of 18, this grade is recorded on the transcript. If the student is unhappy with a 22, they can refuse the grade and retake the exam — only accepted grades appear on the record.

$Italian university trentesimi scale from 18 to 30 with classifications$

Trentesimi: 18 is the minimum, 30 e lode is the highest distinction

Italian university grades below 18 are never recorded. Students can refuse a passing grade and retake the exam if they want a higher score.

Try this example →

Graduation Score (Laurea, 0-110)

The Italian graduation score (voto di laurea) ranges from 66 to 110. It is calculated from the weighted average of all exam results using this formula: Graduation score = (weighted average × 110) ÷ 30 The thesis committee then adds bonus points (typically 0-8) based on the thesis quality, academic record, and completion time. Classifications: • 105-110 — Eccellente • 99-104 — Ottimo • 88-98 — Buono • 77-87 — Discreto • 66-76 — Sufficiente The highest distinction is '110 e lode', awarded by unanimous committee decision. Select 'Italian Graduation (0-110)' in the calculator to see these classifications.

Example: A student has a weighted exam average of 27/30 across all courses. Base graduation score = (27 × 110) ÷ 30 = 99. The thesis committee awards 7 bonus points for thesis quality, bringing the final score to 106/110 (Eccellente). To reach 110 e lode, the student would need a higher base score plus a unanimous committee decision.

Select the "Italian Graduation (0-110)" scale in the calculator to see percentage grades mapped to the 110-point scale with Italian labels.

Try this example →

Sources: Eurydice – European Commission · Ministero dell'Istruzione e del Merito

Ready to Calculate?

Try the grade calculator now — enter your scores and see your grades instantly.

Open Grade Calculator