In Brief
- A ten-point grading scale from 1 to 10 will replace the current system in compulsory and upper secondary schools.
- New national final exams will be introduced and graded centrally to ensure fair assessments.
- A new merit value model combining course grades and exam results will determine admission scores.
Sweden will implement a major reform of its school grading system to combat grade inflation and ensure more accurate assessments of student knowledge. The new system introduces a ten-point scale and mandatory national final exams that will directly influence students’ final merit values. These changes are scheduled to take effect on 1 July 2028, with adult education following in 2031.
A Ten-Point Scale Without a Hard Pass Limit
The upcoming reform replaces the current grading scale with a new ten-step system ranging from 1 to 10. Unlike the current system, there will be no sharp, binary boundary for a passing grade. To ensure consistency and fairness, teachers will be required to hold assessment consultations before finalizing grades, and school providers must submit grading data to a central government authority.
Centralized National Final Exams to Combat Grade Inflation
To address the growing issue of grade inflation, mandatory national final exams will be introduced across compulsory schools, special schools, upper secondary schools, and municipal adult education at the upper secondary level. These exams are intended to be graded centrally to guarantee an objective evaluation of every student’s academic performance.
A New Way to Calculate Merit Values
Under the new model, a student’s merit value for higher education applications will no longer rely solely on course grades. Instead, the merit value will be a combined score consisting of both the student’s course grades and their results from the national final exams.
Implementation Timeline
The major amendments to the Education Act are set to enter into force on 1 July 2028. However, to allow sufficient preparation time, the changes for municipal adult education will not take effect until 1 January 2031.
Who is affected?
Individuals and Businesses
- Students in compulsory, special, and upper secondary schools will experience a completely new ten-point grading scale and must sit centrally assessed national final exams that impact their final merit values.
- Teachers and School Staff will need to adapt to the new grading criteria, participate in mandatory assessment consultations, and prepare students for the new national final exams.
- School Providers will be legally required to report grading data to government authorities and manage the administration of the new exam system.