Are you a brand new student at the University of Groningen? Now, on top of that are you also an international student? Well, as an international student myself, I know firsthand how confusing the Dutch academic system can seem at first—trust me, I’ve been there! Between the Dutch grading and the block system, it is easy to feel a bit overwhelmed. But don’t worry, I’ll break these down for you today, so you will hit the ground running!

Grading system

When you begin your studies in the Netherlands, you’ll likely encounter various differences from your home country, including climate, lifestyle, traffic, food, clothing, and religion. The grading system may also be unfamiliar and differ from what you're used to, and it’s important to set your expectations regarding your grades accordingly. 

The Dutch grading system operates on a 10-point scale, where 10 is the highest possible grade and 6 (depending on the course, it can also be less than that) is the minimum passing mark. This system is known for its strictness, as scores above 8 are rarely awarded. Unlike many countries where students scoring more than 90% is quite common, Dutch students often see a grade of 7 as a solid achievement. A grade of 8 or above is seen as a sign of an excellent student, and a score of 9 or above is for extraordinary students. A grade of 10, although achieved in rare cases, is often considered impossible by many students. But don’t let this bother you, since on the other side of the spectrum, a grade between 1-3 is rarely awarded.  So, essentially, the majority of students with a successful university career will see grades between 6 and 8.

Block system

Unlike many universities around the world where the academic year consists of 2 semesters, in which students take two different sets of courses, the Dutch system is a little different. At the University of Groningen, the academic year is structured into four blocks, each comprising 7 to 8 weeks of lectures followed by 3 to 5 weeks of exams. After the lecture period of blocks 1A to 2A (first 3 blocks), there are three weeks of exams, while block 2B (4th block) includes a five-week exam period, covering resits in mid-July. The first two blocks constitute the “winter semester”, and blocks 3 and 4 make up the “summer semester” (although most of the blocks are winter-y, given the Dutch weather :P).

This means that each semester consists of 6 courses that the student will undertake (3 per block), totalling to 12 courses in the duration of an academic year.

Resits

If you miss or don’t pass an exam or an assignment, you are often entitled to a resit– that is, a final opportunity to retake the exam or assignment. These take place during the exam period, starting from the exam period of block 1B, which is 3 weeks long, for any resits for courses from block 1A, and this goes on until the exam period of block 2B, which is 5 weeks long and covers the resits for both block 2A and block 2B. Note that this is a very general explanation, and for specific details such as resit eligibility and dates it’s best to check your study programme since these details can vary. 

With that in mind, here’s what an academic year generally looks like:

Semester I:

Block IA: 7-8 weeks of classes followed by 2 weeks of an exam period (since there are no resits in this period) 

Block IB: 7-8 weeks of classes followed by 3 weeks of an exam period (resits of courses from block IA take place here)

Semester II:

Block IIA: 7-8 weeks of classes followed by 3 weeks of an exam period (resits of courses from block IB take place here)

Block IIB:  7-8 weeks of classes followed by 5 weeks of an exam period (resits of courses from block IIA and IIB take place here)

And there you have it—a quick rundown of the Dutch grading and the block system! While things may seem complicated at first, you’ll soon get the hang of it, and before you know it, you’ll be sailing through your courses like a pro. 

Good luck!