How to use the school year across countries converter
Anyone moving abroad wants to know which grade their child lands in, but no official cross-country grade equivalence table exists. Entry ages, stage lengths and the month the school year starts differ between countries and even between regions of one country. So this converter builds in no table at all: it takes the entry ages and stage lengths of both systems and calculates only within them.
It first derives the reference age for the current grade, adding the grade minus one to the entry age of the current country. Subtracting the target entry age from that and adding one gives the matching grade level, and the elementary, middle and high stage lengths you entered turn it into a stage and year. The result shows the formula actually applied, so you can see which figures went where.
This is an approximation, not a placement decision. Schools weigh birth date, the school year start, prior transcripts and language assessment, so a student can land one grade higher or lower. The converter does not address credit transfer or recognition of a completed diploma.
Frequently asked questions
No official cross-country grade equivalence table exists. Entry ages, the length of each stage and the month the school year starts differ even between regions of one country, so the calculation runs only on the entry ages and stage lengths you enter.
Yes. Schools weigh birth date, when the school year starts, prior transcripts and language assessment alongside age. A large gap between the two school-year start months often moves a student one grade up or down.
Above the sum of the elementary, middle and high stage lengths you entered it reports a stage beyond secondary school, and below 1 it reports a pre-school stage. The formula used and the reference age are still shown.