19 out of 20 - Numberphile

TL;DR

The French education system uses a grading scale out of 20, with 19 being the highest score due to the belief that perfection is unattainable.

Transcript

PAUL SMITH: Well, I've got one other very big difference that you find, and it's something that being in education as a university lecturer I'm very aware of, and, of course, working with the French and working in the English system, and that's the way that the French mark work. Here at the University of Nottingham, we use a system of marking out o... Read More

Key Insights

• 😒 French education uses a grading system out of 20, with 19 being the highest achievable score.
• 💯 Perfection is deemed unattainable in the French education system, hence the absence of a perfect 20 score.
• 🧡 Even if a student answers all questions correctly, their score is scaled down to fit within the 1 to 19 range.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why does the French education system use a grading scale out of 20?

The grading system out of 20 in France is believed to have historical origins in the medieval period when people counted using 20 as a base number.

Q: Is it possible to get a perfect score of 20 out of 20 in the French education system?

No, achieving a perfect 20 out of 20 is considered impossible in France, as there is always room for improvement and no work is deemed flawless.

Q: How is a student's score adjusted if they answer all questions correctly in the French grading system?

If a student answers all questions correctly, the score is scaled down to fit within the 1 to 19 range, with 19 being the highest achievable score.

Q: What is the significance of scoring 19 out of 20 in the French education system?

Scoring 19 out of 20 in the French grading system is seen as exceptional and near perfection, as it reflects the belief that perfection is unattainable.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In France, the grading system is out of 20, with 10 considered average, 12 satisfactory, 14 above average, 16 exceptional, and 18 outstanding.

• Getting a perfect 20 is impossible as there is always something that can be improved, reflecting the belief that perfection is unattainable.

• Even if a student answered all questions correctly, the score would still be scaled down to fit within the 1 to 19 range.