DU Grading System 2026: Grade Point System, Passing Marks

DU Grading System 2026: Delhi University (DU) has made numerous modifications to its grading scheme in the last few years. The National Education Policy (NEP 2020) has prompted modifications to the new DU grading system, which emphasises the complete educational growth of a student and ongoing assessment. The marking schemes and passing standards were distinctive before 2019.

A student must receive at least 60% aggregate marks or higher overall for the first division in DU and 50% aggregate marks or higher for the second. Further, a 50% aggregate score is the minimum passing percentage in DU. You need to receive at least 45% aggregate marks on each paper to pass and receive a diploma. On the other hand, GR(L) in DU result means grade lecture, which is referred to as theory marks (excluding internal assessment). These terms are mentioned on the second page of a student’s marksheet, which they can check while reviewing their results.
To ensure you are clear on everything, students should thoroughly review and understand the passing marks in the DU undergraduate guidelines. You must make an effort to pass the examinations on the first attempt, without any backlogs. This is because retaking tests in courses that one failed might be problematic for you if trying to gain admission to universities for further education after finishing your academic year at Delhi University (DU) , in addition to wasting valuable time. Read the following article to learn more about DU grading system 2026.

DU Grading System 2026: Important Pointers

The DU grading system 2026 operates under the widely used 'Choice Based Credit System', popularly known as CBCS. To grasp the system's foundation, consider these key points:

• CBCS DU grading prioritizes overall development reflected in actual marks.

• It establishes a transparent identification system to enhance teacher-learner engagement.

• Evaluation encompasses various components such as classroom activities, attendance, internals, semester exams, assignments, and both theory and practical assessments.

• DU employs a 10-point grading system, with 10 points denoting 'Outstanding' (O), while zero represents 'Absent' or 'Fail.

• The first division in DU is 60% aggregate marks, while the second division is 50% aggregate marks.

DU Passing Marks Required

After examining both the DU Grading System 2026 and the DU passing marks, students can explore the promotion criteria for Delhi University:

• To progress from Part 1 to Part 2, students must pass 50% of the papers in semesters I and II for a 'Pass' status.

• To advance from Part 2 to Part 3, passing 50% of papers in Semesters III and IV combined is required.

• For promotion from Part 3 to Part 4, students must qualify for 50% of papers in Semesters V and VI.

• Those who don't meet these criteria will be considered as 'Fail'.

DU Grading System 2026

In the year 2019, the DU authority made some significant changes in the DU grading system and marking pattern. As per the revised DU grading system 2026, the university will mention grades in place of the percentage in the student’s marksheet. These grades will be based on the percentage received by the students and will declare how the students have performed in the exams. However, if you are confused about what GR(L) means in DU result, you can immediately refer to the second page of the marksheet. The students will be allocated respective grades in the range of 0 to 10 and will be provided letter grades that will have significant meanings which are mentioned in the table below:
The grade of the student, whether the first division in DU or the second, will be decided by the university by calculating the marks of the students according to the specific formula used by the university. The grades allocated to the students based on their percentage of marks are mentioned in the table below

Letter Grade: Abbreviations

As depicted in the table, the meaning of particular grades allocated to the student are:

Apart from the changes in DU passing marks, there are many other changes in the marking pattern that the university council has made. Another prominent change that the university has made is regarding the promotion of students to the next year of the course. As per the laid guidelines, the promotion of the student from the first year to the second year is only possible when the student obtains 50% passing marks in all the subjects in both the first semester and the second semester together. The 50% criteria of passing marks for promotion were earlier too.
As per the earlier guidelines, if the student fails to obtain 50% passing marks in the subjects, it does not affect the entire promotion. This is because DU used to declare the student as ‘failed’ only in the part of the specific subjects in which the student has failed. After being promoted to the second year, the student was provided with the option to clear the subjects with backlogs with an extra exam fee, where they would try to advance themselves in the first division at DU.

DU Grading System: Passing Marks Weightage

The allocation of passing marks is determined by the university's guidelines. As per the DU grading system, marks are divided in a 25:75 ratio, with 25% from internal assessment and 75% from semester exam scores, while the first division in DU is set at 60% aggregate marks. The passing percentage for marks in DU is provided below:

DU Passing Marks 2026

The significance of semester exam marks is solely based on the scores achieved in the exam. However, for internal assessments, there are subdivisions of marks. Delhi University follows specific ratios and divisions for different components of the internal assessment marks. Let's check the passing marks in the DU undergraduate below.

Note: To pass a semester, students need to achieve a minimum of 40% in both theory and practicals for all subjects. If a student scores above 40% in theory but zero in practicals, they will be considered unsuccessful in the practical aspect. Therefore, examinees need to attain at least 40% in both theory and practical components.

DU Grade Certificate

As per the grades obtained by students, Delhi University will issue a ‘Grade Certificate’ to all the registered students after every semester. When the result is declared, a consolidated transcript following the DU Grading System 2026 will be issued to the students online once all the semesters are completed. If you are confused about what GR(L) means in DU result, the DU grade certificate or the mark sheet will include its meaning along with various other details such as:

• Paper code

• Title of paper

• Number of credits

• Grade secured

• SGPA of each semester

• CGPA based on all six semesters

In recent years, the students of Delhi University have noticed several changes in the rules of marking patterns of the university. It must be noted that the passing mark will be the same as the 40% as mentioned above, but the only thing that the DU Grading System mentions is grades on the mark sheet for different subjects in a particular semester.
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