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Grade abroad

What grade would my child be in abroad?

Pick a birth date and a country. Computed from each country's law or education ministry, 25 countries.

Birth dateExample
Country
As of
Arrival day

Example

Grade 4

CaliforniaSept 2027

  • Varies by state — California rule (NCES 2020)
  • check with the district

The school building · 8 rooms to go

Up to Grade 12, the top room of the United States school.

United States schoolNew year in September · 8 to go

High school4 rooms

Middle school3 rooms

Elementary school6 rooms

Pre-kindergartenno year groups

Pre-K

The die only ever rolls a one: exactly one room a year.
Next room: Grade 5, on 1 Sept 2028.

Tap a room to see how old your child is in that year.

View as a table
And in other countries?The same day on a school map of 25 countries

We are now approaching the United States. Passengers, please disembark as Grade 4.

School-year boarding pass

FROM—
TOUSAGrade 4
DATE2027.09
NAMEExample

The grade set by age. Schools and districts make the actual placement.

California
one year group = birthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)
School year starts
1 Sept convention
Next
Sept 2028 → Grade 5

Kindergarten attendance is not required in every state (table column 'State requires kindergarten attendance').

Only know the age?

Pick an age. The cut-off splits each age into two possible grades.

Grade 10 or Grade 11

  • Grade 10 — birthday 2 Sept–10 Nov
  • Grade 11 — birthday 11 Nov–1 Sept

How it's calculated

Every country uses the same arithmetic. First, the year the child starts that country's first level (US K, England Reception, Japan 小1 …): birth year + the country's entry age, plus one if the birthday falls after the cut-off.

Then the school year that contains the chosen date (1 Sept in England, 1 March in Korea, 1 April in Japan …) and the difference between the two years is how far up the ladder the child is. Below the ladder means not in school yet; above it, past the last named year.

Within 62 days of the next school-year start the coming grade leads (summer arrivals). In the US the chosen state's date is used; where the district decides, the table's most common date (1 Sept).

Cut-off dates by country

25 countries · cut-off and school-year start
CountryFirst levelOne year group = birthdaysSchool year starts
Australia · New South WalesKindergartenone year group = birthdays 1 Aug – 31 July (next year)28 Jan official calendar
AustriaVolksschule 1. Klasseone year group = birthdays 1 Sept – 31 Aug (next year)1 Sept official calendar
Belgium · Flemish Community (Vlaanderen)1ste leerjaarone year group = birthdays 1 Jan – 31 Dec1 Sept law
Canada · OntarioJunior Kindergartenone year group = birthdays 1 Jan – 31 Dec1 Sept law
China · Shanghai一年级one year group = birthdays 1 Sept – 31 Aug (next year)1 Sept official calendar
Finland1. luokkaone year group = birthdays 1 Jan – 31 Dec1 Aug law
FranceCPone year group = birthdays 1 Jan – 31 Dec1 Sept convention
Germany · BerlinKlasse 1one year group = birthdays 1 Oct – 30 Sept (next year)1 Aug official calendar
Hong KongP1one year group = birthdays 1 Jan – 31 Dec1 Sept official calendar
India · Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (central government schools, Ministry of Education)Class Ione year group = birthdays 2 Apr – 1 Apr (next year)1 Apr convention partly convention
Italy1ª primariaone year group = birthdays 1 Jan – 31 Dec1 Sept law
Japan小1one year group = birthdays 2 Apr – 1 Apr (next year)1 Apr law
MalaysiaTahun 1one year group = birthdays 2 Jan – 1 Jan (next year)4 Jan official calendar partly convention
New ZealandYear 1one year group = birthdays 2 July – 1 July (next year)26 Jan official calendar
Portugal1.º anoone year group = birthdays 16 Sept – 15 Sept (next year)1 Sept official calendar
SingaporePrimary 1one year group = birthdays 2 Jan – 1 Jan (next year)4 Jan official calendar partly convention
South Korea초1one year group = birthdays 1 Jan – 31 Dec1 Mar law
Spain1º Primariaone year group = birthdays 1 Jan – 31 Dec1 Sept official calendar
SwedenÅrskurs 1one year group = birthdays 1 Jan – 31 Dec1 Aug law
Switzerland · ZürichKindergarten 1. Jahrone year group = birthdays 1 Aug – 31 July (next year)1 Aug convention partly convention
Taiwan · Taipei City國小一年級one year group = birthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)1 Aug law
United Arab EmiratesGrade 1one year group = birthdays 1 Jan – 31 Dec31 Aug official calendar
United Kingdom (England) · EnglandReceptionone year group = birthdays 1 Sept – 31 Aug (next year)1 Sept convention
United States · CaliforniaKone year group = birthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)1 Sept convention
VietnamLớp 1one year group = birthdays 1 Jan – 31 Dec5 Sept convention partly convention

US kindergarten cut-off by state

50 states + D.C. · NCES 2020
StateCut-offNCES wording
Alabamabirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
Alaskabirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
Arizonabirthdays 1 Sept – 31 Aug (next year)5 on or before 8/31
Arkansasbirthdays 2 Aug – 1 Aug (next year)5 on or before 8/1
Californiabirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
Coloradobirthdays 2 Oct – 1 Oct (next year)5 on or before 10/1
Connecticutbirthdays 2 Jan – 1 Jan (next year)5 on or before 1/1
Delawarebirthdays 1 Sept – 31 Aug (next year)5 on or before 8/31
District of Columbiabirthdays 1 Oct – 30 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/30
Floridabirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
Georgiabirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 by 9/1
Hawaiibirthdays 1 Aug – 31 July (next year)5 on or before 7/31
Idahobirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
Illinoisbirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
Indianabirthdays 2 Aug – 1 Aug (next year)5 on or before 8/1
Iowabirthdays 16 Sept – 15 Sept (next year)5 by 9/15
Kansasbirthdays 1 Sept – 31 Aug (next year)5 on or before 8/31
Kentuckybirthdays 1 Aug – 31 July (next year)5 on or before 7/31
Louisianabirthdays 1 Oct – 30 Sept (next year)5 by 9/30
Mainebirthdays 16 Oct – 15 Oct (next year)5 on or before 10/15
Marylandbirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 by 9/1
Massachusettsdistrict decidesEach district may establish its own minimum permissible age for school attendance
Michiganbirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 by 9/1
Minnesotabirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
Mississippibirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
Missouribirthdays 1 Aug – 31 July (next year)5 on or before 7/31
Montanabirthdays 11 Sept – 10 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/10
Nebraskabirthdays 1 Oct – 30 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/30
Nevadabirthdays 1 Oct – 30 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/30
New Hampshiredistrict decidesNot specified in statute or regulation
New Jerseydistrict decidesLocal education agency (LEA) option
New Mexicobirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
New Yorkdistrict decidesLEA option
North Carolinabirthdays 1 Sept – 31 Aug (next year)5 on or before 8/31
North Dakotabirthdays 1 Aug – 31 July (next year)5 on or before 7/31
Ohiodistrict decidesLEA option
Oklahomabirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
Oregonbirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
Pennsylvaniadistrict decidesLEA option
Rhode Islandbirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
South Carolinabirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
South Dakotabirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
Tennesseebirthdays 16 Aug – 15 Aug (next year)5 on or before 8/15
Texasbirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
Utahbirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
Vermontdistrict decides5
Virginiabirthdays 1 Oct – 30 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/30
Washingtonbirthdays 1 Sept – 31 Aug (next year)5 on or before 8/31
West Virginiabirthdays 1 Sept – 31 Aug (next year)5 on or before 8/31
Wisconsinbirthdays 2 Sept – 1 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/1
Wyomingbirthdays 16 Sept – 15 Sept (next year)5 on or before 9/15

Sources by country

Publisher · title · checked

Please note

Not a placement decision. It is the grade set by age under law and official rules; the school or district decides the actual year from records, schooling and language.

US state dates are from the NCES 2020 table, the newest one. A state may have changed since, so every state answer says 'check with the district'.

Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, China, Taiwan, India and Belgium are shown for one representative region. Rules vary by region.

The birth date never leaves this browser: not in the URL, not in storage, not in analytics.

FAQ

Why is my child two years ahead in England?

Nobody skips a year: the counting starts at a different place. England starts school with Reception in the September after the 4th birthday; Korea starts with Grade 1 (초1) in the March after the year the child turns 6. Children born in the same year sit in the same school year, with names two steps apart.

Why does every US state differ? My state says the district decides.

Each state sets its kindergarten entrance date. 1 September is the most common, but they run from 31 July (Hawaii) to 1 January (Connecticut). In Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Vermont the district decides; the tool then uses 1 September and says so.

What if the birthday is near the cut-off?

Within 30 days either side of the cut-off the tool adds a note: schools sometimes suggest a year up or down for these children, so ask the school before enrolling. The 30 days are this tool's rule of thumb.

What about international schools?

International schools usually follow their curriculum's year system: British schools use Year, American schools use Grade. Pick that curriculum's country instead of the host country, and check the school's own cut-off.

What grade back in Korea?

Set 'Compare with' to where you live now and the country to Korea. Korea's school year starts on 1 March; Grade 1 starts in the March after the calendar year the child turns 6.

Why does Japan put 1 April birthdays in the older year?

Under Japan's Age Calculation Act a person reaches an age at the end of the day before the birthday, so a child born on 1 April turns 6 on 31 March and starts that April. One year group runs from 2 April to 1 April (House of Representatives answer no. 154).

Is this an official placement?

No. It is the grade set by age, computed from laws and education ministries. The school or district decides the actual year from transfer records, schooling and language.

Sources: NCES 2020 (opens in a new tab) · GOV.UK (opens in a new tab) · law.go.kr (opens in a new tab) · e-Gov (opens in a new tab) · UN M49 (opens in a new tab) · Checked

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