Find your child's grade around the world from a date of birth
Year, Grade and K1 cover different ages depending on the country. Enter your child's date of birth to see the grade in each country and system at once.
Even at the same age, the UK 'Year', the US 'Grade' and Singapore's 'K1' cover different grades. Because the academic year starts in different months (April, September, January and so on) and cut-off dates vary by country, grades cannot be converted with simple arithmetic.
Enter your child's date of birth and this tool shows the 'current academic year' and the 'next academic year' grade for eight school systems including Japan. Use it as a guide for the grade at the time of transfer or application, according to the system of your target school.
Academic year and cut-off dates by country
A summary of the month each system's academic year starts, the cut-off date that divides grades, and how the grades are named.
| System (country / method) | Academic year starts | Cut-off date | Grade names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | April | April 1 (School Education Act) | Kindergarten (Y1-3) → Elementary 1-6 → Junior High 1-3 → High School 1-3 |
| UK system | September | August 31 (September 1 intake) | Nursery, Reception → Year 1-Year 13 |
| US system | August-September | September 1 as representative (Aug 1-Dec 31 by state) | PK3, PK4, Kindergarten → Grade 1-Grade 12 |
| IB school | August-September | Based on the US system (equivalent to September 1) | PYP → MYP 1-MYP 5 → DP 1-DP 2 |
| Singapore system | January | January 1 (calendar year) | N1, N2, K1, K2 → Primary 1-6 → Secondary 1-4 → JC 1-2 |
| Canada | September | December 31 (calendar year / ON & BC) | JK, SK → Grade 1-Grade 12 (Quebec not covered) |
| Australia | Late January-February | By state (NSW 7/31, VIC 4/30, etc.) | Kindergarten / Prep / Reception / Pre-primary, etc. → Year 1-Year 12 |
| New Zealand | February | Rolling entry from the 5th birthday (approximate) | Year 0, Year 1 → Year 13 |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Yes. This tool calculates using the 'calendar-year (December 31) cut-off' common in provinces such as Ontario and British Columbia as the representative value. Quebec uses a September 30 cut-off and its own system, so it is not covered by this tool.
Because each state in Australia has an independent education system, the name of the first year differs: Kindergarten (NSW, ACT), Prep (VIC, QLD, TAS), Reception (SA), Pre-primary (WA) and Transition (NT). Cut-off dates also differ by state, so this tool asks you to select a state.
No. The result is a guide based on the date of birth and each country's typical cut-off. The actual grade can move up or down depending on the child's English proficiency and level, and on each school's admission review and discretion. In particular, international schools sometimes admit a child one grade lower to account for English proficiency.
As a rule, count by the 'next academic year' of the system the target school uses. This tool shows both the 'current academic year' and the 'next academic year' for each method, so check them against the timing of application and entry. Confirm the final grade in the target school's admissions guidelines.
Because many IB schools adopt grade divisions based on the US system (September 1 cut-off). This tool converts US grades into PYP (kindergarten to elementary equivalent), MYP 1-5 (junior high to first half of high school equivalent) and DP 1-2 (second half of high school equivalent).
In many cases, yes. Japan's cut-off is April 1, the UK and US use September 1, and Singapore uses January 1, so a child who is 'early-born' in Japan may correspond to one grade higher under overseas systems. This tool lets you compare grades across countries side by side.
Consult about grade and transfer for your target school
The grade and transfer timing for international and boarding schools depend on your child's English proficiency and the school's policy. Our specialist counselors provide individual guidance.
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