The Swiss scale: 6 is best
Swiss schools grade from 6 (excellent) to 1 (very poor), with 4 as the pass mark. Reference letters are read on the same scale. This is the reverse of Germany, where 1 is the best grade — a common source of confusion for expats who have worked in both countries or who read German-language advice online.
The grade is never written down. It is derived from the wording of the performance and conduct sections, above all from the so-called satisfaction formula.
The satisfaction formula and its grades
The central sentence of the performance section usually says how satisfied the employer was with your work. Recruiters read it roughly as follows:
- «stets zur vollsten Zufriedenheit» (always to our fullest satisfaction) — about 6, excellent.
- «stets zur vollen Zufriedenheit» (always to our full satisfaction) — about 5, good.
- «zur vollen Zufriedenheit» (to our full satisfaction) — about 4.5, solid average.
- «zu unserer Zufriedenheit» (to our satisfaction) — about 4, adequate.
- «im Wesentlichen zu unserer Zufriedenheit» (essentially to our satisfaction) — about 3.5, below expectations.
- «im Allgemeinen zu unserer Zufriedenheit» (generally to our satisfaction) — about 3, insufficient.
Small words, big difference
Two features move the grade more than anything else. The first is the time adverb: «stets», «jederzeit» or «immer» (always, at all times) indicate consistency. Without it, the same sentence drops by roughly half a grade or more. The second is the superlative «vollsten». It is grammatically questionable — «voll» (full) cannot really be increased — but in references it is the conventional marker of the top grade.
Other phrases signal low grades indirectly. «Er war stets bemüht» (he always made an effort) is one of the best-known: it praises effort and stays silent on results. Recruiters read it as well below average.
Conduct has its own grade
Performance is only half of the picture. Your conduct towards superiors, colleagues and clients is assessed separately. «Ihr Verhalten gegenüber Vorgesetzten, Kollegen und Kunden war stets einwandfrei» (always impeccable) corresponds to a good grade. «Korrekt» without any intensifier is cooler, and a letter that mentions colleagues but not superiors invites the question why.
The overall impression combines both parts, the description of your role and the closing formula. A strong performance section with a weak conduct section, or vice versa, is read as a mixed message.
Half grades and mixed signals
Real letters rarely sit neatly on one level. Half grades such as 5.5 or 4.5 are common, for example when the top formula is used for some aspects but not others, or when strong performance wording is paired with a lukewarm closing. That is why it is worth reading the letter as a whole rather than looking only for the satisfaction formula.
It also explains why two experienced readers may disagree by half a grade. The convention is widespread but not a statutory system, and some employers — especially international companies — write without knowing it at all.
What the grade means for you legally
Art. 330a OR requires a reference that is truthful and benevolent. It does not give you a right to a particular grade. If your performance was genuinely good, however, a letter that signals «adequate» is not truthful, and you can ask for a correction. In a dispute, you would generally need to show the facts that support a better assessment — for example appraisals, bonus letters or written praise.
Before asking for changes, it helps to know where your letter actually stands. A clear picture of the current grade, with the sentences that pull it down, makes the conversation with HR much more concrete.