Understanding your TMS result: standard score, percentile rank and grade equivalent
What does a standard score of 110 mean, how is the percentile rank calculated and when is the TMS result available? This page explains how the TMS is scored according to tms-info.org and what is known so far about scoring the TMSnat. Page last updated: 1 October 2026.
The TMS result at a glance
- Standard score (Standardwert / Testwert): a scale with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 10. “As a rule, standard scores fluctuate roughly between 70 and 130.”
- Percentile rank (Prozentrang): states “what percentage of test takers achieved a lower or at most equally good result”.
- Grade equivalent (Notenäquivalent): calculated in addition and, according to tms-info.org, can be “interpreted like an Abitur average grade”.
- Date: Results are available on 30 June (spring TMS) or 20 December (autumn TMS). You retrieve them yourself in your personal account.
- Validity: According to tms-info.org, the result is valid permanently, “like an Abitur certificate”.
How the TMS result is calculated
- Points per task group: The scored and correctly solved tasks are counted; each correct answer gives one point. The maximum is 20 points per task group, 18 points for reading comprehension.
- Filler tasks (Einstreuaufgaben): Up to 6 tasks per task group are part of the test but are not included in the scoring.
- Equating: Because test takers can choose between several test dates, the points are converted so that results from different dates are comparable.
- Standard score: The equated points are converted to the scale with mean 100 and standard deviation 10.
- Percentile rank and grade equivalent: Both are reported in addition to the standard score.
How good is my standard score?
tms-info.org gives this distribution of standard scores:
- About 34 percent of all test takers score between 100 and 110, and just as many between 90 and 100.
- About 48 percent score between 100 and 120, and just as many between 80 and 100.
- Only about 2 percent each score above 120 or below 80.
These values correspond to a normal distribution with mean 100 and standard deviation 10. From this we calculated the following approximation. Your actual percentile rank is stated in your official result.
| Standard score | Approximate percentile rank (our approximation) |
|---|---|
| 70 | 0.1 % |
| 75 | 0.6 % |
| 80 | 2.3 % |
| 85 | 6.7 % |
| 90 | 15.9 % |
| 95 | 30.9 % |
| 100 | 50.0 % |
| 105 | 69.1 % |
| 110 | 84.1 % |
| 115 | 93.3 % |
| 120 | 97.7 % |
| 125 | 99.4 % |
| 130 | 99.9 % |
Example: with a standard score of 110, according to this approximation about 84 percent of test takers have a lower or equally good result. How much a particular score helps your application depends on the university.
What the result means for your application
- Only certain quotas: The test result can be used “exclusively” in the quotas “Auswahlverfahren der Hochschulen” (AdH, university selection procedure), “Zusätzliche Eignungsquote” (ZEQ, additional aptitude quota) and in the Landarztquote (rural doctor quota).
- Weighting per university: The weighting is set by the individual faculties and may differ from university to university.
- No disadvantage from taking part: According to tms-info.org, a result that brings no bonus does not reduce your chances compared with applicants who did not take part.
- Application: For centrally allocated degree programmes, you apply with your Abitur certificate and test result to the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung (hochschulstart.de).
- Retakes: “If you repeat the test, both results are valid – you decide which one to use for your application.”
Retrieving and saving your result
- Not sent by post: The result is not sent out. You have to log into your personal account and retrieve it there.
- Accounts are deleted: According to tms-info.org, all accounts are deleted on 1 October (spring TMS) or 1 April (autumn TMS). So download your result in good time and save it.
- Lost result: You can request a duplicate via tms-info.org.
For the last TMS on 7/8 November 2026 this means, according to this information: the result is available on 20 December, and the account is deleted on 1 April. The notices in your account are authoritative.
And the TMSnat result?
We found no information on how the TMSnat will be scored in the sources we checked. Whether there will again be a standard score, percentile rank and grade equivalent, how points are calculated and when results will be available has not been published. We will update this page as soon as there is official information. You will find the planned structure of the TMSnat on the page TMSnat structure.
Our free simulation only counts correct answers and deliberately does not convert them into standard scores or percentile ranks, because the questions are self-written and not normed.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good standard score in the TMS?
The mean is 100. According to tms-info.org, only about 2 percent score above 120. How much a score helps your application is decided by each university.
What is the difference between standard score and percentile rank?
The standard score places your result on a scale with mean 100 and standard deviation 10. The percentile rank says what percentage of test takers had a lower or equally good result.
When will I get my TMS result?
According to tms-info.org, results are available on 30 June (spring TMS) or 20 December (autumn TMS). You retrieve them in your personal account.
How long is the TMS result valid?
According to tms-info.org, it is valid permanently, like an Abitur certificate.
Can a poor result reduce my chances?
According to tms-info.org, not compared with applicants who did not take part: a result without a bonus does not reduce your chances.
Do all tasks count?
No. Up to 6 tasks per task group are filler tasks that are not included in the scoring.
Sources
- tms-info.org, “Ergebnis und Auswertung”: points, filler tasks, equating, standard score, percentile rank, grade equivalent, distribution, dates, deletion of accounts (German).
- tms-info.org, FAQ: quotas, weighting, chances, application, validity, retakes (German).
- tms-info.org, “Verlorene Testergebnisse”: duplicate (German).
Checked on 1 October 2026. In case of any discrepancy, the information in the sources always applies. This English page is a translation of the German original; the German page is authoritative.