It all depends on the grading system used. If the grading is from 1 to 100 and the passing grade is 50, then any number below 50 is a "fail". But, there are many other grading systems used all over the world. Some places use letters, such as A, B, C, D, F. In France they use 1 to 20. 20 being the highest grade one can get. Some places in US use 1 to 4 or 5 grading systems, 4 or 5 being the highest score.......and so on.