“Albert Einstein performed poorly in mathematics during his years as a student.”

“"Before I was fifteen I had mastered differential and integral calculus." In primary school, he was at the top of his class and "far above the school requirements" in math. By age 12, his sister recalled, "he already had a predilection for solving complicated problems in applied arithmetic."”

“In September 1896, he passed the Swiss Matura with mostly good grades, including a top grade of 6 in physics and mathematical subjects, on a scale of 1-6. This puts to rest that urban legend that Einstein was a “bad student”, although he received a three in French. He did, apparently, receive straight sixes in algebra, geometry, physics, and – history!”

“He claimed that he only made real progress at age thirteen, "after I had fallen in love with Mozart's sonatas." Einstein first attended school at age seven.”

“The common rumor that he failed a math test way back in fourth grade is simply untrue. The trouble he did have came when he took the entrance exams for the illustrious Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich, Switzerland. When all is said and done, then, it's clear that Einstein wasn't the unsuccessful student many have painted him to be. His reputation for ineptitude in math is definitely undeserved.”

“Albert Einstein did not flunk math. He did very well in school and received his PhD from the University of Zurich. There is no record of Einstein flunking or ever getting low marks in math. Albert Einstein was an all-around good student with exceptional grades in math and science, according to the biography written by Albrecht Folsing. The statement that Einstein was a poor student is pure myth.”

“With 1 as the highest grade and 6 the lowest, the principal reported, Einstein’s marks in Greek, Latin and mathematics oscillated between 1 and 2 until, toward the end, he invariably scored 1 in math. In Einstein’s first semester at Aarau... mathematics, 1; physics, 1–2. (The range is 1 to 6, with 1 being the highest.) ...Einstein’s final grades were excellent in math and physics.”

“In primary school, he was at the top of his class and "far above the school requirements" in math. By age 12, his sister recalled, "he already had a predilection for solving complicated problems in applied arithmetic." In 1895, he sat the entrance examinations to get into the prestigious Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich, Switzerland. He was 16, two years younger than his fellow applicants. He did outstandingly well in physics and mathematics, but failed the non-science subjects.”

“The myth that Einstein failed math originates from a misunderstanding of the Swiss grading system (where 6 is the highest grade) and Ripley's Believe It or Not column in 1935, which Einstein himself directly refuted by stating he had mastered calculus by age 15. Primary historical records, including his Aarau Cantonal School matriculation certificate from 1896, show top marks (6/6) in algebra, geometry, physics, and descriptive geometry.”

“There's a bit of a myth that goes around that Einstein was really bad at math and failed that at school but from having a look at his grades we will see that Einstein was actually a pretty good student... algebra, he's got a 6 there, geometry including trigonometry and analytic geometry, a 6 as well the highest score, descriptive geometry, physics, again a 6. So he looks like a pretty good student here at those subjects.”

“Einstein started school when he was six years old. His teachers noted that he got good grades but didn't feel he was a particularly talented student.”