If you are asking which tanks can earn Marks of Excellence in World of Tanks, the short answer is clear: Marks of Excellence are available on Tier V to Tier X vehicles. If a tank sits below Tier V, it is outside the standard Marks of Excellence system.

That is the most important thing to understand first, but it is not the whole story. Many players also misunderstand how marks are calculated, what performance actually counts, and whether marks can disappear later. This guide focuses on those practical points so the system feels less mysterious.

How Marks of Excellence Work

Marks of Excellence are performance marks displayed on the gun barrel of eligible vehicles. They are earned per specific tank, not per nation or class as a whole. That means every vehicle has its own standard, and progress in one tank does not automatically transfer to another.

The system compares your results in that vehicle against the results of other players using the same vehicle. This is why a mark on one tank may feel much easier or much harder than a mark on another, even inside the same class or tier.

What Performance Actually Counts

Marks are based on combined performance, not just raw damage. In practical terms, the calculation includes:

• damage you deal yourself,
• assisted damage through spotting or immobilizing enemies,
• and, for SPGs, relevant assisted contribution such as stun-related impact.

This is one reason light tanks and artillery can still progress toward marks even when their role is not built around simple direct damage farming.

What the Three Mark Levels Mean

The three mark levels correspond to how your recent results compare with other players in the same vehicle:

• First Mark: your combined performance is higher than that of 65% of players in the same vehicle.
• Second Mark: your combined performance is higher than that of 85% of players in the same vehicle.
• Third Mark: your combined performance is higher than that of 95% of players in the same vehicle.

Put another way, those thresholds correspond to being in roughly the top 35%, 15%, and 5% of players in that tank.

How Recent Battles Affect Progress

The official support explanation makes an important point here: the system does not simply look at your entire lifetime in the tank. It evaluates a recent battle series, comparing that recent performance against players in the same vehicle over the last 14 days.

That is why mark progress can move in both directions while you are grinding. Strong recent games help. Weak recent games pull the percentage down. The system is designed to reflect current performance rather than one old stretch of good results.

Can Marks Be Removed Later?

No. Once you earn a Mark of Excellence on a vehicle, it is permanently credited to that vehicle. It is not removed later just because your recent percentage drops while you chase the next mark.

This point matters because many players confuse progress toward the next mark with the marks they already own. The displayed ratio can move up and down, but marks already awarded stay on the vehicle.

What This Means for Different Tiers

From a practical perspective:

• Tier V and VI are often where players first engage seriously with the system.
• Tier VII and VIII can feel more competitive because vehicle familiarity and player skill rise.
• Tier IX and X often demand the cleanest consistency, especially on popular or high-impact vehicles.

The important point is not that one tier is always “easy” and another always “hard.” It is that the benchmark is vehicle-specific and player-base-specific.

Common Misunderstandings

• “Marks are just about direct damage.” Not true. Assisted impact matters too.
• “One huge game should be enough.” Not how the system works. It rewards sustained performance.
• “If my percentage drops, I lose the mark.” Already-earned marks stay on the vehicle.
• “Any tier can be marked.” The standard system applies to Tier V–X vehicles.

How to Approach Your First Mark More Realistically

If you are new to the system, the best approach is to pick one tank you play comfortably, learn what counts as useful influence in that class, and build consistency instead of forcing miracle games. Marks tend to come faster when your average impact becomes stable rather than overly streaky.

That usually means surviving long enough to matter, understanding your class role, and reducing low-value deaths and low-impact games more than chasing one dramatic result.

Final Takeaway

In World of Tanks, Marks of Excellence are available on Tier V to Tier X vehicles. They are awarded per specific tank and are based on your recent combined damage and assistance compared with other players in the same vehicle. Once earned, the marks remain on that tank permanently.

If you want a smoother path toward them, our related guides on improving win rate, armor angling, and beginner-friendly lines are the best next steps.