How to convert grades between countries
Studying abroad, applying to a foreign university or filling in a scholarship form often means turning your grades into another country's scale. There are two common methods:
- Linear conversion: keep the same position on the scale. A 15 out of 20 is 75% of the way up, so it becomes 75 on a 0–100 scale. Simple, but unfair when the pass marks differ.
- Pass-mark aligned conversion: map the passing range of one scale onto the passing range of the other, and the failing range onto the failing range. A bare pass stays a bare pass and a top grade stays a top grade. This is the method most universities use for rough equivalences.
Example · UK 65% to the US scale
In the UK a university module passes at 40%, in the US at 60%. Linear: 65 stays 65, a D. Aligned with the pass mark: 60 + (65 − 40) × (100 − 60) / (100 − 40) = 60 + 25 × 0.667 = 76.7, a C, which better reflects a solid UK 2:2/2:1 borderline mark.
Common grading scales
| Country | Scale | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 0–100 % · GPA 0–4 | 60 % · 1.0 |
| United Kingdom (university) | 0–100 % | 40 % |
| Canada, Australia, South Africa | 0–100 % | 50 % |
| India, Nigeria | 0–100 % | 40 % |
| Philippines | 0–100 % | 75 % |
| France, Portugal | 0–20 | 10 |
| Italy (university) | out of 30 | 18 |
| Netherlands | 1–10 | 5.5 |
| Spain, Brazil | 0–10 | 5 |
| Mexico · Argentina · Chile · Colombia · Peru | 0–10 · 1–10 · 1–7 · 0–5 · 0–20 | 6 · 4 · 4 · 3 · 11 |
Each scale can be edited (minimum, maximum and pass mark) if your school uses a different one.
Frequently asked questions
Is this an official conversion?
No. It gives you a reasonable estimate for applications that ask for an approximate equivalent. When an official conversion is required (credential evaluation, degree recognition), the receiving institution or an agency such as WES does it with its own tables.
Can I convert a percentage to GPA?
Choose «Percentage → GPA» in the popular conversions. It gives a continuous value; many US schools instead convert letter by letter (A = 4, B = 3…), which you can average with the grade calculator.
What about the German scale?
Germany grades from 1.0 (best) to 5.0, with 4.0 as the pass mark, so it runs backwards. Universities use the «modified Bavarian formula» for it, which this tool does not apply.