Mapping grades from other systems onto the 4.0 scale — and how much to trust the result
Grading systems differ not just in scale but in how they distribute marks. UK marking clusters almost everything between 50 and 75, so a 72 is outstanding. German marks run inverted, 1.0 best to 5.0 fail, with 1.0 rare. Indian universities vary between percentage, 10-point CGPA and division systems, sometimes within one institution. A single linear formula cannot respect all of that, which is why two credible services can read the same transcript differently by two or three tenths.
Indicative only — use your own institution's scale where one exists.
| UK mark | Classification | Approx. US GPA |
|---|---|---|
| 70+ | First class | 3.7–4.0 |
| 60–69 | Upper second (2:1) | 3.3–3.6 |
| 50–59 | Lower second (2:2) | 2.7–3.2 |
| 40–49 | Third | 2.0–2.6 |
| Percentage | Letter | Approx. 4.0 GPA |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | A | 3.8–4.0 |
| 85–89 | A− | 3.5–3.7 |
| 80–84 | B+ | 3.2–3.4 |
| 75–79 | B | 2.8–3.1 |
| 70–74 | B− | 2.5–2.7 |
| 60–69 | C/D | 1.5–2.4 |
Chinese institutions commonly publish an official GPA using either a standard 4.0 conversion or the Peking University / WES-style scale, and the results differ by up to 0.3. If your transcript carries an official figure, that figure is what to submit. The percentage-to-GPA page works through the arithmetic in more detail.
| System | Grade | Approx. 4.0 GPA |
|---|---|---|
| Germany (1.0–5.0, lower is better) | 1.0–1.5 | 3.8–4.0 |
| 1.6–2.5 | 3.2–3.7 | |
| 2.6–3.5 | 2.5–3.1 | |
| India (10-point CGPA) | 9.0–10.0 | 3.8–4.0 |
| 8.0–8.9 | 3.4–3.7 | |
| 7.0–7.9 | 3.0–3.3 | |
| Australia (HD/D/C/P) | High Distinction | 3.8–4.0 |
| Distinction | 3.4–3.7 | |
| Credit | 2.9–3.3 |
The calculator handles the weighted average once you have mapped each grade — enter the converted grade points and your local credits.
Many US programmes require an evaluation from a NACES-member service — WES, ECE and SpanTran are the common ones. Their reports carry a course-by-course GPA that the institution treats as authoritative. Two practical notes: their conversions are often slightly more conservative than optimistic self-calculations, and processing takes weeks, so order early if a programme requires one. Where a programme does not require it, paying for one rarely helps.
For what those converted numbers need to reach, see graduate school GPA requirements.
Map each grade to its 4.0-scale equivalent using your institution's published scale, then take the credit-weighted average. There is no single official conversion, so treat any result as an estimate and always submit the original transcript alongside it.
Roughly, yes — a 2:1 is commonly read as about 3.3–3.6 and a first as 3.7–4.0. The mapping is approximate because UK marking compresses the top of the range: a 70 is an excellent mark, not a C.
Around 3.5–3.7 under most conversion tables, though results differ by method. Chinese universities often issue their own official GPA on a 4.0 or 5.0 scale, and if yours does, use that figure rather than converting yourself.
Usually not as the official figure. Admissions offices either convert internally or require a credential evaluation service such as WES or ECE. Your calculation is useful for self-assessment and for filling in application forms that demand a number.
Often more than a converted GPA. Percentile or rank within your cohort transfers across grading systems without needing interpretation, so include it whenever your institution provides it.