Conversion tables, the per-course rule, and what to report when your school issues no GPA
Two tables cover most cases. The first is the standard US mapping with plus/minus grades:
| Percentage | Letter | 4.0 scale |
|---|---|---|
| 93–100 | A | 4.0 |
| 90–92 | A− | 3.7 |
| 87–89 | B+ | 3.3 |
| 83–86 | B | 3.0 |
| 80–82 | B− | 2.7 |
| 77–79 | C+ | 2.3 |
| 73–76 | C | 2.0 |
| 70–72 | C− | 1.7 |
| 67–69 | D+ | 1.3 |
| 63–66 | D | 1.0 |
| 60–62 | D− | 0.7 |
| Below 60 | F | 0.0 |
The second is the block table used where courses are not graded with plus/minus, and by many institutions outside the US:
| Percentage | Letter | 4.0 scale | Also seen as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | A | 4.0 | Excellent / distinction |
| 85–89 | A− / B+ | 3.7 | Very good |
| 80–84 | B | 3.0 | Good |
| 75–79 | B− / C+ | 2.7 | Above average |
| 70–74 | C | 2.0 | Average / pass |
| 60–69 | D | 1.0 | Marginal pass |
| Below 60 | F | 0.0 | Fail |
Neither table is authoritative for your transcript. They differ from each other at almost every boundary, which should be read as a warning rather than a nuisance: the number you get depends on the table you pick, so pick the one your institution actually publishes.
Percentages live on a continuous line; grade points live in discrete steps. Averaging first destroys the information about which side of each step your courses fell on. Two students averaging 86 can hold very different GPAs — one with every course at 86, another with half at 93 and half at 79.
Four courses, four credits each, using the plus/minus table:
| Course | Percentage | Letter | Grade points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course 1 | 93 | A | 4.0 |
| Course 2 | 92 | A− | 3.7 |
| Course 3 | 79 | C+ | 2.3 |
| Course 4 | 80 | B− | 2.7 |
Converting per course: (4.0 + 3.7 + 2.3 + 2.7) ÷ 4 = 3.18. Converting the average instead: the four percentages average to 86, which the table calls a B, giving 3.0. Same transcript, 0.18 apart — and the shortcut method happens to be the pessimistic one here. Reverse the grade spread and it flatters you instead. Neither direction is predictable, which is why the shortcut is unusable rather than merely imprecise.
Some institutions publish a formula rather than a table. The most common is grade points = (percentage − 50) ÷ 10 for scores at or above 60, which puts 90 at 4.0, 80 at 3.0 and 60 at 1.0. Others use a piecewise version that flattens at the top.
Use a formula only if your school specifies one. Applying a formula where a table is official, or the reverse, produces a number that will not match your official record — and your official record is what applications are checked against.
If your transcript carries no GPA, do not manufacture one. Report the percentage average with its scale, for example 86 / 100, and where the form allows a note, state that your institution does not issue a GPA. Graduate programmes handle this constantly and most recalculate to their own standard regardless of what you supply. If a specific GPA is mandatory, a credential evaluation service produces a defensible figure and a paper trail behind it.
No — not accurately. Converting one overall average produces a different answer than converting each course and weighting by credits, and the gap is routinely 0.1 to 0.3. Convert per course, then average.
On the common US table an 85 is a B, which is 3.0 grade points. On a 10-point block scale it is also a B. On many Chinese 4.0 tables an 85 sits at 3.7. This spread is exactly why you need your own school's table.
There is no single official formula. Some institutions publish a linear formula such as (score − 50) ÷ 10 for scores of 60 and above, but a lookup table is far more common. Use whichever your registrar publishes.
Report the percentage average and the scale, and let the receiving institution convert it. Many will also accept a WES or comparable credential evaluation. Never invent a GPA and present it as official.