GPA Systems Around the World
4 min read · Updated 2026-10-18
A quick comparison
| Country | System | Top grade | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 4.0 GPA | 4.0 (A) | Some schools give 4.33 for an A+ |
| Canada | 4.0 or 4.3 GPA | 4.0 or 4.3 (A+) | U of T uses 4.0; UBC and McGill use 4.3 |
| India | 10-point CGPA | 10 (O) | Percentage formula varies by university |
| United Kingdom | Honours class | First (70%+) | 70% is the top band, not a C |
| Germany | 1.0–5.0, inverted | 1.0 | 4.0 is the lowest pass; 5.0 fails |
| Australia | HD / D / C / P | HD (85%+) | Many universities also report a 7-point GPA |
| Philippines | 1.00–5.00, inverted | 1.00 | 3.00 is the lowest pass |
| Nigeria | 5-point CGPA | 5.00 | First Class is 4.50–5.00 |
| Pakistan | 4.00 CGPA | 4.00 | Percentage = CGPA × 25 at most HEC universities |
| Bangladesh | 4.00 CGPA (university) | 4.00 (A+, 80%+) | SSC and HSC use a 5.00 GPA instead |
| Malaysia | 4.00 CGPA | 4.00 | First Class is 3.67 or above |
| Indonesia | 4.00 IPK | 4.00 | 3.51+ earns Dengan Pujian (cum laude) |
| Vietnam | 10-point scale | 10 | 8.5–10.0 maps to an A (4.0) |
| Nepal | 4.0 GPA | 4.0 (A+, 90%+) | Set by the National Examination Board |
Inverted scales: Germany and the Philippines
In Germany, 1.0 is the best grade, 4.0 is the lowest pass and 5.0 is a fail. A common shorthand for a US equivalent is 5.0 minus the German grade, so a 1.7 is roughly a 3.3.
Going the other way, German universities convert a foreign grade with the Modified Bavarian Formula: German grade = 1 + 3 × (best grade − your grade) ÷ (best grade − lowest pass). A US 3.5, with 4.0 as the best grade and 1.0 as the lowest pass, becomes 1 + 3 × 0.5 ÷ 3.0 = 1.5. The lowest passing grade each university assumes for your system can differ, so check theirs.
Many Philippine universities also invert their scale: 1.00 is the highest grade, 3.00 is the lowest pass and 5.00 is a failure. A 1.00 is roughly a US 4.0 and a 1.50 about 3.7.
Classifications: the UK and Nigeria
UK degrees are classified rather than averaged on a GPA: a First is 70% or more, an Upper Second (2:1) 60–69%, a Lower Second (2:2) 50–59% and a Third 40–49%. UK marking runs lower than US percentages, so a First is roughly a 3.7–4.0 US GPA.
Nigerian universities classify from a 5-point CGPA: First Class 4.50–5.00, Second Class Upper 3.50–4.49, Second Class Lower 2.40–3.49 and Third Class 1.50–2.39. A 4.50 CGPA is roughly a US 4.0.
When a conversion is official
For admission abroad, the receiving institution or a credential evaluator — WES or ECE in North America, uni-assist for many German universities — does the official conversion, usually course by course. Use our conversions to understand where you stand, but keep the original grade and its scale on your application unless the form asks otherwise.
Convert between systems
Use the grade conversion hub for country-specific formulas and reference tables, including India’s CGPA × 9.5 and Germany’s Modified Bavarian Formula.