There is no universal international-to-U.S. GPA conversion. A scale maximum does not reveal grade bands, the pass mark, course weighting, repeat rules, credential level, or the recipient's calculation policy.
The correct first question is not “What is my U.S. GPA?” It is “What does this application require me to report?”
Choose the applicable path
| Recipient instruction | What to do |
|---|---|
| Report the original GPA and scale | Copy both exactly from the transcript |
| Apply a published recipient formula | Use only that documented method |
| Obtain an external evaluation | Use the evaluator named or accepted by the recipient |
| Instruction is unclear | Ask the recipient; do not invent a conversion |
The University of Maryland Graduate School provides one example of a recipient allowing applicants to use their institution's GPA scale. The OMSAS calculation guide provides a different example: its table applies within a defined scope and records universities outside Canada and the United States as non-convertible.
These policies disprove the idea that every international record must become one standard 4.0 number.
Record the source record first
Collect:
- issuing institution and country;
- credential and education level;
- GPA or average exactly as printed;
- scale maximum and minimum passing grade;
- transcript legend or grading regulation;
- course credits or units;
- failed, repeated, pass/fail, and transfer-course treatment;
- dates or cohort covered by the rule.
Do not infer a national grading system from one university's policy.
Understand evaluator output
WES explains that its public tools provide previews using common grading scales for the selected country and do not replace an official evaluation. Its course-by-course evaluation converts individual credits and grades before calculating a GPA. A link to WES therefore does not validate a conversion table created by this site.
NACES states that it does not perform credential evaluations; its member organizations do. If an application accepts a NACES-member evaluation, confirm which report type and evaluator it permits.
Keep arithmetic illustrations honest
A proportional rescaling such as:
relative scale position = score ÷ source maximum × target maximum
describes position between two maxima. It is not a credential equivalence. Two 10-point systems can have different pass marks and grade bands, so the same input can require different treatment.
Use the site's calculators for credit-weighted arithmetic only after the correct grade-point mapping is known. They are not credential-evaluation services.
Application checklist
- Save the current official reporting instruction.
- Preserve the original GPA and scale.
- Identify whether the recipient recalculates the record.
- Use an external evaluator only when requested or accepted.
- Keep preview estimates separate from official reports.
- Record the source URL and date checked.
FAQ
Is WES's free tool an official evaluation?
No. WES describes its public tools as previews. An official report is a separate service.
Does NACES convert GPA?
No. NACES maintains standards and a member directory; member organizations perform evaluations.
Can I divide by the source maximum and multiply by four?
You can label that result as proportional scale position, but not as an official or application-ready GPA.