How German universities convert your grade

The German scale runs the other way

In Germany, 1.0 is the best grade and 4.0 is the lowest grade that still passes, so a smaller number means a better result. Anything worse than 4.0 is a fail (nicht ausreichend), often shown as 5.0.

The University of Bayreuth lists the general German bands below. Some universities, such as Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, draw the lines slightly differently, so treat them as a guide.

• 1.0 to 1.5: sehr gut (very good)
• 1.6 to 2.5: gut (good)
• 2.6 to 3.5: befriedigend (satisfactory)
• 3.6 to 4.0: ausreichend (sufficient)

The formula behind the conversion

The usual method is the modified Bavarian formula. It comes from an agreement of the Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK), the conference of Germany's state education ministers, on grading foreign school-leaving certificates. It was adopted on 15 March 1991, and the version the KMK lists today dates from 12 September 2013.

Universities use it for university grades from abroad too: Passau for master's applicants with a foreign bachelor's, LMU Munich's pharmacy department for its Pharmaceutical Sciences master's, and TUM when it recognises exams taken outside Germany.

German grade = 1 + 3 × (best − yours) ÷ (best − pass)

In plain words: see how far you are from the top, divide that by the full distance between top and pass, multiply by 3 and add 1. The three values are:

• Best: the top mark possible in your system, for example 4.0 for a CGPA or 100 for percentages.
• Pass: the lowest mark that still counts as a pass for your overall result.
• Yours: your own overall grade or average.

Three worked examples

CGPA 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, pass 2.0: 1 + 3 × 0.8 ÷ 2.0 = 2.2. That is gut.

75% where the pass mark is 50%: 1 + 3 × 25 ÷ 50 = 2.5. Still gut, right on the edge.

75% where the pass mark is 33%: 1 + 3 × 25 ÷ 67 = 2.119, shown as 2.1.

Compare the last two. The same 75% gives a better German grade when the pass mark is lower, because your score sits further above the pass line.

Why 2.119 becomes 2.1

The KMK agreement says the converted grade is worked out to one decimal place and is not rounded. A University of Bamberg guide puts it more directly: all further digits are dropped. So 2.119 becomes 2.1, and even 2.19 would stay 2.1.

A few programme pages describe this step as rounding. If your result sits right on a cut-off, ask the university which method it uses.

Where the best and pass values come from

Start with your transcript or degree certificate and look for the grading scale. If it is not there, check anabin, the database of the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) at the KMK, or ask your university's registrar. For school certificates, the KMK uses the values set by the ZAB.

Use the pass value for your overall result. Bayreuth notes that degrees abroad often let you pass a single module with a lower grade than the degree requires overall, and the degree minimum is the one to use. Humboldt University's Berlin School of Mind and Brain adds that pass marks on some transcripts apply only to single courses and cannot be used for a GPA conversion.

If your grades are letters, Heidelberg and Bayreuth both suggest giving each step a number in order (A+ = 1, A = 2 and so on) and using those numbers in the formula.

Who makes the official conversion

Your own calculation is an estimate. If you apply through uni-assist, some universities ask for a VPD, a document showing how uni-assist rates your grade in the German system. Other universities convert the grade themselves. Heidelberg's conversion sheet for one of its scholarships says the grade you enter will be checked against your documents and adjusted if necessary.

Some add their own rules. An international office at the University of Bamberg treats 70% as the best British mark when converting grades from study abroad. Cut-offs vary too: LMU Munich's master's in Pharmaceutical Sciences asks for an average of 2.5 or better to reach the second stage of its aptitude assessment.

The online converters at Bayreuth and Passau both say their results are only a first orientation and are not binding.

Try it with your own numbers

Our German grade calculator runs the same formula and shows every step. Enter the best grade, the pass grade and your own to see an estimated German grade and band. For letter grades, number them from the bottom up (lowest pass = 1), since the calculator expects the best grade to be the higher number. Links to anabin, uni-assist and other official sources are on our Resources page.