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# How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale

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How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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Updated on: 31 Jan 2019, 04:15
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The "How do I convert my GPA/ Percentage" continues to be raised every now and then, especially by graduates of Indian colleges. This post is for those of you who are still tearing their hair out over this one, or those wondering what all the fuss is about. If you don't fall into either of these categories, move on; there's nothing to see here

Spoiler: :: For those in a rush, click here to reveal the spoiler

Before diving in, let's take a moment to understand the grading practice in both countries

Most colleges and high schools in the US employ the 4 point GPA scale, from 0-4. The assigned grades(A,B, etc.) are converted to the corresponding grade points using the below table. The grade points are then weighed based on the no. of credits for each course to give the GPA (Grade Point Average).
 Grades Grade Points A 4 A- 3.67 B+ 3.33 B 3 B- 2.67 C+ 2.33 C 2 C- 1.67 D+ 1.33 D 1 D- 0.67 F 0

Most colleges in India either use a 10 point scale known as the CGPA (Cumulative GPA), or just plain percentages. The 10 point scale can be either either relative (as is the case with most of the elite colleges such as the IITs, NITs, and BITS Pilani), or absolute, in which case it would just be the percentage divided by 10
Also, the degree is classified as First Class, Second Class or Pass depending on the CGPA/ Percentage.

So, how do I convert my CGPA/ percentage?

NEVER convert your GPA, unless explicitly asked to do so. Most schools ask you to state your GPA/ percentage as-is, and indicate the scale that is used by your institute.

The only top bschool (that I know of) that asks you to convert your marks to the 4.0 scale is Columbia. They also specify how to calculate your score. (Edit: Columbia has changed its GPA policy. Applicants are no more required to convert their grades to 4.0 GPA scale. See this.) The table relevant to Indian students is below:
 Percentage Grade Point 90–100 4.0 80–89 3.3 70–79 2.3 60–69 1.3 Below 60 0

If you ask me, I think this conversion table is crazy. Many colleges in India grade/score very stringently, since the min. percentage required to graduate is 50%. So, if I were an average student at an elite college in India, my CGPA/ Percentage would be 7.0 or 70%. Using this conversion table, my GPA on a 4 point scale would be 2.3. In the US, however, you need a min. GPA of 2.75 to graduate. A GPA below 3 is considered to be a shocker, while a GPA between 3 and 3.5 would be considered below average. It'll never work; it's like comparing Apples with Oranges, or US Apples with Indian Apples This is why most schools don't ask you to convert your score. I'll raise this issue with Columbia, and I'm hopeful that they'll change their tune.

If you are applying to a school that requires you to convert your score, but doesn't specify the scale/ conversion chart, I'd advise you to use the following chart. It's radical, but it's the only one that'll do your score justice.
 Percentage 10 point CGPA Equivalent GPA US Grade Equivalent Classification 60-100 6-10 4 A First Class/ Distinction 50-59 5-6 3.5 B+ Second Class 40-49 4-5 3 B Pass <40 <4 2 C Fail

^Source: Wikipedia

Here's the conversion chart advocated by WES:
 Scale Equivalent GPA U.S. Grade Equiv. 60-100 4 A 55-59 3.5 B+ 50-54 3 B 43-49 2.5 C+ 35*-42 2 C 0-34 0 F

^Source: World Education Services

Are you sure that schools don't require me to convert my GPA?

When it comes to MBA Applications, I know that most of the people (myself included) won't accept any information unless it comes straight from the horse's mouth. So, here you go:

Stanford
Quote:

Wharton
Quote:
Students reporting grades from institutions that do not evaluate academic performance on a 4.0 GPA scale should NOT convert their scores to a GPA. Report your scores or grades as your university lists them in your official transcripts, including an explanation of the grading scheme if needed. Keep in mind that we have students from more than 70 countries in our program and have broad expertise in grading methods around the world.

Chicago Booth
Quote:

Yale
Quote:
No, you should report your GPA on whatever scale is used by your school. Please do not convert it to a four-point scale.

Columbia
Quote:
Applicants should report their grade point average as it appears on their transcript.

If you have any info that supports/ lends a different light to the above information, please do post below. Thanks!

Originally posted by rasta on 06 Dec 2011, 13:53.
Last edited by Narenn on 31 Jan 2019, 04:15, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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06 Dec 2011, 14:01
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3
Awsome information!
Alternatively, you can also have WES evaluate your transcripts and provide you with equivalent US transcripts, though for a price. But if you are ready to pay, there are resources available.
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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26 Jul 2012, 23:38
6
rasta wrote:
Many colleges in India grade/score very stringently, since the min. percentage required to graduate is 50%. So, if I were an average student at an elite college in India, my CGPA/ Percentage would be 7.0 or 70%. Using this conversion table, my GPA on a 4 point scale would be 2.3. In the US, however, you need a min. GPA of 2.75 to graduate. A GPA below 3 is considered to be a shocker, while a GPA between 3 and 3.5 would be considered below average. It'll never work; it's like comparing Apples with Oranges, or US Apples with Indian Apples This is why most schools don't ask you to convert your score. I'll raise this issue with Columbia, and I'm hopeful that they'll change their tune.

I think this sort of mis-information can be dangerous. Regarding U.S. undergraduate institutions, you DO NOT need a minimum GPA of 2.75 to graduate, a GPA below 3.0 IS NOT considered a shocker by most people, and a GPA between 3.0 and 3.5 is DEFINITELY NOT below average. Please do not base your judgement on what you see on these forums. Most of those who come on these forums are high achievers who only apply to top business schools and hence have high GPAs to begin with.

Furthermore, the WES and Wikipedia conversion tables are a joke. In my graduating class from college, NO ONE got a 4.0 GPA. That is true in most cases. Are you telling me that no one in India graduates with a percentage about 60%? Using these tables to convert and report your scores does not really do anybody "justice".
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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27 Jul 2012, 10:12
Gokhra wrote:

I think this sort of mis-information can be dangerous. Regarding U.S. undergraduate institutions, you DO NOT need a minimum GPA of 2.75 to graduate, a GPA below 3.0 IS NOT considered a shocker by most people, and a GPA between 3.0 and 3.5 is DEFINITELY NOT below average. Please do not base your judgement on what you see on these forums. Most of those who come on these forums are high achievers who only apply to top business schools and hence have high GPAs to begin with.

Furthermore, the WES and Wikipedia conversion tables are a joke. In my graduating class from college, NO ONE got a 4.0 GPA. That is true in most cases. Are you telling me that no one in India graduates with a percentage about 60%? Using these tables to convert and report your scores does not really do anybody "justice".

Agreed. But still confused as to how to report it to Columbia. They want us to convert it 4.0 GPA scale.
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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27 Jul 2012, 10:36
2
Gokhra wrote:
I think this sort of mis-information can be dangerous. Regarding U.S. undergraduate institutions, you DO NOT need a minimum GPA of 2.75 to graduate, a GPA below 3.0 IS NOT considered a shocker by most people, and a GPA between 3.0 and 3.5 is DEFINITELY NOT below average. Please do not base your judgement on what you see on these forums. Most of those who come on these forums are high achievers who only apply to top business schools and hence have high GPAs to begin with.

Furthermore, the WES and Wikipedia conversion tables are a joke. In my graduating class from college, NO ONE got a 4.0 GPA. That is true in most cases. Are you telling me that no one in India graduates with a percentage about 60%? Using these tables to convert and report your scores does not really do anybody "justice".

Yeah... seriously...

3.0-3.5 below average... Thats a HUGE range... I graduated with a 3.32 and was in the top 20% of my class... What a random and generalized statement
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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28 Oct 2012, 06:15
Does anyone know how are international candidate's gpas incorporated in the gpa range published by the school.

For eg. Kellogg reports 10-90th percentile between 3.19 and 3.88. Is this for the whole class, including international candidates, whose gpa is not calculated on a 4.0 scale? If yes, schools must be following some criteria to convert these. Right?
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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28 Oct 2012, 07:36
I can tell with reasonable confidence that Indian GPAs are a joke. Nobody can possibly have an accurate way of converting Indian GPAs to a 4.0 scale. There are some universities in India, where the average student tends to get an 8/10 and there are some where 6/10 is the average. There is no way to have a system which considers the idiosyncrasies of each stupid university. There is variance even among IITs (or at least there was, it might have improved now). GPA is supposed to be a proper bell curve grading. In reality hardly any universities follow this. Its not just that each university has its own philosophy, but within a university grades may vary from department to department and from prof to prof. My solution to this problem is to curse your fate for studying in this chaotic education system, report your score out of 10 and hope for the best. If you don't get into a school of your choice, start praying that your children have a better future.
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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28 Oct 2012, 08:42
5
integraldx wrote:
I can tell with reasonable confidence that Indian GPAs are a joke. Nobody can possibly have an accurate way of converting Indian GPAs to a 4.0 scale. There are some universities in India, where the average student tends to get an 8/10 and there are some where 6/10 is the average. There is no way to have a system which considers the idiosyncrasies of each stupid university. There is variance even among IITs (or at least there was, it might have improved now). GPA is supposed to be a proper bell curve grading. In reality hardly any universities follow this. Its not just that each university has its own philosophy, but within a university grades may vary from department to department and from prof to prof. My solution to this problem is to curse your fate for studying in this chaotic education system, report your score out of 10 and hope for the best. If you don't get into a school of your choice, start praying that your children have a better future.

Thank you.

I'm still waiting for someone to "actually" answer my question.

P.S: Just to add to your "reasonable confidence" rant: What you have written above is kind of true. But you are assuming every university follows a GPA system i.e. students are graded relatively (on a bell curve). There are a lot of universities that rate on absolute marks.
I agree, at the end of the day, the grading system is not standardized as in US or some other countries. But its getting better and is absolutely no reason to curse my fate.
And I'd also like to tell you, it appears from your "solution" that you are not a very happy person after all and definitely not a one, who I would like to study with.

I apologize for being rude above.
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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28 Oct 2012, 12:35
1
jumsumtak wrote:
Does anyone know how are international candidate's gpas incorporated in the gpa range published by the school.

For eg. Kellogg reports 10-90th percentile between 3.19 and 3.88. Is this for the whole class, including international candidates, whose gpa is not calculated on a 4.0 scale? If yes, schools must be following some criteria to convert these. Right?

Also, Columbia no longer requires international students to convert their GPAs! Essay Snark GPA announcement

I wanted to also say that the idea that 60-100% = 4.0 is admonishing US schools for completely inflated grades, which is specious given how many schools there are. Just like with Indian universities, US universities vary immensely from school to school. To be in the top 10% of your class at Harvard undergrad you practically need a 4.0 because grade inflation is so high there. Whereas at other schools like highwyre's a 3.0 can put you in the top 25%!

The moral of the story is that conversions are always going to be messed up. Nonetheless, the post is helpful to give Indians some perspective on the competitiveness of their CGPA!
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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02 Nov 2012, 17:05
2
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I agree with rasta to some extend.....While applying to one of the schools, I mentioned 4.0 as my GPA. Graduating with First Class (60% in Mumbai Univ) is all that top B-schools expect. Some universities no doubt have a rigorous marking scheme (eg. University of Mumbai). On the other hand, I've heard of students in the north (Punjab especially) scoring 90-95% in engineering. 30% of the batch in the south (Bangalore university for instance) scores above 70% and roughly 5% of them score above 80%. In Mumbai Univ, these scores are rare and depends on the stream you study as well. You can't really compare the marking scheme across universities and streams. Having said that, most of the schools consider 60% at the graduation level as good and focus on other aspects of your app....
Also, why do students who score 80-90% in engineering from these universities end up scoring 600-650 on the GMAT, while someone with 55-60% from Mumbai University can manage 730-780? That clearly shows the difference in intellectual level, which isn't really captured in the graduation scorecard. I'm pretty sure the adcom will be looking at these discrepancies as well.
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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04 Nov 2012, 06:28
machichi wrote:
jumsumtak wrote:
Does anyone know how are international candidate's gpas incorporated in the gpa range published by the school.

For eg. Kellogg reports 10-90th percentile between 3.19 and 3.88. Is this for the whole class, including international candidates, whose gpa is not calculated on a 4.0 scale? If yes, schools must be following some criteria to convert these. Right?

She mentioned that an international candidate is not required to report GPA on a 4.0 scale but they do have reasonably comprehensive equivalent scales for many of the universities across the globe and that is how they come up with the 4. 0 thing. Obviously, the conversion is continuously evolving and gets better as more applicants from that particular university apply. They also do a lot of secondary research on this. It also helps if you mention that you were 2nd in a class of 130 or in top 5% bla bla. They can benchmark your performance better.
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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08 Nov 2012, 02:45
1
worldofecofin wrote:
I agree with rasta to some extend.....While applying to one of the schools, I mentioned 4.0 as my GPA. Graduating with First Class (60% in Mumbai Univ) is all that top B-schools expect. Some universities no doubt have a rigorous marking scheme (eg. University of Mumbai). On the other hand, I've heard of students in the north (Punjab especially) scoring 90-95% in engineering. 30% of the batch in the south (Bangalore university for instance) scores above 70% and roughly 5% of them score above 80%. In Mumbai Univ, these scores are rare and depends on the stream you study as well. You can't really compare the marking scheme across universities and streams. Having said that, most of the schools consider 60% at the graduation level as good and focus on other aspects of your app....
Also, why do students who score 80-90% in engineering from these universities end up scoring 600-650 on the GMAT, while someone with 55-60% from Mumbai University can manage 730-780? That clearly shows the difference in intellectual level, which isn't really captured in the graduation scorecard. I'm pretty sure the adcom will be looking at these discrepancies as well.

Disagree with this.. Although it is difficult to score in Bombay/Pune university, 60% does not equate to 4.0 cgpa! Toppers generally have a 4.0 and the toppers in both universities easily score 70+ and many students even get a distinction (66%). A First Class is good ..but it should map between 3.0 and 3.5
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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28 Nov 2012, 20:43
This has been freaking me out as well. A while back when i started to prep for my GMAT i asked a friend who has been an admission consultant for a few years to give me a ballpark figure on what my scores would mean in a GPA scale. She gave me a 3.65, so i was quite happy. I now look at some of the scales mentioned in the original post and see that my 67.5% is Almost 1.3 .... No way can this be correct for i graduated in the top 10 of my class earning a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from a reputable Medical college (tons of alumni in eminent positions in the US) and graduated top of my Post graduation class (M.D. University topper)..The person who topped our class of 150, and ranked in the top 20 in the nation (in medical entrances) would not break a 3.0 in the GPA scale .. I do not think most universities would be naive to simply convert Indian GPA's according to some of the charts provided in the original post ( Either the one which puts me @ 1.3 or the one that gives me a 4).

I am considering applying to Duke, and Duke along with many other top universities in the US has a presence in India, have offices (sometimes multiple) in India, have alumni offices here etc.. I am sure they constantly seek advise from these offices in India and in fact make them run a scan on Indian universities and their scoring system once they get applications..

One of the universities i am looking to apply for does accept raw transcripts (in percentage) but does want a GPA in the application - Should i use WES to convert my GPA and attach their report along with my application ??
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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13 Dec 2012, 05:29
2
US GPA = (INDIAN GPA out of scale of 10 + 2) / 3

70% = INDIAN GPA 7.0 ; US GPA = 9/3=3.0
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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21 Dec 2012, 08:23
3
MacFauz wrote:
I think a fair way to calculate would be something like this. My BE was from Anna University. The pass mark was 50% and 75% is considered distinction. My understanding about the US GPA is that 2.75 is the minimum required GPA for passing and 4 is the maximum possible. So from this correlation

$$\frac{Indian Percentage-50}{75-50} = \frac{US GPA-2.75}{4-2.75}$$

$$\frac{Indian Percentage-50}{25} = \frac{US GPA-2.75}{1.25}$$

$$Indian Percentage-50 = (US GPA-2.75)*20 = 20*USGPA - 55$$

$$USGPA = \frac{Indian Percentage + 5}{20}$$

I have spoken to quite a few admission consultants, admission ambassadors, current & ex students , and all have been saying that the Adcoms are well aware of the dynamics of scoring in most Indian systems (Engineering, IIT Non IIT, Buisness schools, Medical schools etc) and consider your performance relative to that. I have been advised to stay away from calculating my GPA (converting my Percentage to GPA) and leave the judging of my performance to the adcoms who have a fairly decent idea of what is good and what is bad.

Quote:
Hmmm... I understand... My percentage in my BE was 70. .7*4 = 2.8. I do not think this is a fair reflection at all... 3.75 on the other hand seems fair...

The adcoms would most likely not bother converting your academic score , They will evaluate your transcripts and your stellar GMAT score and then form a picture of your academic level. 70% is a very very good score in most Engineering colleges in India, and one can say that it would be a 3.75 or higher but i dont think we should bother much about where we stand compared to the US scale. One area where GPA could matter is in getting scholarships where your academic performance is weighted against other candidates to determine who gets how much..
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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29 May 2013, 11:57
Thanks all for sharing the information.
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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30 May 2013, 03:21
Our calculations and algorithm's don't matter. Its totally up to the Admissions Team to convert the GPA.
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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30 May 2013, 07:55
I don't agree that 60-100% should be a 4.0 GPA. In most courses, an Indian student who has scored 60% does not deserve a 4.0 GPA.

Also, the post mentioning 75% being equal to a 2.75 GPA is ridiculous.
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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04 Aug 2013, 00:51
Ok. so bottom line is don't convert you GPA to 4.0 scale.
However, I want to evaluate the competitiveness of my application to a b school. I want to know if the top schools will definitely reject me because of my GPA. where does a 6.5/10 stand (pass=4,avg=6)? is this at least near a 3/4 GPA?
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale  [#permalink]

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23 Sep 2016, 23:09
Converting your GPA to a scale of 4.0 is a futile exercise. Schools rarely go by a secret, complex formula that takes Indian GPA as an input and spits out the GPA on a scale of 4.0. It's a far more hands-on exercise. And, BTW, you don't need to convert your GPA onto any scale when submitting B-school applications. It's rarely required.

How Will My GPA Be Viewed on a Scale Of 4.0?
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Re: How to Convert Indian GPA/ Percentage to US 4 pt. GPA scale   [#permalink] 23 Sep 2016, 23:09

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