WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Start with your original transcript result and grading scale. Convert only when the receiving institution supplies or accepts a specific method; a shared numeric maximum does not make grading systems equivalent.
A scale is only part of the story
A GPA of 3.5 out of 4 and a GPA of 4.375 out of 5 are the same fraction of their maximum. That does not make them academically equivalent. The grade boundaries, course selection and treatment of failed or repeated work may differ.
Do not multiply a GPA by a ratio of scale maxima and present the result as an official conversion. Effikos calculates within the numeric scale you choose; it does not issue international equivalency decisions.
Report the original result first
Keep your transcript’s GPA or average, maximum scale and institution together. Include the grading key or transcript legend when an application requests it. If your record uses percentages, degree classifications or WAM, preserve that original format.
A receiving institution may ask for particular courses, years or a separate evaluation. Read the instructions for the actual programme and intake. Where a form forces a different scale without explaining a method, ask admissions before submitting an invented value.
Separate four questions that are often mixed together
First, what did your institution award? Second, how was that result calculated? Third, what does the receiving institution ask you to report? Fourth, does anyone require a formal credential evaluation? These are different questions. A calculator can help reproduce arithmetic, but it cannot decide credential recognition or an admissions equivalency.
For example, a transcript might show a percentage average, a degree classification and course-level grades together. A receiving form may ask only for the original final result. Choosing the most flattering number from an unofficial conversion website does not resolve the reporting requirement.
| Document or requirement | What it establishes |
|---|---|
| Transcript | The institution’s recorded results |
| Grading legend or policy | The meaning of grades and the applicable calculation rules |
| Recipient instructions | Which result, scope and format to submit |
| Required evaluation | A separate assessment under the named evaluator’s method |
Why proportional conversion is not evidence
Suppose one university reports 70 on a 100-point scale and another reports 3.5 on a 4-point scale. You cannot infer equivalence by writing 70/100 = 2.8/4. A scale maximum does not tell you how marks are distributed, what a passing grade means, which grade bands exist or how qualification standards are interpreted.
Even two institutions using a four-point maximum can assign different point values to particular grades or include different attempts. A method that is accepted for one application is not automatically valid for another. Keep any required conversion alongside the original result and the instructions used, rather than replacing the original academic record.
What to do when the online form does not fit your transcript
Look for an original-scale option, a “not applicable” choice or an instructions link before entering an invented figure. If the form requires a four-point number and gives no conversion method, ask the receiving office a specific question: “My transcript reports [result] on [scale]. Should I enter that result, leave this field blank, or use a named conversion method?”
Attach or link the grading legend if the office requests it, and keep the reply. Do not send sensitive documents to an unofficial adviser just because a search result offers an instant conversion. If a deadline is near, use the recipient’s published support route and record the time of your enquiry; do not assume that an email automatically extends the deadline.
- Keep the original result and scale visible.
- Identify the receiving programme and application cycle.
- Use a named conversion only when accepted or required.
- Document course inclusion and treatment of repeats or transfers.
- Check whether a formal evaluation is required separately from self-reporting.
GPA, WAM and classification answer different questions
GPA combines course grade points and eligible credits. WAM combines numeric marks and applicable weights. A degree classification can use additional rules such as year weightings or borderline conditions. One result cannot reliably reconstruct all the information used by another.
Two students can have the same average mark with different distributions of course marks. If a conversion uses mark bands, those distributions can produce different GPAs. A single overall percentage is therefore insufficient to recover every course-based GPA.
Make a separate application workbook
Keep your complete academic record intact. If an application specifies a different eligible course set, create a separate workbook with a descriptive name and document the assumptions in the title or your application notes. Do not silently change the scale on your main record.
Check the converted or recalculated result against the prescribed method before sending it. A planning estimate should remain labelled as an estimate; only the receiving organisation can confirm which result it accepts.
Something needs a closer look? Send us a correction.
