German grades run backward from what most of the world expects: 1.0 is the best possible result, and 4.0 is the last mark that still counts as a pass.
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German Grade Calculator
Convert a foreign grade to the German 1.0-4.0 scale using the Modified Bavarian Formula, the same method uni-assist and most German universities use.
This mark is below your system's own passing threshold, so it converts to a failing German grade too, that's the formula working correctly, not an error.
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere. Need to convert a course credit load too? Try the ECTS Converter.
Nmin is the pass mark for your degree, not for one course
This is the detail most people get wrong on the first try: Nmin means the lowest overall mark your institution requires to be awarded the degree, not the lowest passing mark in any single subject or exam along the way. uni-assist, the centralized service most German universities use to evaluate international applications, states this explicitly in its own evaluation reports. If you're not sure what that threshold is for your specific degree and country, your university's transcript, an official grading-scale explanation from the institution, or the ZAB's anabin database (anabin.kmk.org) are the places to check before you rely on a number.
Why the result gets rounded to a specific step
German university grades aren't reported as any decimal that falls out of a formula, they're conventionally given in tenths at ten fixed steps: 1.0, 1.3, 1.7, 2.0, 2.3, 2.7, 3.0, 3.3, 3.7 and 4.0. This calculator shows the raw formula result and the nearest of those standard steps side by side, since the raw number alone isn't actually how the grade would appear on a German transcript.
German grade calculator FAQ
What is the Modified Bavarian Formula?
The standard method used by uni-assist and most German universities to convert a foreign grade onto the German 1.0 (best) to 4.0 (minimum pass) scale: x = (Nmax - Nd) / (Nmax - Nmin) x 3 + 1, where Nmax is the highest possible mark in your system, Nmin is the lowest passing mark, and Nd is the mark you actually obtained.
What exactly counts as Nmin, the lowest passing mark?
The lowest overall mark your institution requires for the degree to be awarded, not the lowest passing mark in any single course or exam along the way. uni-assist states this distinction explicitly in its own evaluation reports, and it's the single most common mistake when using this formula.
Why does the German scale go from 1.0 to 4.0, with 1.0 the best?
German university grading runs in the opposite direction from a US-style percentage or GPA: 1.0 is the best possible grade (sehr gut, "very good"), and 4.0 is the minimum passing grade (ausreichend, "sufficient"). Anything the formula converts above 4.0 indicates a failing grade in the original system too, that's the formula working correctly, not an error.
Why is my result rounded to a specific decimal like 1.3 or 2.7?
German grades are conventionally reported in ten fixed steps (1.0, 1.3, 1.7, 2.0, 2.3, 2.7, 3.0, 3.3, 3.7, 4.0), not as an arbitrary decimal. This calculator shows the raw formula result alongside the nearest of those standard steps, since that's how the grade would actually appear on a German transcript.
Where do I find Nmax and Nmin for my own country and degree?
Your institution's own transcript or grading-scale documentation is the most reliable source. The ZAB (Central Office for Foreign Education, Germany's official body for evaluating foreign qualifications) also maintains a public database at anabin.kmk.org covering standard grading systems for many countries, though it doesn't cover every institution's own variant.
Is this an official conversion, accepted by every German university?
The Modified Bavarian Formula is the method uni-assist and most German universities actually use, but individual institutions can apply a different recognized conversion system, and only the receiving university's or uni-assist's own formal evaluation is binding for admissions purposes. Use this calculator to estimate your grade in advance, not as a substitute for that official evaluation.
Is my data private?
Yes. Every calculation runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to a server, logged, or stored.
Free German grade calculator by ANUPRESS
The formula uni-assist actually uses
uni-assist, the centralized service most German universities rely on to evaluate international applications, uses the Modified Bavarian Formula to translate a foreign grade onto the German scale: x = (Nmax − Nd) / (Nmax − Nmin) × 3 + 1. Feed it your system’s highest possible mark, its lowest passing mark, and your own result, and it returns a number on the same 1.0-to-4.0 scale every German transcript uses, so an admissions officer can compare it directly against a German applicant’s grades.
Nmin trips up almost everyone the first time
It’s tempting to enter the lowest mark you could theoretically get in any one course, but Nmin specifically means the lowest overall mark your degree program requires for the degree to be awarded, uni-assist states this directly in its own evaluation documentation. Get that number from your institution’s own grading-scale explanation or transcript, not a guess, since it changes the result more than almost anything else in the formula.
A failing mark converts to a failing German grade, on purpose
If your original mark falls below your own system’s passing threshold, the formula correctly returns a result above 4.0, and this calculator reports it as the German fail grade, 5.0, rather than quietly rounding it back down to a pass. That’s the formula doing exactly what it’s supposed to: a mark that didn’t pass in the original system shouldn’t convert into one that does in the German one.