Have you noticed that for some study programs in Europe you are required to meet a minimum grade point average? When there are more applicants than available study places, only those who meet the minimum grade point average requirement will be admitted, if meeting other requirements as well. You may even be awarded a scholarship or pay lower tuition fees if your grade point average is outstanding. Therefore, you should pay much attention to cut-off points and their equivalences when studying abroad in Europe.
What is a cut-off point and a grade point average?
A cut-off point is the minimum acceptable numerical grade you must meet in order for you to apply for a course. Let’s say you would like to study a course in Mathematics with a cut-off point of 8 out of a grade point scale of 10. Only those applicants that achieved a grade point average of 8 will be able to apply.
A grade point average or GPA is a numerical grade that is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number attempted. For example, let’s say you passed 4 exams with the following grade points in a 10 grade point scale: 6, 7, 6, 8. Your grade point average will be = (6+7+6+8)/4 = 6,75. So if you would like to study the course in Mathematics I mentioned earlier, your application won’t even be considered, as your grade point average from previous studies is below the cut-off point for that course.
When applying for a course in Europe, your admissions office or the agency in charge of processing your application will convert your grade point average from your previous studies into the country’s scale. For example, if you are applying for first cycle (undergraduate) courses, they will calculate the equivalence of your grade point average from your upper secondary school (high school) studies.
My personal experience with cut-off points and the conversion of my grade point average
I can still remember I was so excited when I finally found a study program that met my personal expectations. I was ready to start taking the lectures in Swedish after a rewarding but challenging period of learning the language and getting used to my new university environment. The cut-off point for admission into the program was 17 according to the Swedish scale. Was my grade point average from Spain enough to meet the program cut-off point requirement?
After some weeks of waiting, I received an official letter with my grade point average converted into the Swedish scale. Oh, no! My grade was below the cut-off point. So much effort I had made to get to my university in Sweden and I didn’t meet the grade point average requirement. I didn’t even have time to apply for another course. It was time to pack my things to get back home in Spain.
While I was packing, I realized my grade point average was mistakenly converted. My grade was actually far above the cut-off point. After I asked for a revision, I finally got my grade point average from Spain correctly converted into the Swedish scale.
This is how you can convert your grade point average in Europe
After my experience, we decided to design a European Grade Converter that allows you to online calculte the equivalence of your grade point average across 29 educational systems in Europe. This way, you will immediately learn whether you meet the minimum grade point average requirement. The converter uses officially recognized scales and a mathematical algorithm that ensures a reliable conversion.
If you are not an EU student, you can still learn how you would score in Europe by using the European Grades Comparison Chart.
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