China Grading System Calculator

China does not have a single standardised national grading system for universities. The Ministry of Education sets overall quality guidelines, but China's more than 3,000 universities have significant autonomy in implementing their own grading formats. This creates genuine complexity for students preparing international applications. Students tracking their cumulative academic average can use the CGPA Calculator or the GPA Calculator.

The percentage scale (0–100) is the most widely used format and appears on most Chinese official transcripts as a numerical score. The universal minimum passing threshold across Chinese universities is 60%. A GPA scale (typically 4.0 or 5.0) has been adopted by many universities — particularly those with stronger international orientations — seeking to align with global academic norms. A five-tier qualitative scale — Youxiu (Excellent), Lianghao (Good), Zhongdeng (Average), Jige (Pass), Bu Jige (Fail) — is used by some institutions, particularly for elective courses or on older transcripts.

Many Chinese students have transcripts that mix two or more of these formats across different courses or academic years. This multi-format transcript issue is well understood by WES evaluators and experienced international admissions offices. The China GPA Converter provides detailed guidance on how each format is handled in the conversion process.

The percentage scale is the dominant grading format at Chinese universities. Grades are expressed as a whole or decimal number between 0 and 100, with 60 as the universal minimum passing threshold. A course below 60 is a fail (Bu Jige) and must be retaken for credit.

Some Chinese universities have adopted a GPA scale similar to the US 4.0 system, or a 5.0 scale, particularly institutions with strong international programmes or joint degree arrangements. The GPA scale appears on the official transcript in addition to or instead of percentage grades.

Chinese 4.0 GPA grades are broadly comparable to US 4.0 GPA grades numerically, but grading distributions differ. Chinese universities tend to award grades more conservatively. Always verify which scale your institution uses before converting — check your transcript or contact your academic affairs office.

The five-tier qualitative scale is used by some Chinese universities for certain course types — particularly electives, physical education, and ideological courses — and appears on some older transcripts from the 1990s and 2000s. Students with mixed numeric and qualitative transcripts should use Tab 3 of the calculator above for qualitative courses and combine with Tab 1 for percentage courses.

For WES evaluation, qualitative grades are converted using established equivalence tables. WES is familiar with this format on Chinese transcripts and handles it as part of the standard course-by-course evaluation. See the China GPA Converter for full WES guidance.

• Youxiu Biyesheng (Outstanding Graduate): Some Chinese universities award a graduation honour to students with a percentage average of 90 or above and no failing grades. This distinction appears on some transcripts and is broadly equivalent to graduating with distinction. Criteria vary by institution.
• Academic Probation (Liuxue Chuli): Students who accumulate too many failed courses or fall below the minimum academic average threshold may be placed on academic probation (liuxue chuli) or face dismissal. Each institution sets its own threshold — typically a percentage average below 65–70.
• Retake Policy: A course below 60% must be retaken. Most Chinese universities allow one or two resit attempts. The original failing grade typically remains on the transcript alongside the retake grade, though some institutions replace the original grade with the retake result. WES evaluators review all attempts listed on the transcript.
• Thesis and Final Defence: Bachelor's degree graduation requires completion of a final-year thesis (biye lunwen) and oral defence. The thesis grade is an independent record on the transcript and is not typically included in the calculation of the cumulative percentage average, though some institutions include it. Students should check their institution's specific rules.
• Pass/Fail Courses (Jige/Bu Jige without a percentage): Physical education, ideological and political courses, and some elective modules may be recorded as Jige (Pass) or Bu Jige (Fail) without a numeric percentage grade. These are excluded from the credit-weighted percentage average in this calculator, consistent with standard WES evaluation practice.