Brazil vs Mexico Grading System

How does the Brazil grading system work?

Brazilian universities use a 0–10 scale with 5.0 as the pass mark. Grading varies between public and private institutions.

How does the Mexico grading system work?

Mexican universities use a 0–10 scale where 6 is the minimum pass mark. UNAM and most public universities use this system.

⚠️ Mexican pass mark is 6/10, not 5/10.

Do Brazil and Mexico mark to the same standard?

No — and it is the difference in marking culture, not the arithmetic, that makes a direct comparison mislead. Here is how each country actually uses its own scale.

What a good grade means in Brazil

The variable pass mark is the detail that matters most: a 6.5 means something quite different at an institution passing at 5 than at one passing at 7, so the number alone under-describes the result. On top of that the 0–10 scale is used conservatively at the upper end, with 9s uncommon and 10s rare, so a 7.5 is a solid degree rather than the mediocre 75% it becomes under direct conversion. Send the grading key from your transcript, because it states your university's own pass mark.

What a good grade means in Mexico

The 0–10 scale is used more fully in Mexico than in Brazil or the Netherlands — averages of 8 and 9 are common at good universities — which means it converts less badly than other ten-point systems but also that a high promedio is less distinguishing than it looks. The signal worth highlighting abroad is mención honorífica, since it reflects a judgement on the thesis by a committee rather than an arithmetic average, and it is not something a foreign admissions office will infer from the number.

Will a grade from Brazil get you into Mexico?

We do not yet hold published entry requirements for Mexico, so we do not compare your grade against a bar we cannot cite. The conversion above still tells you how your result reads in Mexico terms.

WES evaluates Brazilian credentials case-by-case. Course-by-course evaluation recommended.

What goes wrong converting grades from Brazil to Mexico?

Both countries mark on the same 0–10 range, which makes a direct comparison look safe when it is not: the same number sits at a different point in each country's distribution, and the pass marks differ (5.0 in Brazil, 6.0 in Mexico).

Mistakes specific to Brazil grades

• Multiplying by ten to get a percentage. A Brazilian 7.5 is a good result, not the modest 75% it appears to be in US terms.
• Assuming a national pass mark. It varies by institution between 5 and 7, which changes what any given grade means.
• Omitting the histórico escolar. Evaluators want the full academic record rather than the diploma alone.

What should you do next, applying from Brazil to Mexico?

1. Check the course, not the country. Entry requirements are set per programme and revised every cycle. We hold no published national bar for this destination, so the course page is the only figure that binds.
2. Check whether an evaluation is even required. Unlike the US and Canada, Mexico universities commonly assess foreign transcripts in-house. Confirm on the course page before paying for a report you may not need.
3. Get your documents moving early. Universities normally require your transcript sent directly by your institution rather than as a copy from you, which takes longer than most applicants expect.
4. Read both systems in full. How Brazil grading works · How Mexico grading works

What do these grading terms mean?

Percentage scale

A 0–100 marking scale — but the numbers are not comparable across countries: 70% is an outstanding result in the UK and a modest one in India.

GPA (Grade Point Average)

The US way of expressing an overall grade, on a 0–4.0 scale where 4.0 is the top — so a 4.0 is roughly what a 90–100% or a First Class would be elsewhere.

Transcript

The official document from your university listing every subject you took and the grade you got — not the same as your degree certificate, and universities abroad want both.

Credential evaluation

A paid report from an approved company that restates your foreign qualification in local terms, which many US and Canadian universities require before they will assess you.

Frequently asked questions