Indonesia vs United Kingdom Grading System

How does the Indonesia grading system work?

Indonesian universities use IPK (Indeks Prestasi Kumulatif) on a 4.0 scale under BAN-PT accreditation.

How does the United Kingdom grading system work?

UK undergraduate degrees use classification bands, not continuous GPA. UK marking is deliberately strict — scores above 80% are rare. A 72% is First Class, equivalent to an A- in the US.

⚠️ UK grades look low compared to other countries. A 72% is an excellent First Class result. Never compare raw UK percentages to US or Indian percentages.

Do Indonesia and the United Kingdom 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 Indonesia

The 4.0 IPK looks directly comparable to a US GPA and largely is, which makes Indonesian transcripts straightforward to read abroad. The predicate is where the extra information lives: cum laude usually requires not just a high average but timely completion and sometimes a minimum grade in every subject, so it says more about a candidate than the number alone. Where you hold it, state it — the IPK by itself will not communicate those conditions.

What a good grade means in the United Kingdom

UK marking is deliberately compressed at the top, and this catches out almost every applicant from a percentage-marking country. Essays are rarely marked above 80, and a 75 is an outstanding result — the scale is not designed to reach 100. A 72% is an excellent First Class, not a "C". If you come from India, Nigeria or Pakistan and compare percentages directly, you will misread a UK grade as far worse than it is; the safest habit is to think in classifications and ignore the raw number.

Will a grade from Indonesia get you into the United Kingdom?

United Kingdom universities typically ask for 60 / 100 for a taught master's — a one-to-two-year postgraduate degree made mostly of classes. On Indonesia's scale that is roughly 3.14–3.28 / 4 (Good). A 2:1 (60%+) is the standard requirement for taught master's across Russell Group universities. Cambridge states a 2:1 minimum and notes many of its courses ask for a High 2:1, a First, or a UK master's — hence the First (70%) as the competitive figure. A 2:2 is accepted by some courses, frequently alongside relevant work experience.

University of Edinburgh — taught masters entry requirements · checked 2026-07-24 · the figure in your own terms is a double conversion, so it is a range. how this is worked out

Indonesian 4.0 IPK maps near-directly to US GPA.

What goes wrong converting grades from Indonesia to the United Kingdom?

United Kingdom rarely awards near the top of its own scale — 85 is realistically the ceiling rather than 100 — so a converted result will look lower than you expect even when it is strong.

Mistakes specific to Indonesia grades

• Quoting the IPK without the predicate. Cum laude carries conditions beyond the average and is worth stating explicitly.
• Assuming predicate thresholds are national. They vary by university, so use the figure your own transcript or certificate states.
• Sending the ijazah alone. Evaluators want the transkrip nilai showing every subject, not only the degree certificate.

What should you do next, applying from Indonesia to the United Kingdom?

1. Check the course, not the country. Entry requirements are set per programme and revised every cycle. The 60 / 100 above is the typical bar, not a guarantee — selective courses ask for more.
2. Check whether an evaluation is even required. Unlike the US and Canada, United Kingdom 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 Indonesia grading works · How United Kingdom grading works

What do these grading terms mean?

CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average)

The same idea as a GPA but covering your whole degree rather than one term — the scale differs by country (India 10, Nigeria 5.0, Pakistan 4.0), so the number alone means nothing without its scale.

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.

Degree classification

A named band your final result falls into — First Class, 2:1, Distinction — used across the UK, Ireland, Nigeria, India and much of the Commonwealth instead of a single number.

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.

First Class Honours

The top degree classification, awarded to a small minority of graduates — usually 70%+ in the UK and Ireland, or a CGPA of 4.50+ on Nigeria's 5.0 scale.

Frequently asked questions