Converting 10-point grades to the 4-point GPA scale: formula and rankings

The 10-point to 4-point conversion table under Circular 08/2021

Circular 08/2021/TT-BGDĐT (the undergraduate training regulation, in force since 3 May 2021) is the base document every university must follow. Article 9 says course scores are graded on a 10-point scale, rounded to one decimal, then mapped to a letter grade; Article 10 converts letter grades to the 4-point scale for computing averages. The minimum framework has only four passing levels A, B, C, D and one failing level F.

The key sentence is in Article 10: "letter grades with more levels, as defined by the institution (if any), are also converted to a corresponding numeric score on the 0-to-4 scale". In other words, a university may insert A+, B+, C+, D+ and decide for itself how many 4-point marks each is worth — which is exactly why every school's table looks different (see the next section).

There is also grade P (pass without levels, 5.0 and above) for pass/fail courses such as National Defense Education and Physical Education — it is not counted in the GPA. The symbols I, X and R are also excluded from averages.

A, B+, B, C+, D+ conversion at HUST, UEH, HCMUTE, TDTU — and why it differs from tables online

Most "10-point to 4-point" articles online simply repost the Circular 08 framework or a generic 8-level table (A, B+, B, C+, C, D+, D, F) and call it universal. In reality the university 4-point scale is not the same across schools — you have to look up your own university's training regulation. Below is the letter-grade table from four regulations currently in force that we read directly from the original documents: HUST (Decision 5445/QĐ-ĐHBK of 28 May 2025), UEH (Decision 4419, effective 2 Jan 2025), HCMUTE (Decision 3116/QĐ-ĐHSPKT of 22 Aug 2025) and TDTU (Decision 1830/QĐ-TĐT of 8 Sep 2021, for cohorts 2021 onward).

Three differences that matter: (1) The A level — HUST and UEH give A = 4.0 from 8.5, HCMUTE gives only 3.7 for 8.5–8.9, and TDTU has no B+ at all: the whole 8.0 to just-under-9.0 range is A = 3.5. (2) The passing threshold — HUST passes you from a D (4.0), but UEH, HCMUTE and TDTU all treat anything below 5.0 as a fail. (3) Below 4.0 — UEH adds an F+ (3.0 to just under 4.0) = 0.5; TDTU calls 3.0 to just under 4.0 a D = 1.0, but it is still a fail.

HCMUT (Bach Khoa HCMC) applies its current scale to cohorts from 2021 under its academic regulation (Decision 2931 of 10 Sep 2021), with a course passing threshold of 4.0 (except graduation courses). The detailed letter-grade table sits in the "Consolidated undergraduate academic regulation" on hcmut.edu.vn; we could not find a public copy to cross-check, so it is left out of the table — check MyBK. EIU is different altogether: per its public 2025-26 student handbook, it grades on a US-style 100-point scale converted straight to the 4-point scale — 90–100 is A = 4.0; 85–89.9 A− = 3.7; 80–84.9 B+ = 3.3; finer levels run down to 50–51.9 D− = 0.7 (still a pass); below 50 is F = 0 — so it does not belong in the 10-point comparison table below.

This table was compiled from public regulations as of Aug 2026. Regulations change by cohort (HCMUTE moved its passing threshold from D to D+ in the middle of 2022-23), so before using numbers for a scholarship or study-abroad file, cross-check the official transcript on your university's academic portal.

How university GPA is calculated: what the cumulative average is and how to compute it

The cumulative grade point average (ĐTBTL, also called cumulative GPA or CPA) is the credit-weighted mean of every course taken up to that point. The semester average uses exactly the same method but only counts that semester's courses; the academic-year average counts the whole year.

Formula: GPA = Σ(course 4-point value × credits) ÷ Σ(credits). Note that each course is converted to the 4-point scale first and then averaged — you do not average the 10-point scores and convert once. That is why two students with the same 10-point average can end up with different 4-point GPAs.

Example with an 8-level table like UEH/HUST: Calculus, 3 credits, 8.2 (B+ = 3.5); Philosophy, 2 credits, 7.0 (B = 3.0); Programming, 4 credits, 6.5 (C+ = 2.5). GPA = (3×3.5 + 2×3.0 + 4×2.5) ÷ 9 = 26.5 ÷ 9 = 2.94. The 10-point average = (3×8.2 + 2×7.0 + 4×6.5) ÷ 9 = 7.18. Both numbers land in the Khá (good) band.

• Courses counted in GPA Only courses with a letter grade A–F (many schools include F). P, I, X and R are excluded; National Defense and Physical Education are usually graded P, so they do not move your GPA.
• Calculating GPA online For a quick online GPA calculation, open Google Sheets: one column for credits, one for the 4-point value looked up from your school's table, then =SUMPRODUCT(credits, points)/SUM(credits). Avoid web tools that only offer the "standard" table if you are at HCMUTE or TDTU.
• Retakes and grade improvement Which score counts after a retake (the highest or the latest) is set by each school — TDTU and HCMUTE keep the highest score across attempts. Read the rule before registering for a grade-improvement retake.

Your school's portal (UEH Student, MyBK, the TDTU portal...) usually already shows GPA on both scales — use it to check your own calculation. If they differ, the usual cause is that F grades or retaken courses are handled differently from what you assumed.

What GPA earns a Giỏi (very good) degree? Academic ranking on the 4-point scale

Under Articles 10 and 14 of Circular 08/2021, academic standing is ranked by the semester, academic-year or cumulative GPA, while the degree classification rests on the whole-program cumulative GPA: Xuất sắc (excellent) from 3.6; Giỏi (very good) from 3.2 to just under 3.6; Khá (good) from 2.5 to just under 3.2; Trung bình (average) from 2.0 to just under 2.5; Yếu (weak) from 1.0 to just under 2.0; Kém (poor) below 1.0. Schools working on the 10-point scale use the 9.0 / 8.0 / 7.0 / 5.0 / 4.0 marks. So what score is a Khá degree? A GPA from 2.5 to under 3.2, or 7.0 to under 8.0 on the 10-point scale.

One rule people forget: an Xuất sắc or Giỏi classification is dropped one level if the courses you had to retake exceed 5% of the program's total credits, or if you received a disciplinary warning or worse during your studies. So a 3.4 GPA with many failed courses can still end up as a Khá degree. HUST, UEH, HCMUTE and TDTU all carry this rule in their regulations.

Note that TDTU ranks academic standing and graduation on the 10-point scale rather than the 4-point one (Xuất sắc from 9.00; Giỏi from 8.00; Khá from 7.00; Trung bình khá from 6.00; Trung bình from 5.00) and adds a "Trung bình khá" band. HUST is the reverse: it ranks on the 4-point scale but publishes a formula for converting GPA to the 10-point scale when needed (see the last section).

Do you have to retake a D? Failing, grade improvement and academic warnings

Under the Circular 08 framework, D (4.0–5.4) is a pass: you are not forced to retake, the credits still count, it just drags your GPA down with a 1.0. But many schools set a higher bar: UEH treats D (4.0–4.9) as a fail; HCMUTE only accumulates credits from D+ (5.0) since semester 2 of 2022-23; TDTU also only accumulates from 5.0 (a C). At these schools a D means you failed the course — a compulsory course must be retaken, an elective can be retaken or swapped for another elective.

HUST, by contrast, follows the framework: a D passes, except graduation courses (projects, theses) which need at least a C. So "do I have to retake a D" has no single answer — open your school's training regulation and look for "passing score of a course" or "accumulated courses".

Grade improvement means retaking a course you already passed to raise the score. TDTU and HCMUTE state that the highest score across attempts counts, but TDTU also states that improved scores are not used for scholarship or award decisions. If you plan to improve your way to a Giỏi degree, remember the 5% rule above: only courses you had to retake because of a fail count toward the 5%; voluntary improvement retakes depend on the school.

• Academic warning (Circular 08) Circular 08 lists warning conditions for each school to choose from: failed credits in a semester exceeding 50% of what you registered, or more than 24 cumulative outstanding (nợ đọng) credits since the start of the program; or a semester GPA below 0.8 in the first semester of the program and below 1.0 in later semesters. The exact conditions are set by each school's regulation.
• Grade improvement Allowed at all four schools compared here, but which score counts and whether it affects scholarships differ — read the "grade improvement" clause in the regulation before paying for a retake.

On YourCampus: Before registering for a grade-improvement retake, you can read course and lecturer reviews from students at your school on YourCampus to pick the right class. App user guide

What is a 3.2 GPA on the 10-point scale? GPA conversion for study abroad and scholarships

A 3.2 GPA corresponds to the 8.0 mark on the 10-point scale (the Giỏi threshold) under Circular 08 — but there is no exact reverse conversion, because the 4-point figure is computed after each course score has been bucketed into a letter grade. In other words, a 3.2 GPA does not mean your 10-point average is exactly 8.0.

Some schools publish their own reverse formula. HUST (2025 regulation) states: for a GPA from 3.2 to just under 3.6, the 10-point figure = GPA × 2.5 (3.2 → 8.0; 3.5 → 8.75); from 2.5 to just under 3.2, = GPA × 1.42 + 3.45; from 2.0 to just under 2.5, = GPA × 3 − 0.5. This formula applies only to HUST students — other schools are not obliged to recognize it.

For study-abroad GPA conversion, what admissions committees and credential evaluators actually read is your school's official transcript (showing the 10-point score, letter grade and 4-point value); they convert it using their own standards. Your job is to obtain a stamped bilingual transcript together with the school's grading scale (usually printed on the back or last page) — do not compute your own figure and write a 4-point number that differs from the transcript.

Domestic scholarship applications are assessed on the 4-point or 10-point scale depending on the provider. Copy the exact figure from your official transcript and state which scale it is — do not convert back and forth yourself.