The Modified Bavarian Formula

German grade = 1 + 3 × ((Nmax − Nd) ÷ (Nmax − Nmin))

• Nmax is the best possible grade in your grading system.
• Nd is the grade you obtained.
• Nmin is the lowest grade that still passes in your grading system.

Nmax means the best result, even when the best result is the smallest number. This is why the same formula can also handle a letter scale after the letters are given numerical positions.

TUM publishes this formula for grades earned outside Germany and states that it gives a non-binding first estimate. Your target program’s rules and official document review decide the grade used in an application.

The pass mark matters as much as the maximum. If two universities both use a 10-point scale but one passes at 4.0 and the other at 5.0, the same 8.0 result produces a different German estimate.

1. Copy the best possible grade from your transcript or official grading rules.
2. Copy the lowest passing grade for the degree, not the admission cut-off for your next program.
3. Enter your final overall grade exactly as it appears on the transcript.
4. Treat the result as an estimate until the university or uni-assist checks your documents.

If your university uses a country-specific table, a non-linear scale, or different rules for the degree award, the plain formula may not match the official result. Use the VPD grade calculator for a planning estimate, then rely on your issued VPD or university decision.