Question 1

What is a uni-assist VPD and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

The Vorpruefungsdokumentation (VPD) is the official grade-conversion document uni-assist issues for international applicants. German public universities use the VPD's converted grade as the legally binding number on your application. Most applications go through uni-assist, so your VPD grade, not your home-system grade, is what gets compared against admission cut-offs.

Question 2

How is this different from the standard German Grade Calculator?

Accepted Answer

Both calculators apply the Modified Bavarian Formula. The German Grade Calculator uses your transcript's Nmin and Nmax exactly as you enter them. This VPD calculator applies uni-assist's published country-specific Nmin adjustments instead, so the result approximates what uni-assist will write on your VPD. For instance, India CGPA-out-of-10 transcripts use Nmin = 4 in the VPD calculation regardless of what the user's transcript prints.

Question 3

Is this estimate legally binding for my application?

Accepted Answer

No. Only uni-assist's official VPD is binding. This calculator approximates the VPD figure within ±0.1 for most country / scale combinations using uni-assist's published methodology. Use this for planning (deciding whether to apply, which universities to target). For the binding number, submit your transcripts to uni-assist and pay the VPD fee.

Question 4

Where do the country adjustments come from?

Accepted Answer

uni-assist publishes per-country grading-scale references that determine the Nmin used in the Modified Bavarian Formula. Our table tracks the most-commonly-applied references for the highest-volume countries (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey, US, UK). For unusual boards or countries not on the dropdown, use Custom and enter your scale's actual minimum and maximum.

Question 5

Why does my Indian percentage transcript have a different Nmin than 40?

Accepted Answer

Indian boards vary. uni-assist commonly applies Nmin = 35 for state boards (especially older percentage-only programmes) and Nmin = 40 for autonomous and central universities. Our default is 40; if your transcript explicitly states a 35 minimum or your university board is on the 35-list, switch to Custom and enter Nmin = 35.

Question 6

How much does a uni-assist VPD cost?

Accepted Answer

The VPD service fee starts at 75 EUR for the first university and 30 EUR for each additional university you apply to in the same admission cycle. The VPD itself is valid across all uni-assist universities for that intake. Use our Uni-Assist + VPD Cost calculator (when it ships) for a precise estimate.

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