Jamaican grading system
In Jamaica, courses at the University of the West Indies are graded A+ (90–100%, 4.3 quality points) to F3, and C (50–54%) is the lowest pass; at school, CXC grades CSEC subjects I (best) to VI, with I to III accepted for university entry, and CAPE units I to VII. UWI degree classes: Weighted GPA 0 to 4.3, lowest pass 2.00. CAPE grades: I to VII, lowest pass V.
Example · Credit-weighted average of 3 courses
Between A and A+
Outstanding or exceptional: your institution’s rule on rounding decides which grade goes on your record. C is the lowest pass.
3 courses, 15 credits.
UWI grades: A+ to F3 (4.3 to 0 points)
Undergraduate courses at the University of the West Indies (UWI), including its Mona campus in Jamaica. F1 and F2 are fails that still earn quality points, so a near miss lowers the GPA less than an F3.
| Grade | Meaning | Marks | Pass? |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | exceptional | 90–100% | Pass |
| A | outstanding | 80–89% | Pass |
| A− | excellent | 75–79% | Pass |
| B+ | very good | 70–74% | Pass |
| B | good | 65–69% | Pass |
| B− | satisfactory | 60–64% | Pass |
| C+ | fair | 55–59% | Pass |
| C | acceptable; lowest pass | 50–54% | Pass |
| F1 | unsatisfactory: fail | 40–49% | Fail |
| F2 | weak: fail | 30–39% | Fail |
| F3 | poor: fail | 0–29% | Fail |
UWI degree classes: Weighted GPA 0 to 4.3
Bachelor’s degrees at the University of the West Indies for students entering in 2026/2027 or later, on the weighted GPA. Students who entered before 2026/2027 need 3.60 for a first, with the upper second running from 3.00 to 3.59.
| Grade | Meaning | Pass? |
|---|---|---|
| First | first class honours | Pass |
| Upper second | upper second class honours | Pass |
| Lower second | lower second class honours | Pass |
| Pass | pass degree | Pass |
| Below 2.00 | below the minimum GPA for a degree | Fail |
CSEC grades: I to VI
Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects, set by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC). Each result also carries profile grades from A (outstanding) to F (poor), and CXC does not publish the marks behind each grade, which vary by subject.
| Grade | Meaning | University entry? |
|---|---|---|
| I | a thorough grasp of the syllabus | Accepted |
| II | a good grasp of the syllabus | Accepted |
| III | a fairly good grasp; lowest grade accepted for university matriculation | Accepted |
| IV | a moderate grasp; accepted for entry-level jobs, not for matriculation | Not accepted |
| V | a limited grasp of the syllabus | Not accepted |
| VI | a very limited grasp of the syllabus | Not accepted |
CAPE grades: I to VII
Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) units, set by CXC for students with at least five years of secondary school. Each unit also carries module grades from A (excellent) to G (unsatisfactory).
| Grade | Meaning | Pass? |
|---|---|---|
| I | excellent performance | Pass |
| II | a very good standard | Pass |
| III | a good standard | Pass |
| IV | a satisfactory standard | Pass |
| V | an acceptable level; lowest grade accepted for further study | Pass |
| VI | weak performance | Fail |
| VII | unsatisfactory performance | Fail |
Jamaican grades and a US GPA
This page gives no US equivalents for Jamaican grades: we found no table for them on Wikipedia or from an official source, and we do not make one up. A US university reads a foreign transcript itself or through the credential evaluation service it names, and its conversion is the one that counts.
Send your grades as they are, with the scale above. When a form asks for your average, give it on your own scale and say which scale it is: the converter’s average does exactly that, weighted by credits when you enter them.
What to know about grades in Jamaica
- UWI’s pass mark has been 50% since the 2014/2015 grading policy, which replaced the old 40% pass and dropped the C−, D+ and D grades.
- A UWI degree needs a GPA of at least 2.00, and a semester GPA below 2.00 brings a warning; a second one in a row means the student must withdraw.
- In the Faculty of Social Sciences at Mona, Level I courses carry no weight in the degree GPA and Level II and III courses count equally.
- Mona’s undergraduate programmes ask for five CSEC subjects at General Proficiency Grades I–III, including English Language, and many also ask for two double-unit CAPE subjects.
- CXC counts CSEC Grades I–IV as satisfactory for entry-level employment.
Sources: The University of the West Indies, Grading Policy: The New Grading Scale; The University of the West Indies, Mona, Faculty of Science and Technology: GPA Scheme; The University of the West Indies, Grading Policy: Frequently Asked Questions; The University of the West Indies, Grade Point Average Regulations (effective August 2014); The University of the West Indies, Mona, Faculty of Social Sciences: Determination of Class of Degrees; The University of the West Indies, Mona, Entry Requirements; Caribbean Examinations Council, CSEC: Grading Scheme; Caribbean Examinations Council, Regulations for the Conduct of Examinations; Caribbean Examinations Council, What grades are pass grades for CAPE?.