Malaysian grading system
In Malaysia, university grades run from A+ (best) to F on a 4.00 scale, and at Universiti Malaya C is the lowest pass for a course. SPM grades: A+ to G, lowest pass E.
Example · Credit-weighted average of 3 courses
Between A− and A
Distinction either way: your institution’s rule on rounding decides which grade goes on your record. C is the lowest pass.
3 courses, 15 credits.
University grades: A+ to F
Bachelor's degree courses at Universiti Malaya (UM). Other Malaysian universities use similar letters with their own marks and points.
| Grade | Meaning | Marks | Pass? |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | high distinction | 90–100% | Pass |
| A | distinction | 80–89% | Pass |
| A− | distinction | 75–79% | Pass |
| B+ | good | 70–74% | Pass |
| B | good | 65–69% | Pass |
| B− | good | 60–64% | Pass |
| C+ | pass | 55–59% | Pass |
| C | pass | 50–54% | Pass |
| C− | fail | 45–49% | Fail |
| D+ | fail | 40–44% | Fail |
| D | fail | 35–39% | Fail |
| F | fail | 0–34% | Fail |
SPM grades: A+ to G
Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), the national exam at the end of Form 5.
| Grade | On the transcript | Meaning | Marks | Pass? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | cemerlang tertinggi | highest distinction | 90–100% | Pass |
| A | cemerlang tinggi | high distinction | 80–89% | Pass |
| A− | cemerlang | distinction | 70–79% | Pass |
| B+ | kepujian tertinggi | highest credit | 65–69% | Pass |
| B | kepujian tinggi | high credit | 60–64% | Pass |
| C+ | kepujian atas | upper credit | 55–59% | Pass |
| C | kepujian | credit | 50–54% | Pass |
| D | lulus atas | upper pass | 45–49% | Pass |
| E | lulus | pass | 40–44% | Pass |
| G | gagal | fail | 0–39% | Fail |
Malaysian grades and a US GPA
This page gives no US equivalents for Malaysian 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 Malaysia
- At Universiti Malaya, C−, D+ and D carry grade points (1.70, 1.30 and 1.00) but are fails, because C is the passing grade for every course.
- A+ and A both count 4.00, so 4.00 is the highest possible CGPA.
- Universiti Malaya expects a CGPA of at least 2.00 every semester and gives a Dean's Award for a semester GPA of 3.70 or more.
- In the SPM, A+ to C are distinction and credit grades, D and E are passes below credit, and G is a fail.
- The SPM scale with A+ at the top has been used since 2009.
Sources: Universiti Malaya, Faculty of Science Handbook 2025/2026: grading system; Wikipedia (Bahasa Melayu), Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia.