Namibian grading system
At the University of Namibia, modules are marked out of 100 and graded A (80% and above, distinction) to E (49% and below, fail), and 50% (grade D) is the lowest pass; at school, NSSCO subjects are graded A* to G and NSSCAS subjects a to e.
Example · Credit-weighted average of 3 courses
Very good; upper second class
A pass: 70–79 of the marks. 50% is the lowest pass.
3 courses, 15 credits. Your institution’s own rules on rounding or cutting off decimals decide the grade on your record.
University grades: A to E (0 to 100%)
Modules, diplomas and bachelor’s degrees at the University of Namibia (UNAM). The same bands give the class of a degree or diploma when applied to the final mean percentage.
| Grade | Meaning | Marks | Pass? |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | distinction; first class as a degree average | 80 and above | Pass |
| B | very good; upper second class | 70–79 | Pass |
| C | good; lower second class | 60–69 | Pass |
| D | satisfactory; pass | 50–59 | Pass |
| E | fail | 49 and below | Fail |
NSSCO grades: A* to U
The Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate at Ordinary level (NSSCO), studied in Grades 10 and 11.
| Grade | Meaning | Pass? |
|---|---|---|
| A* | highest grade | Pass |
| A | pass; C or better prepares for NSSCAS in the subject | Pass |
| B | pass; C or better prepares for NSSCAS in the subject | Pass |
| C | pass; C or better prepares for NSSCAS in the subject | Pass |
| D | pass | Pass |
| E | pass | Pass |
| F | pass | Pass |
| G | lowest grade | Pass |
| U | ungraded: below the minimum standard for a pass | Fail |
NSSCAS grades: a to U
The Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate at Advanced Subsidiary level (NSSCAS), studied in Grade 12.
| Grade | Meaning | Pass? |
|---|---|---|
| a | highest grade | Pass |
| b | pass | Pass |
| c | pass | Pass |
| d | pass | Pass |
| e | lowest grade | Pass |
| U | ungraded: below the standard for a pass at NSSCAS level | Fail |
Namibian grades and a US GPA
This page gives no US equivalents for Namibian 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 Namibia
- A UNAM module needs a final mark of at least 50%, with at least 40% in the examination and 35% in each paper when the examination has more than one.
- A module is passed with distinction at 80% or more with at least 60% in each paper.
- A degree or diploma is awarded cum laude when the average of all its modules is 80% or more.
- A UNAM bachelor’s degree carries at least 480 credits, typically four years of full-time study.
Sources: University of Namibia, General Information and Regulations Prospectus 2025; National Institute for Educational Development (NIED), Ministry of Education, NSSCO Agricultural Science Syllabus, Grades 10–11; National Institute for Educational Development (NIED), Ministry of Education, NSSCAS Design and Technology Syllabus, Grade 12.