Sri Lankan grading system
Sri Lankan universities grade courses from A+ to E, worth 4.00 to 0.00 grade points; at the University of Colombo’s Faculty of Science, C (40–44 marks) is the lowest grade that counts towards the degree, and a GPA of 3.70 or more earns a first class. G.C.E. O/L subjects are graded A (75–100), B, C, S (35–49, the lowest pass) and W (fail). Degree classes: 0.00 to 4.00, lowest pass 2.00.
Example · Credit-weighted average of 3 courses
Between A− and A
Superior 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 E
Undergraduate courses at the University of Colombo’s Faculty of Science. Each grade carries the grade points shown, and the GPA is their average weighted by credits. Grades below C still count in the GPA, but a degree needs C or better in a set number of credits.
| Grade | Meaning | Marks | Pass? |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | superior | 85–100 | Pass |
| A | superior | 70–84 | Pass |
| A− | superior | 65–69 | Pass |
| B+ | meritorious | 60–64 | Pass |
| B | meritorious | 55–59 | Pass |
| B− | meritorious | 50–54 | Pass |
| C+ | adequate | 45–49 | Pass |
| C | adequate | 40–44 | Pass |
| C− | adequate, but below C | 35–39 | Fail |
| D+ | minimal | 30–34 | Fail |
| D | minimal | 25–29 | Fail |
| E | failure | 0–24 | Fail |
Degree classes: 0.00 to 4.00
Three-year BSc degrees at the University of Colombo’s Faculty of Science, classed by the final GPA; the University of Peradeniya uses the same cut-offs. A class also needs C or better in at least 80 credits (first class) or 75 credits (second class), with the degree completed in three consecutive academic years.
| Grade | Meaning | Pass? |
|---|---|---|
| First class | first class | Pass |
| Second upper | second class (upper division) | Pass |
| Second lower | second class (lower division) | Pass |
| Pass | pass degree | Pass |
| Below 2.00 | below the minimum GPA for the degree | Fail |
G.C.E. O/L grades: A to W
The General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level, set by the Department of Examinations at the end of Grade 11.
| Grade | Meaning | Marks | Pass? |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | distinction | 75–100 | Pass |
| B | very good pass | 65–74 | Pass |
| C | credit pass | 50–64 | Pass |
| S | ordinary pass | 35–49 | Pass |
| W | weak (fail) | 0–34 | Fail |
Sri Lankan grades and a US GPA
This page gives no US equivalents for Sri Lankan 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 Sri Lanka
- At the University of Peradeniya, which uses the same grade points under University Grants Commission Circular 901, C is the minimum grade to pass a course, and an A+ is given only to outliers in the distribution of marks.
- University of Colombo transcripts list each course’s grade and credits but not the marks behind them.
- To qualify for the G.C.E. A/L, a candidate must pass six or more O/L subjects, including the first language and mathematics, with at least three credit passes.
- Older O/L certificates use a former scale: D (75 and above), C (50–74), S (35–49) and F (34 and below), so a D there is the top grade, not a weak one.
Sources: University of Colombo, Faculty of Science, Evaluation Procedure; University of Colombo, Faculty of Science, Undergraduate Handbook; University of Peradeniya, Online Undergraduate Examination Manual: Assessment and Grading Procedure; Department of Examinations, Sri Lanka, G.C.E. (O/L) Examination: Paper Structure and Model Questions (Tamil medium); Department of Examinations, Sri Lanka, Performance of Candidates: G.C.E. (O/L) Examination; Wikipedia, GCE Ordinary Level in Sri Lanka.