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Convert a percentage grade to a French grade out of 20 with a free instant calculator, a full conversion table, worked examples, and what each grade means.
Canonical: https://www.prezumi.com/tools/convert/percentage-to-french-grade
Admissions offices and recruiters in France expect French grade, so a percentage grade has to be converted before it goes on a form. Enter your grade for an instant percentage-to-French grade result, then use the conversion table, the worked examples, and the notes on each scale to sense-check it.
| a percentage grade | a French grade out of 20 |
|---|---|
| 99% | 16 / 20 |
| 91% | 14.8 / 20 |
| 90% | 14 / 20 |
| 88% | 13.2 / 20 |
| 85% | 12 / 20 |
| 81% | 11.4 / 20 |
| 78% | 10.6 / 20 |
| 75% | 10 / 20 |
The converter works by anchoring both scales on the US 4.0 GPA, which is the most widely recognised reference point for comparing grades internationally. Your percentage is placed on the 0 to 4.0 scale first, then expressed as French grade. French marking is strict — 16/20 and above is excellent and rare.
French marking is strict — 16/20 and above is excellent and rare.
A percentage grade is the most common raw marking unit in the world, but the same number means very different things from one country to the next. In the United States 90% is an A, while in the United Kingdom 70% can already be a top First and 85% is almost unheard of. That is why a percentage always has to be read against the national scale it came from before it can be turned into a GPA.
French grades are marked out of 20, and the marking is deliberately strict. Ten out of 20 is the pass mark, 12 to 13 is assez bien, 14 to 15 is bien, and anything at 16 or above (très bien) is excellent and genuinely rare. Very few students ever see an 18, so a 14 already represents strong work.
Enter your percentage in the calculator above and it maps to French grade instantly through the US 4.0 GPA scale, which acts as the common reference between the two systems. The table below shows the full range. It is a close estimate, so for admissions or immigration use your institution's official scale or a credential evaluator such as WES.
No conversion between grading systems is exact, because scales differ by country and institution. French marking is strict — 16/20 and above is excellent and rare. Treat the result as a reliable estimate rather than an official equivalence, and use a recognised credential evaluator when an application formally requires one.
As a rough guide, the very top of the percentage scale corresponds to about 16 / 20, and a strong upper result maps to around 14 / 20. The full mapping across every band is in the conversion table above, and the examples show a few common grades in context.
On an international CV it helps to show both: your original percentage and the French grade equivalent in brackets, so a reader in France can understand it at a glance without doing the maths. Prezumi's free résumé builder lets you list your GPA, grade, and honours in a clean, ATS-friendly format.
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