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Convert a UK honours classification to a percentage grade with a free instant calculator, a full conversion table, worked examples, and what each grade means.
Canonical: https://www.prezumi.com/tools/convert/uk-degree-to-percentage
Admissions offices and recruiters in most of the world expect Percentage, so a UK honours classification has to be converted before it goes on a form. Enter your grade for an instant UK honours class-to-Percentage result, then use the conversion table, the worked examples, and the notes on each scale to sense-check it.
| a UK honours classification | a percentage grade |
|---|---|
| First-Class | 99% |
| First-Class | 91% |
| 2:1 (Upper Second) | 90% |
| 2:1 (Upper Second) | 88% |
| 2:2 (Lower Second) | 85% |
| 2:2 (Lower Second) | 81% |
| Third | 78% |
| Third | 75% |
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 UK honours class is placed on the 0 to 4.0 scale first, then expressed as Percentage. UK degrees are classified on the whole degree, so this is indicative.
UK degrees are classified on the whole degree, so this is indicative.
UK honours degrees are classified into four bands: a First (70% and above), an Upper Second or 2:1 (60 to 69%), a Lower Second or 2:2 (50 to 59%), and a Third (40 to 49%). A 2:1 is the level most employers and postgraduate courses ask for, and a First is the top classification. The class is worked out from the whole degree rather than a single average, so any GPA equivalent is indicative.
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.
Enter your UK honours class in the calculator above and it maps to percentage 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. UK degrees are classified on the whole degree, so this is indicative. 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 UK honours class scale corresponds to about 99%, and a strong upper result maps to around 90%. 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 UK honours class and the Percentage equivalent in brackets, so a reader in most of the world 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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