France uses a 0-20 grading scale where 20 is theoretically perfect but rarely given. A 16 or above is considered excellent. A 14 in France is closer to a US A- or B+ despite looking low on an American scale. This converter maps French grades to US GPA using standard credential evaluation equivalencies.
| French Grade | Mention | US GPA |
|---|---|---|
| 18-20 | Très bien | 4.0 |
| 16-17.99 | Très bien | 3.7 |
| 14-15.99 | Bien | 3.3 |
| 12-13.99 | Assez bien | 3.0 |
| 10-11.99 | Passable | 2.3 |
| Below 10 | Not passed | 0.0 |
The French grading system is known for its "notation sévère" (strict grading). Professors rarely award grades above 16/20, and a perfect 20/20 is almost never given. A student scoring 14/20 in France is performing at a level comparable to a strong B+ or A- in the US system. The "mention" system (Très Bien, Bien, Assez Bien, Passable) is what appears on French diplomas and is the primary reference point for international grade conversion. The mention thresholds are the ones used for the baccalauréat and most French university diplomas: Passable from 10, Assez bien from 12, Bien from 14 and Très bien from 16. This table is a common convention, not an official equivalence, and credential evaluators such as WES may convert differently.
Each example uses the table above.
| French grade | Mention | US GPA | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/20 | Passable | 2.3 | C+ |
| 12/20 | Assez bien | 3.0 | B |
| 14/20 | Bien | 3.3 | B+ |
| 16/20 | Très bien | 3.7 | A- |
Say your transcript shows three courses: 15/20 for 6 ECTS credits, 11/20 for 3 ECTS and 13/20 for 6 ECTS. Your French weighted average is (15 × 6 + 11 × 3 + 13 × 6) / 15 = 201 / 15 = 13.4/20, which converts to a 3.0 GPA. If a US school asks for course-by-course conversion instead, convert each grade first: 3.3, 2.3 and 3.0, then weight them: (3.3 × 6 + 2.3 × 3 + 3.0 × 6) / 15 = 44.7 / 15 = 2.98. The two methods can differ slightly, so use the one your application asks for.
Use the format from your country.
Instantly converted to the 4.0 scale.
Uses common published tables. Official evaluations (WES, ECE) may differ.
Full conversion table included.
Explains how the grading system works.
Immediate access.