Translating Cambridge International grades
Students taking Cambridge International qualifications apply to universities all over the world, each of which speaks a different grading language. This converter takes a single Cambridge grade and shows three common equivalents at once: a US grade point on the 4.0 scale, a UCAS tariff figure for UK entry, and an approximate IB Higher Level subject point for comparison.
How it works
The tool holds three lookup tables. For the US GPA point it uses the evaluator scale where A* and A are 4.0, B is 3.5, C is 3.0, D is 2.5 and E is 2.0. For the UCAS tariff it applies the official A Level values (56 for A* down to 16 for E), with AS Levels worth 40 percent of those and no A* available. IGCSE grades carry no UCAS tariff, so the tool reports that field as not applicable while still giving the GPA point. The IB column maps each A Level grade onto an approximate Higher Level subject point, from a 7 for A* down to a 2 for E.
Grade conversion at a glance
Cambridge A Level / AS Level → equivalents
| Cambridge grade | US GPA (4.0) | UCAS tariff (A Level) | UCAS tariff (AS Level) | Approx IB HL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A* | 4.0 | 56 | — | 7 |
| A | 4.0 | 48 | 20 | 6 |
| B | 3.5 | 40 | 16 | 5 |
| C | 3.0 | 32 | 12 | 4 |
| D | 2.5 | 24 | 10 | 3 |
| E | 2.0 | 16 | 6 | 2 |
| U | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | — |
AS Level does not have an A* grade. IGCSE grades use the same GPA mapping but carry no UCAS tariff.
When to use this tool
Applying to US universities — American admissions offices work in GPA. Presenting an A* or A alongside its 4.0 equivalent helps admissions readers who may not be familiar with the A* to E scale.
Meeting a UK offer — UCAS tariff points add up across subjects, so knowing each grade’s tariff contribution lets you calculate whether you have met a conditional offer stated in tariff points rather than specific grades.
Comparing with IB peers — Some universities benchmark Cambridge A Levels against IB Higher Level subjects. The approximate IB column gives a rough sense of how your grades compare in international mixed-cohort contexts, though this mapping is not an official conversion.
Notes and accuracy
The UCAS tariff figures are official and exact. The US GPA mapping follows the scale credential evaluators commonly use for UK-style qualifications, and the IB column is a rough subject-level approximation rather than an official IB conversion. Because Cambridge International A Levels share the A* to E scale of UK A-Levels, most universities treat them as equivalent for entry, which is why they share these mappings. Use the result to compare offers across systems, then confirm the precise requirements with each institution you apply to.