TUM is one of Germany's leading technical universities and a major destination for internationally funded engineering students. German grading is inverted relative to South Asian scales, which is the single most common source of confusion for incoming students.
There are 11 grade tiers.
One thing TUM does not publish is a percentage equivalent. Scholarship forms ask for one anyway. Written confirmation from the examination office beats any multiplier you find online.
The table is the easy part. These rules are the ones that bite. Grading scale runs to 1.0 – 5.0, where 1.0 is best. Lowest passing grade stands at 4.0 (ausreichend). Fail runs to 5.0 (nicht ausreichend).
Two things remain unverified here. TUM's official grading scale is verified. German grades are inverted: 1.0 is best and 5.0 is fail. The grade table has a second gap beneath it. We keep both open pending an official text.
Use this for the sums and the handbook for what is allowed. Where the two disagree, TUM is right.
| Grading scale | 1.0 – 5.0, where 1.0 is best |
| Lowest passing grade | 4.0 (ausreichend) |
| Fail | 5.0 (nicht ausreichend) |
| Credit system | ECTS |
| Foreign grade conversion | Modified Bavarian formula |
| CGPA → percentage status | No universal official conversion published/verified |
We publish these openly rather than filling them with guesses. Help us close one.
IMPORTANT: in Germany a LOWER number is better. 1.0 is the best possible grade and 4.0 is the minimum pass; 5.0 is a fail. Averages are weighted by ECTS credits. Any calculator that treats 4.0 as 'excellent' for a German transcript is wrong.
| Grade | Points | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 1.00 | Sehr gut — Very good (excellent) |
| 1.3 | 1.30 | Sehr gut |
| 1.7 | 1.70 | Gut — Good |
| 2.0 | 2.00 | Gut |
| 2.3 | 2.30 | Gut |
| 2.7 | 2.70 | Befriedigend — Satisfactory |
| 3.0 | 3.00 | Befriedigend |
| 3.3 | 3.30 | Befriedigend |
| 3.7 | 3.70 | Ausreichend — Sufficient |
| 4.0 | 4.00 | Ausreichend — lowest passing grade |
| 5.0 | 5.00 | Nicht ausreichend — Fail |
No, it is a solid 'good' (gut). In Germany a lower number is better: 1.0 is the top grade, 4.0 is the minimum pass and 5.0 is a fail. A 2.3 is roughly comparable to a strong B / around 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Most German institutions apply the modified Bavarian formula: German grade = 1 + 3 x (Nmax - Nd) / (Nmax - Nmin), where Nmax is the best possible grade in your system, Nmin the minimum pass, and Nd your actual grade. This site's converter implements it for you.