Do you have the grades to be able to apply for the MEXT scholarship? Here’s how to find out!
MEXT Scholarship Minimum GPA Requirement
For a step-by-step walkthrough of the GPA calculation and other eligibility criteria, plus a GPA calculation spreadsheet and sample grading systems, click here to learn more about How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship, the first book in the Mastering the MEXT Scholarship System
This is a sneaky eligibility criteria, as I discussed in a previous article. You will not find it in the application guidelines for students, either at the Embassy or the University. However, it does appear in the guidelines that MEXT issues to those organizations. They cannot nominate you for the scholarship unless you meet the minimum GPA requirement.
Since the requirement is not clearly stated, and I’m certain your GPA is not calculated on a 3.00 scale, it’s possible that you might end up applying for the scholarship without ever realizing that you are not eligible.
By the end of this article, we will make sure that does not happen to you.
Although we will calculate your GPA, this is not an official calculation. Ultimately, the university and embassy are responsible for calculating the official scores themselves and they are not going to accept your calculation.
How to Convert Your Grades to MEXT’s Scale
The problem is that no university in the world – not even in Japan – uses a 3.00 GPA scale. That means you have to convert whatever grade or marks system your country uses to the MEXT scale.
Unfortunately, converting your overall average from one system to the other does not work. If you convert the overall average, the result will not be accurate. You need to convert each course grade one-by-one. If you want proof of why this is true and a sample of how converting an overall average can go horribly wrong, I have included one in my upcoming book, How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship, but you don’t need to read that to believe me.
What grades count for the calculation?
As of the 2020 University Recommended MEXT Scholarship Application process, MEXT has removed the “last two years” reference from its instructions to universities in how to calculate GPA. It used to be that only your last two years of grades counted for the calculation, but now it appears that all grades earned over your most recent degree will be counted. This change should apply to both the embassy and university
All grades earned in your current degree-seeking program, or in the degree program you graduated from most recently, if you are not currently enrolled in a degree.
Degree-Seeking Program
Only grades earned in a degree program count. If you are attending university as a non-degree student, attending a language program, or attending a language school, those grades do not count.
If you studied abroad during your degree, your study abroad semester may or may not count, depending on how it is reflected on your transcript. If your grades from study abroad are reflected on your home university transcript, then those grades count. If your grades are not reflected – if they only show up as pass/fail credits – then those grades do not count.
Calculating Pass/Fail Grades
In general, grades earned in pass/fail courses do not count. However, if you earned a “fail” grade in a pass/fail course and it is impossible to distinguish that grade from a failing grade in a graded course, then it may be counted.
Calculating Your GPA: Grading Systems
In order to calculate your grades, you will need an explanation of your grading system. An explanation of the grading system is generally a chart that shows all of the possible grades that can be earned and, ideally, the descriptive value of each one.
Typically, this will appear on the transcript itself, or it may be available from your university’s website. In my book, How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship, I include images and conversion charts for every grading system I have worked with in my career.
Without a grading system, your grades are impossible to interpret.
Grading systems vary wildly from country to country, so the same grade could be a good score in one country and a terrible score in another. For example, a 71% in Japan is below average (2.00 on the MEX 3.00 scale), but in the UK it is at excellent grade (3.00 on the 3.00 scale). A “D” grade in the US is just one place removed from failure (1.00 on the 3.00 scale), but in Australia, D stands for Distinction (3.00 on the 3.00 scale).
You need your grading system to be able to convert your grades. If it is not printed on your transcript, then talk to the international office at your university or a graduate school admissions office. Either of those offices would need to be able to convert foreign grades to your university’s system in order to accept students, so they should have access to conversion charts.
Calculating Your GPA: Grading Buckets
Based on your grading system, you need to determine how to fit your grades into grading “buckets.” A grading bucket is a group of grades that all convert to the same value on MEXT’s chart.
MEXT’s official conversion chart is as follows:
| System | Grades | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Level System | Excellent | Good | Average | Fail | |
| 4-Level System | A | B | C | F | |
| 4-Level System | 100 – 80 | 79 – 70 | 69 – 60 | 59 – 0 | |
| All other grading systems with 4 distinct grading buckets will use this system | |||||
| 5-Level System | S | A | B | C | F |
| 5-Level System | A | B | C | D | F |
| 5-Level System | 100 – 90 | 89 – 80 | 79 – 70 | 69 – 60 | 59 – 0 |
| All other grading systems with 5 distinct grading buckets will use this system | |||||
| MEXT System Grade | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Each column in the table above is a Grading Bucket, whether that’s a single letter, description, or range of scores. But these are not the only options. You might have a system with pluses and minuses, with more than 5 letters, or other variations, such as different percentage cut-offs.
It is important that you find the conversion that works for your grading system. Your grading system will tell you how to fit your grades into the buckets above.
Once you have done that, I recommend that you make a copy of your transcript so that you can write directly on it. You can also do your calculations in a spreadsheet, of course, or however you prefer.
Whatever system you are using, write your MEXT GPA score next to your score for each course that you took over the last 2 full years.
Calculating Your Grades: Credits
Next, we need to multiply each MEXT grade by the number of credits you earned in the class, if you have a credit system.
A credits system is when you need to obtain a specific number of credits in order to graduate. Most courses will be worth multiple credits in this kind of system, depending on the number of hours spent in class and on work outside of class.
Here are a few common credit systems:
- In Japan, many universities assign 2 credits per lecture course
- Many semester-system universities in the US assign 3 credits per lecture course
- Another credit system in the US and Canada is to assign 0.5 credits per semester course and 1 credit for a year-long course
- In the ECTS system in Europe, each course is typically worth 6 credits
If you have credits for each class, the number of credits will be printed next to each class on your transcript. Multiply that number by your MEXT grade for each course to get your Quality Points for that class.
What if Your University Doesn’t Use Credits?
There are a few alternative systems you may see.
The first, and easiest, is if there are no credits at all. In this system, you simply have to pass a certain number of courses. None is weighted more than the other. In that case, each course has a credit value of 1 and your quality points for the course would be equal to the MEXT grade.
Semester and Year Courses
If your university distinguishes between semester-long courses and year-long courses, but does not specify credits, then treat a year-long course as 2 credits and a semester-long course as 1 credit for the sake of calculating your grade.
Average Marks
I have seen average marks systems where each course was worth a maximum number of marks and students had to acquire a specific number of total marks across all courses in order to graduate.
In such a system, you still need to convert your grades for each individual course. You would get your converted grade based on the percentage of available marks that you earned and the number of credits would be equal to the total number of marks available.
Calculating Your MEXT GPA: Moment of Truth
GPA calculation formula
By this point, you should have your MEXT GPA for each course, the number of credits for each course, and the number of quality points (GPA x credits) for each course.
Divide the total number of quality points by the total number of credits to get your overall MEXT GPA.
How did you do? Did you clear the 2.30 threshold?
In most cases, I find that applicants’ GPAs are higher than they expect, especially if you come from a country with a harsh grading system.
If your grades are higher than 2.30, then you are eligible to apply, and there is nothing that should stop you. If you want to learn more about creating an application strategy and adopting a professional mindset to increase your chances of success, you can find advice and worksheets to improve your chances in How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship.
Of course, I have tons of free advice and resources in the other articles on this site, as well! You can find all of my MEXT articles at this link.
What If You Don’t Have Grades
There are some degree programs out there that do not award grades such as research-only graduate programs. In this case, you cannot calculate your GPA, so what do you do?
If you are applying for the Embassy Recommendation MEXT Scholarship, then please contact the Embassy for more details to be sure, but the instructions below may apply to you.
For the University Recommendation, if you have no grades, then your Letter of Recommendation (from your Dean or President, as required in that application process), must explicitly state that you are in the top 30% of your graduating class within the faculty or the university as a whole.
The top 30% letter only works if you have no GPA. If you have a GPA below 2.30, you cannot override that low GPA, even if you are in the top 30% of your class.
Questions?
Let me know in the comments below!
Special Thanks
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Hi Travis,
Thank you for your information!
I would like to ask if you know how grades will be calculated if a applicant is currently in a degree seeking program?
For example they have a Bachelor degree, then immediately join a Master degree seeking program (which they haven’t complete yet, just one semester in).
In this case which scores will be averaged (taken into account)?
1. Just the Master’ scores?
2. 2 Years scores (which would be scores obtain from 1.5 year (Bachelor degree) + 0.5 year (Master program))
3. 4 years scores (Bachelor’ scores only)
4. All scores (4 years from Bachelor degree and 0.5 year from Master program)
This is in the case they want to pursuit Master degree from MEXT.
Thank you so much, I can’t wait to hear your replied!
Hi Alex,
I’m sorry this article is a little complicated to read. I wasn’t completely sure of the change when I first edited it.
As far as I can tell, the grade calculation will based only on the program that you are currently enrolled in (if you are enrolled) or the most recent program that you completed, if you have already graduated. So, in your case, the grades should be based on 1. Just the Master’s scores, assuming that you have at least a semester of scores from that program on your transcript.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello!
Thank you so much for this great article.
But I might have a question, hehe.
My university basically considers every grade under 50 points as a fail (0-49pts). How would the whole MEXT points change in this situation? Is 50-59 still 0 points or?
Can you please let me know? Thank you in advance!
Hi Diana,
Unfortunately, without knowing what the rest of your grading system looks like (how many other tiers of grades there are, how they are broken down), I’m afraid I can’t answer your question. The important thing to know is how many tiers of grades there are and whether or not there are any other quality descriptions associated with them (e.g. excellent, good, average, etc.)
The specific percentages will change from country to country, so don’t worry about that, just look at the overall classification.
If you want to reply with the full breakdown of your grading system, I would be happy to try to answer again!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you so much for your reply!
I didn’t know exactly how many tiers were there in my university, so I had to ask. I apologize for commenting without knowing the full information.
100 – Excellent
90 – Very good
80 – Good
60–70 -Satisfactory
50 – Sufficient
10–40 – Unsatisfactory
These are the tiers. Please let me know if the MEXT points would change for the grading system from my country if you can. Thank you in advance and I’m sorry for the inconvenience!
Hi Diana,
Thank you for replying so quickly.
Please understand that this is only my estimate based on past experience, not an official conversion, but I would convert your grades as follows:
100 – Excellent = 3
90 – Very good = 3
80 – Good = 3
60–70 -Satisfactory = 2
50 – Sufficient = 1
10–40 – Unsatisfactory = 0
It isn’t normal to have three grades that all convert to “3”s, but since “Excellent” requires a full 100 percent, I’m treating that like an “A+” as compared to an “A” for Very Good.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much for everything! <3
I wish you all the best!
Hi Travis,
Thank you for this wonderful information.
can you help me in converting my grades? I live in Iran and we have grading system similar to France’s. It is from 0-20 and 10 is the passing grade. when converting to USA’s GPA it is something like this:
16-20: A or 4
14-15.99: B or 3
12-13.99: C or 2
10-11.99: D or 1
0-9.99 : F or 0 —- Fail
Wikipedia has a similar article about it but it’s a little different:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_grading_in_Iran
Hi Hassan,
In order to make an accurate calculation, you are going to need the exact system used at your university. According to your post and the article you linked, there are already variations in how grade conversions can be calculated (although if the Wikipedia article is based on the WES chart, that’s generally a gold standard).
What you will need is some documentation from your university that shows the relative value of each grade, for example, what range of grades is considered “excellent”, “good”, “average”, etc. With that in hand, the conversion should be simple.
In the case of the grades you indicated, that would be a simple 5-bucket system, with A/B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0, but to prove what ranges correspond with what grades, you would need your specific university’s grading system.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for replying Travis
Yes, the one I wrote is based on WES’s charts, although the wikipedia one is a little different.
But anyway I got your point.
Thank you again
Hi Travis, thanks for this article!!
I’m having some doubts regarding the scores.
I just finished my masters this year (excellent / 91 out of 100 points overall). And I thought I would only need to submit my masters documents, but it turns out they need the undergraduate as well… And you see, I was pretty average, maybe even less than that (67 out of 100 points total).
I still haven’t done the conversion to MEXT scale, but with only my masters grades, I’m sure to be up for the challenge, however my undergraduate years were nothing more than mediocre. Do they tend to look at that as well when trying for a PhD? Or will only my masters be seriously studied?
I will try for it either way next year, but its just bugging me so much.
Anxiously waiting for a reply,
Barbara
Hi Barbara,
To be honest, I am not entirely sure anymore how your previous degree will be factored in. In the past, there was a clear rule that your academic performance would be calculated based on your last two years of full-time study, which sometimes meant that applicants for a PhD had some of their undergraduate grades considered, if they have less than two years of Master’s grades. However, the specific reference to “two years” disappeared last year.
Logic still suggests that they will value your Master’s grades more than your undergrad and, if they do look at your undergrad, it would likely be only the last year or so, as you were taking your final coursework. At least for any eligibility evaluation, that should be the focus, and your undergrad grades would most likely be a point of reference, only.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis, thank you for this article.
I read all your articles and I am halfway into your book, but, I have some difficulty with converting my grade points. I am from India and the grade point system isn’t consistent. My university uses a 10 letter grade conversion scale where:
A+-=10= OUTSTANDING
A=9=EXCELLENT
B+=8=VERYGOOD
B=7=GOOD
C+=6=AVERAGE
C=5=BELOW AVERAGE
D=4=PASS
E=2=REPEAT
F=0=FAIL
IF I AM UNDERSTANDING IT RIGHT WAY THEN IS THIS CORRECT
A+,A,B+,B =3
C+,C=2
D=1
I don’t know if you’ll be free to help me, but, I’ll really appreciate your help
Hi JAI,
The conversion scale you suggested looks accurate to me. E and F would then convert as 0.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I WANT TO APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO. MY GPA ACCORDING TO CONVERTION IS 2.7/3. WHAT SCHOLARSHIP SHOULD I APPLY. EVEN I AM IN TOUCH WITH A PROFESSOR IN JAPANESE UNIVERSITY.
Hi JAI,
I have several articles about how to apply for the MEXT scholarship through various means. I would suggest that you start with my article about “What is the MEXT Scholarship and How Do You Apply” and go from there to research the process.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
THANK YOU FOR SUGGESTION ABOVE.
Hi
Thank you for this informative Blog.
Please, I have one question:
should we get at least 2.3 in every semester to be accepted in the scholarship? or the average of the last two years should be at least 2.3?
because me i get
2.6 in first semester of the last two years.
2.166 in second semester of the last two years. (LESS THAN 2.3)
2.8125 in the third semester of the last two years.
3 in fourth semester of the last two years.
the average of the 4 semesters is 2.644.
so can I get the mext scholarship?
Thanks in advance
Hi Sulaiman Hamood,
You do not need to average your GPA semester-by-semester, and shouldn’t be doing that at all.
You should convert each grade to the MEXT scale then take the overall average after conversion. Make sure to include your grades from all years of your most recent degree.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis!
Thank you very much for all the information you have shared with us.
I am not sure whether I do or do not fulfil the GPA requirements. In my undergraduate, I got 4.25. Then in my Master Degree at UCL, I got 70 (Distinction) as an overall score. I still do not know how to convert that grade to the 3.0 MEXT graded system. Would you mind giving me a hand with that? I just got the results from the embassy. They rejected my application, and I do not know why. I would like to know if it has to do with my grades. I would like to try it again, but this time through the MEXT University Recommendation. Could you please help me?
Hi Andrea Lara,
It sounds like you haven’t used the method in this article yet to try to convert your grades to MEXT’s 3.0 scale. I would recommend that you calculate your individual grades from your Master’s degree, one by one, then take the average of your converted grades. It is not possible to convert your overall average. That will not give you an accurate figure. You should only need to convert the grades from your Master’s degree.
How you convert your grades is going to be based on the grading system used at your university, so you’re going to need to refer to that to see what grades convert to different scores on MEXT. If you have an explanation of the grading system (e.g. what scores correspond to which qualitative values), it should be a relatively straightforward process.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
I have two questions regarding MEXT GPA grading, both of which are special cases at my university. Other than this I am able to calculate the rest of my grades. For your reference my university (University of California Santa Cruz) uses the 5 level system with A as the highest letter.
1.) In my undergraduate major, class grades below a C cannot be used to meet major requirements. I got a C- in my first quarter of my first year, and I took the class again the next quarter and received a B. My school replaces the grades of the failed class with the grade of the second attempt, so my GPA of the first quarter was raised after retaking the class. However, although my transcript has the updated GPA, the letter grade used is still the one from my first attempt. This may be a bit far fetched, but will students have the chance to explain certain grades during application?
2.) My school switched to online classes in my most recent school quarter due to Covid. Because of this sudden transition, our department gave us the option to use the Pass/No Pass grading options for major required courses, only for that quarter. I received a P (pass) for one of my major classes. How will this translate to the MEXT grading scale?
Thank you for your time and your resources, I look forward to your reply!
Best,
Jimmy
Hi Jimmy C.,
1. MEXT is going to refer to the grades written on the transcript and you would not get a chance to explain them prior to the document screening. Their reasoning is that if your university leaves the old grade on the transcript, then the university wants that recorded and they should follow the university’s policy.
2. Pass/Fail grades are not counted toward the GPA calculation. It doesn’t matter if they are major courses or not.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis, first I want to thank you for all your hard work and information you have given, it has been really valuable. My question is, did you get anymore information on the change of the 2 year GPA calculation? Thank you so much.
Hi Najmaldin,
No, I haven’t heard anything new, and I don’t expect to until the next set of guidelines for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship are released later this year, if at all. In the meantime, I still recommend calculating your grades both ways to make sure that you’re safe.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
I read some comments and some are very close to mine but to be sure and one more extra question. how should I translete these and I have master gradute GPA and undergraduate GPA. Which should I use?
Thank you.
MU : Exempt : The grade MU is given to the student who is found successful in the examination for exemption conducted by the department concerned for courses determined by the University Senate.
AA : Excellent
BA :Good – Excellent
BB : Good
CB : Good – Medium
CC : Medium
DC : Weak – Medium
DD : Weak
FF : Unsuccessful
Hi Kagome,
You need to submit your grades from your graduate and undergraduate programs, but as far as I know, only the grades from the most recent program should be considered. They might consider both Masters and part of your Undergraduate grades if you only have one year or one semester of Master’s grades, but given the recent shift away from the strict insistence on 2 years of grades, I am not completely sure.
For the grades you listed, I would suggest the following conversion:
MU : Exempt = Not counted (do not count credits or grade in the conversion process)
AA : Excellent = 3
BA :Good – Excellent = 3
BB : Good = 3
CB : Good – Medium = 2
CC : Medium = 2
DC : Weak – Medium = 1
DD : Weak = 1
FF : Unsuccessful = 0
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
In my master (with 5 level score ) my all grades are AA,BA,BB and today an university student affairs told me that , you cant reach 2.3 with your transcript.
Is it possible ? Please, can you help me about calculate via mail?
Sincerely,
Hi Kagome,
Even if your university refuses to help, you should be able to fit your grades into one of the scales that I have suggested in this article. For an AA, AB, BB system, I would recommend that you consider “AA” to be “A”, “AB” to be “B+” etc. Since you will drop all of the + and – to do the conversion, an “AB” grade” would essentially be lumped in with the “B” grades.
Does that help you fit your grades into the charts above? Hopefully it should be enough for you to convert them on your own.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Travis,
Thank you for all your hard work with this great blog.
So, upon trying to convert my grades, into the MEXT “buckets”, I noticed that the points interval included in the second highest grade letter from my university’s system fits both as a MEXT grade 3 and 2. Its interval is 89-70, which means that, on average, it would be better represented as 2,5 MEXT grade. Is that right, or should I consider it either a 2 or 3? The real numeric grades aren’t present in transcript, so all I have is the letter grades.
Hi João Pedro,
You should not simply use the numbers in these sample charts to convert your grades. The conversion has to be specific to your country’s grading system. Rather than looking at the raw number itself, it is more important to convert your grades based on whether they fall in the highest letter grade in your system, second-highest in your system, etc. You should be converting your grades based on the total number of letter grades possible in your system and where your grade fits relative to that scale.
All grades would convert to MEXT’s system as whole numbers. So, you would never convert a grade as 2.5. It would be 2 or 3.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks, Travis! So, considering that my university grades in a four letter system in the following intervals: 100-90; 89-70; 69-50; 49-30; and 29-0; I’d say that both the highest and the second highest could be considered a “3” grade. I know that, ideally, I should discuss this with my university’s international affairs department, but they’ve been very hard to reach lately. Anyways, thanks again for the help so far.
Hi João Pedro,
Based on what you have described here, I would agree with you that the highest and second highest would be “3”, the next would be “2” and the 49-30 category would be “1”, so long as it is a passing grade.
If there are qualitative descriptions of the grade buckets (e.g. “execellent”, “good”, etc.) that would be clearer, but this seems like a good approach for the calculation.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis!
First of all – thank you very much for this blog. It has been extremely helpful in demystifying the process and has helped me progress this far 🙂
I also have questions in relation to the GPA and application process:
I am currently at the final selection stage within my country (in our case this is the interview). The local embassy has already reviewed my transcript and has allowed me to progress this far. Since I have a degree from a foreign university (UK), they asked me to convert my grades to the local grading system. They specifically asked for my overall cumulative grade and the grade I received on my dissertation. When calculated and converted in this way I am above the threshold they said is valid for my country.
However, there are complications: The final grade on my diploma (2:1 Upper Second) is actually calculated on the basis of the final two years through formulas I am not quite aware of and does not correspond to an overall cumulative grade.
I also calculated my GPA based on the process you explained in the article and the results are slightly worrying:
Overall GPA: 2.29
Final 2 years GPA: 2.75
I am wondering what could go wrong at this point of the process? I know in October MEXT will send my documents to the universities of my choice and I am worried that due to insufficient 0.01 grade points I might not be admitted after going through all other admission stages. Do you think this really is a possibility?
Thank you very much for your time and response!
All the best,
Rina
Hi Rina,
First of all, I want to correct one thing about the process. MEXT does not send your application to the universities – you do that. After you pass the primary screening at the embassy, you will contact three universities in Japan to request letters of acceptance.
The universities probably aren’t going to be that concerned about your grade. By that point, you will have already passed the primary screening at the Embassy – and it is the embassy that is responsible for making sure that you met all of the eligibility requirements, so they will most likely assume that is done.
Once you have submitted the Letters of Acceptance to the Embassy, they send your completed application to MEXT for the Secondary Screening, and MEXT will take another look at your eligibility requirements.
I don’t know what will happen at that point. If we assume that your conversion was exactly how MEXT will, and we assume that the GPA calculation is based on the full term of your degree (that information was based on last year’s University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship application, so it might be different), then you would not meet the eligibility criteria. But even if that is the case, there is nothing that you can do about it at this point. You have to trust that the Embassy has done the calculation according to the current instructions and that they have cleared you, so my recommendation is that you stick to it and give it all of your effort in the areas under your control.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis! Thank you very much for the clarification and the detailed answer. Hope all will go well 🙂
I hope you wouldn’t mind me asking one additional unrelated question: if I have indicated on the application form that I intend to do research as a non-regular student only (Q 17: Term you wish to study in Japan), could I later change my mind and progress to a Masters degree?
Hi Ekaterina,
Your answer in Question 17 does not bind you to a final answer. You can always change your mind later and apply for an extension of the scholarship after arrival to cover a full degree.
However, it is very rare for someone to say that they just want to be a research student, so in the meantime, you should prepare for questions about that during the Primary Screening and while applying to universities.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, thanks very much writing such incredible guides.
I am currently in the process of writing my thesis for my one year master’s degree but have already obtained official examination results. Will these results count towards my GPA or will I have to fully graduate first?
Hi Jimmy,
Thank you for your kind words.
Your evaluation will be based on the most recent results that you have at the time of application.
If you already have grades issued for part or all of your degree, those will be used. They may also refer to grades from your undergraduate program.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis! First of all, great article!
I was very happy when I calculated and saw that my grade is 2.45 (inside the threshold). Right, Do you believe that published articles and competition awards also have value in the MEXT selection process?
Will my GPA be the main deciding factor if I try to apply to some more competitive university like Tsukuba or Osaka?
Finally, any updates while the old system, where only the GPA of the last 2 years was calculated?
I ended up noticing that I was calculating the MEXT GPA in the wrong way and ended up with an even better average: 2.65. This is my average for the whole course, my average for the last 2 years is 2.9. With your experience, do you think this average is interesting for universities like Tsukuba?
I’ve been reading your website for a long time and I’m seriously thinking about buying your books, the research program seems very important, correct? I’ve been in the research area for a few years now, but I have a doubt, which factor is more relevant in the selection process? the MEXT GPA or the research plan? both have the same “weight”?
Hi Victor,
I am sorry that this reply is coming so late.
Regarding your GPA, that’s going to be screened primarily at the Embassy level for the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship. I do not think the universities are going to make their decision based on that. Your GPA is used as a criteria to compare you to other applicants to decide who gets selected and who does not. For the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship, that selection occurs during the primary screening. The universities are not screening you competitively when you apply for a Letter of Acceptance, so the GPA becomes less important. They still want to see that you have strong academic performance, but it’s no longer a competition where a few points will make a huge difference.
I think the Field of Study and Research Program Plan is a much more important factor at the Letter of Acceptance application point. The universities – and often individual professors – are really trying to determine if your research is well thought-out, fits with them, and can be accomplished there. With a strong research plan, I would say that you should not hesitate to contact any university in Japan, as long as there is a professor there aligned with your research.
Thank you for considering my books, as well. I would say that the research program plan is the most important part of your application, so if that’s an area where you need help, then that would probably be the best one to start with. I also have an article about how I recommend structuring that plan and what to include, so you could start there, first, and only consider the book if you want to go into more detail or want more advice on the process of creating your research question in the first place.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Victor,
Having published works certainly won’t hurt you, but I do not think it is a major factor in the evaluation.
If you are applying for the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship, then the universities won’t be looking at your GPA too hard. That would be done at the embassy level and once you have passed the Embassy’s primary screening, that is generally good enough for the universities. (If you are applying for the university recommended MEXT scholarship, it would be a much bigger factor, at least used in cutting down the list of applicants in the first step of the review). In that case, I’m afraid to say that a qualifying GPA probably wouldn’t be enough.
I do not know why the system of counting years was changed. It isn’t something that MEXT made an announcement about, it just changed in the guidelines last year.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
i didn’t get how to convert grades for MEXT kindly guide me.
Hi Yasir Ahmed,
This entire article was about how to convert your grades. Have you followed all of the steps? If you tried and had a problem with a particular part, please let me know which part and what your specific question is so that I can try to help.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis!!
I have a question for you about the last two years reference, this year I already graduated for almost two years from my recent grade
but I intend to apply for Mext via University recommendation next year. Could I still have the opportunity to getting it?
Hi Nisa,
The last two years refers to your last two years of study. It does not matter how many years ago it was. Even if you graduated five years ago, it would still mean the last two years that you were enrolled.
However, it seems that the “last two years” rule may have been eliminated last year. I am still trying to confirm, but for now, I would recommend calculating your grades for both the last two years and also all of the grades that you earned at the last university you graduated from.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I have 3.61 CGPA but I’m a technology student DAE 3 years and after Bachelors in Mechanical Technology can I apply Masters degree plz tell me???
Hi Asad,
As I described in the article above, it is not possible to simply convert your CGPA. You need to convert the grades for each course individually then take the average.
If you have earned your bachelor’s degree, you should be eligible to apply for a Masters, but please check my article about the Eligibility Criteria to make sure you meet the other requirements, as well.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you for ur amazing post, I wanted confirm in case of uk grading system where 70+ is a first = excellent , 69-60 a 2.1 = very good, 59-50 a 2.2 = ok modest performance, 49-40 a Third= Weak answer pass and >39 as fail. If my understanding is correct 100 to 60 = 3, 59-50 = 2, 49-40 = 1 and >39 fail.
Uk university adopt level on their courses, usually first year exams are level 4, and second and third are level 5 and 6, would this apply for the Mext scholarship? ( is quite a hard question I guess).
I’m sorry for the multiple question(and possible additional that will arrive) and I really wanted to thank you for the amazing post, for trying to helping us that wants to go in Japan.
Hi Dilan,
Thank you very much for your kind feedback.
In the UK system with only First, Upper Second, Lower Second, and Third, yes, the breakdown that you described is the one I would use.
First/Upper Second = 3
Lower Second = 3
Third = 1
Some universities have a “Pass” below the third, which complicates things, but in your case, it seems clear.
I’m not sure what you mean about the exam levels though. That would not affect how MEXT calculates the grades, as far as I know, but if I’m missing something, please let me know!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Trevis,
Thank you so much for your reply, about the level is that some uni in the UK (I’m not sure how many will do in this manner) subdivided the subject into levels (4 to 6). Level 4 usually in the first year and not counted for the degree to level 5 and 6 which usually are the most valuable for ur degree grade(funny fact some level 6 are thought in master courses), but as I contacted my Embassy it seems that they are not really caring about this system, but it seems they want just a weighted average grade based on credits (of each subject).
But I want to thank you again so much because the guide u made really help me a lot through the application (no matter the result).
Thank you
Dilan
Hi Dilan,
Thank you for your kind comments!
In the past, MEXT only considered the last two years worth of grades in your application, but as of last year’s university-recommended MEXT scholarship, they now seem to consider a weighted average of all the grades earned over the course of your degree, regardless of the level.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi,
Many thanks for this great guide, Travis. To confirm and elaborate upon what Dilan asked, I have completed a 1-year master’s degree in the UK with a final grade of 67/100.
I am still not quite sure about how to convert that one while I am doubtful on whether I still need to consider the last 1 or 2 years of my undergraduate degree as well.
Could you please enlighten me about this issue?
Hi Hasan,
You cannot convert your overall grade, you would need to convert your grades to the MEXT scale one-by-one and take the average of the total.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any clear guidance anymore about whether or not you need to convert the last year of your undergrad degree, as well. Up until last year, the instructions were clear that the last two years of grades must be included, even if they came from different degrees, but as of last year, the instructions were simplified. It appears that only your grades (all your grades) from your most recent degree are counted.
My recommendation would be to convert your grades both ways to make sure you meet the requirement in either case.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Do you have any updates on whether the “last two years” criteria still applies for Embassy-recommended applications? The other blog post “2020/2021 Embassy Recommendation MEXT Scholarship” shows only the last two years will be counted. If I only calculate the last two years of my degree, I will be eligible, but if I count all years in my last degree, I am not eligible.
Thanks,
Marei
Hi Marei,
Thank you for pointing that out! I only became aware of the change in the guidelines eliminating the “last two years” wording after I published that eligibility article and I hadn’t updated that one.
All I know for sure is that, as of last year, MEXT stopped telling universities to only calculate the GPA based on the final two years in the instructions that I have access to. I suspect that would apply to the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship, too, but I do not know for sure, since I do not have direct access to the guidelines given to embassies.
Ultimately, though, the calculation method I present here is only for your own reference. There could be variations in how embassies factor in GPA, so I would encourage you not to give up just because of your calculation, especially if you’re close!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, i only have 1 year of university transcript as i received 3 years of credits exemption from a diploma programme. Is MEXT going to take into consideration my diploma transcripts as well?
Thank you.
Hi Alicia,
Only the credits earned in your most recent degree program should count, so that would be your 1 year of university grades. You would essentially be treated as a transfer student, so you would have to submit your transcript from the diploma program for reference, but only the university program grades will factor in to your eligibility.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, Travis! I think I need a little help from you because I’m confused about the grading system, etc. I’m thinking about applying for the 2021 MEXT Scholarship but I’m having a hard time whether to continue it or not. The last school I’ve attended, which I finished Senior High School, does not actually give grades BUT it has an official marks in the transcript itself. It says that “[SCHOOL NAME] follows the non-graded system of Education. The only instance that a report card is issued to a learner is when he or she transfers to another school after completing a particular course or level. This is done solely to facilitate the evaluation of his or her transfer. [SCHOOL NAME] does not issue the quarterly numerical equivalents as practiced in graded schools.”
Official Marks would be:
• CMS (Completely Mastery of Skills) = 100-95
• SP (Skills Perfected) = 94-90
• SAP (Skills Almost Perfected) = 89-85
• GP (Good Performance) = 84-80
• CONT (Continuing)
• NSA (No Substantial Accomplishment)
Also, they don’t issue another original copy of my “grades”. My previous school is kind of “complicated/not a typical school” that’s why I’m having a hard time whether to submit my documents or not to the Embassy of Japan here in my country. Your answer will be a big help to me! Thank you.
*Applying for MEXT Scholarship in SPECIALIZED TRAINING SCHOLARSHIP
Hi Danah,
My area of expertise is in the scholarship for graduate students, so I am not familiar with high school systems and the exact process required for the Specialized Training Scholarship.
In general, though, whenever you have a special circumstance, I recommend consulting directly with the Embassy to get their feedback. After all, they are the ones that are going to make the judgement call on whether to accept your application and how to evaluate it, so their input is most important.
If you can provide documentation of the official marks system you described, then I do not see why that cannot be used as your grades for conversion. It sounds like a pretty straightforward 4-grade system (CMS/SP = 3, SAP = 2, GP = 1, NSA = 0).
As for your original document, a copy that is certified as being accurate by an official at the school can be considered an original.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello again Travis
-If I’m aplying for a second Master, would they take into consideration my previous Master’s degree GPA or just the one of my Bachelor ?
-a second question is related to the way of choosing Universities, I was wondering should I choose high ranked and excellent Universities or stick with the less ranked ones to assure having more chances for admission ?
Thanks a million for your awesome efforts
Hi Imen,
They are going to count your GPA for the last degree you earned, so in this case, it would be for your previous masters.
I recommend that you ignore rank completely when choosing your university. Overall university rank often has nothing to do with the quality of education and might be based on only a specific field.
Instead, I recommend you choose your university based on the availability of the degree program you want to follow and the presence of potential advising professors there who are close to and can advise your research. Ultimately, the most important thing is how well that university can support your research goals.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis!
In this article says that only the last 2 years of the grades count. Is that really true?
I’ve read the guidelines published by the Monbukagakusho in Japanese, and it just says:
“Your GPA must be 2.30 (out of 3.00) or above in your most recent academic degree. If it is below 2.30, you are NOT eligible.”
But nowhere is it mentioned that only the last two years count.
This detail is pretty important to me. If it only counts the last two years then everything will be alright, but if not, I would have to take various electives to raise my grades.
Electives are counted as well, right?
I’ve recalculated my overall GPA for every grade in my undergraduate degree, and I concluded that there is no possible way to reach the cut off in the remaining semesters.
But if only the grades in the last 2 years count, then my GPA would be considerably high. This detail makes a big difference in my case…
Hi Quimi,
Based on your last comment, I discovered that the “two years” reference had disappeared in last year’s University Recommended MEXT Scholarship instructions, so I went back and updated this article then emailed everyone on my mailing list who might have read it or purchased one of my books in the past.
At the moment, I have no objective evidence to suggest that the “last two years” rule still applies, so it looks like all grades earned in your most recent degree will now be factored into the calculation, but there could be other guidance or clarification not publicly published, as well. (For example, grade calculation instructions to embassies has never been publicly published, only the instructions to universities). MEXT still does require that the submitted transcript show which year each course was taken in, so there may still be some consideration.
Right now, I cannot tell you for certain that you would not be eligible and if you are not applying this year, there is always a chance for another change in the future, so I do not want to encourage you to give up.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks for you reply, Travis!
Lastly, I have another question. Do you think taking an extra semester would give a bad impression to reviewers? It’s not exactly due to bad performance, the grades in my lastest semesters are ok. I think it can be difficult to complete my thesis in just one semester, so I’m considering taking another. Also, I think this way I could rise slightly my grades and probably gain some time to make more paper publications.
Hi Quimi,
No, simply taking an extra semester is not likely to make a bad impression by itself. You might be asked to explain why you did it, but if you say that it was because you wanted to spend more time on your thesis research, I don’t think anyone would disapprove of that motivation!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Quimi,
Wow! Thank you for bringing this to my attention. The rule about calculating only the last two years was clearly stated in MEXT’s instructions to universities up through the 2019 application cycle, but when I double-checked the instructions from the 2020 University Recommended MEXT Scholarship application, I see that the most recent two years reference was deleted. I had overlooked that change.
For now, it looks like all grades from your current degree will be considered, but there could be other instructions or clarifications provided directly to universities and embassies, so I cannot be completely sure. I will see what I can find out.
In the meantime, I would suggest that you calculate your grades both ways and make sure you qualify.
Yes, electives count in the calculation, though reviewers might notice if you suddenly take a bunch of low-level electives at once in a later year to pad your GPA (I knew people in university who took a bunch of language 101 courses in their final year to boost their grades. . .)
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, having calculated my GPA I’m disappointed to see that I’m below the threshold thanks to an ill advised heavily weighted extra module I took on the side and a semester out, despite my degree being awarded merit status on graduation. However, I graduated 7 years ago and since have a fairly successful and high profile career in the specific area I’m looking to study my masters in, and will be able to provide a really strong reference to that effect. Will the embassy and university take that sort of thing into account or will my grades from nearly a decade ago forever put an end to my MEXT dreams do you think? Is it unheard of? Many thanks.
Hi Jemma,
The grade conversion guidelines I have written here are a description of how we did it at the university I worked for. To the best of my knowledge, this is the way it is done at every review stage, but there could be some room for interpretation with how specific grades are converted. Unless you are really certain, I would not recommend giving up solely because of the results of your conversion.
Ultimately, though, if you’re below the threshold, I do not think anything other than grades are going to help overcome that. I would suggest a better approach might be to explain that the extra module was not part of your degree program and see if you can get that ignored in the conversion. (I’m not sure what you mean be a semester out. . . If you were not studying for a semester, then that wouldn’t be one of the semesters used for your conversion. You would need to use the last four semesters that you did earn grades).
If all else fails, then I would unfortunately have to suggest that your way forward might need to include earning another degree elsewhere first, so that those grades are no longer considered in your eligibility.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
hi travis,
hope you are doing well, i recently messaged the consulate of japan in my country, and asked them if it is mandatory to have a GPA of 2.3 and above to be able to apply, they answered me and said if it isn’t mentioned in the guidelines then it’s not mandatory, what should i do now?
thanks.
Hi Lawen Sardar,
The GPA requirement is not an eligibility requirement for your to apply. However, this is the standard used by all government funding and scholarships. (although it is higher in some cases).
I do not know the exact process at the Embassy, but I know that at the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship, for example, the GPA requirement is never told to the applicants, but universities are not allowed to recommend anyone if their GPA is lower than 2.3. So, it’s not so much an eligibility requirement as it is part of the screening.
So, they are never going to tell you about this requirement, but I would still assume that it exists during the screening.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, thank you so much for this article. I am not sure how to calculate the GPA with my grading system. Could you help me please ? In my case the grading system is as follow
A+= 100-96
A=95-85
B= 84-76
C= 74-65
D=64-60
If I understood well then A+ and A are equivalent to 3, B=2, C=1, D=0? because I think even with a D you pass the course so maybe I have to think in adding an F as a 0 but then I am not sure how to convert my grading system.
Thank you very much!
Hi Augustina,
In your situation, my best guess is:
A+/A/B = 3
C = 2
D = 1
But, I would have to see an explanation of the grading system that has qualitative indicators or a comparison to another country’s system to be sure.
In general, I recommend ignoring + and – in converting grades, so if you do that, your system becomes a simple A/B/C/D/F five-level system, so that is why I converted it as above.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, thank you so much for your help!
Hello Travis, I’m Alya Dayna. Thank you for your articles and emails regarding MEXT scholarship preparation, I’m currently preparing for MEXT and I must say your emails really enlighten me.
However, I struggled with converting my grades to MEXT’s scale. I wonder if you could help me sort this out?
My university in Indonesia is using this type of grading system for the subjects:
A: EXCELLENT: 4.00
AB: VERY GOOD: 3.50
B: GOOD: 3.00
BC: FAIRLY GOOD: 2.50
C: FAIR: 2.00
D: Conditionally Pass: 1.00
Not forget to mention that my university used a scale of 1 to 3 credit points for each of its subjects.
Which one of the grading systems do you think I should use to convert my grades?
Looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your help. I hope you stay safe during this pandemic.
Hi Alya Dayna,
Based on the scale you provided, I would convert your grades as follows:
A, AB, B = 3
BC, C = 2
D = 1
Usually, credits refer to the relative weight/importance of a course compared to the others (or rather, how many hours of instruction and study it required). Is that the case for you, or are the credits a reflection of your performance in the course? For example, do all students get the same number of credits per course, or does it differ based on performance?
If all students get the same number of credits, then you would multiply your converted grade for each course by the number of credits. Then, after you have totaled up all of those scores, divide by the total number of credits to get your final converted GPA.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi!
I’m just wondering about this last 2 years thing. In the last two years I’ve gone in exchange where the grades do not count to my transcript and took a semester off to work. So I only did 7 subjects in the last two years (a normal load would be 16 subjects). How would my GPA be calculated? Would only 7 subjects be used?
Hi Jon,
I’m sorry the explanation wasn’t clear. Your GPA will be calculated based on your last 2 years of grades, not the last two calendar years. So, in a semester system, that would mean the last four semesters of grades on your transcript, even if they didn’t fall within the last two calendar years. (i.e. do not include the study abroad semester or the semester that you took off to work in the four semesters).
You will probably need to also submit a transcript from your study abroad program, though, even though the grades didn’t count toward your degree, so if you do not have a copy, it’s a good idea to try to get one soon.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello, I’ve noticed that mext rates grades with 69 as an F. Where i live our grading system is rated from 1 to 10. If you receive a 5.5 that means you passed but below that you failed. So does it mean that mext rates a 5.5 as a fail?
Hi Nana,
MEXT is not going to impose a Japanese grading scale on everyone’s grades. For example, there are some grading systems where a 69 is quite a good grade and might be translated as a B. You need to convert the grades from your home university’s system one by one into what the equivalent grade would be in MEXT’s system and then evaluate them.
In your case, if a 5.5 is the minimum passing grade in your system, that would be converted as a “1” and anything below that would be converted as a “0”.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
First of all really appreciating the information you shared in the blog as those are much useful and easy to understand ,
question: can you please tell me when can we apply for this MEXT scholarships?
Hi Shabir Ahmad,
There are two ways to apply for the scholarship: Embassy Recommendation and University Recommendation. (I introduce them more in my introductory article about the scholarship)
The Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship Application process usually starts in April each year, with the application guidelines being released by MEXT and posted on the Japanese embassy websites some time during that month, so I expect it to start any day now. I would recommend that you check the Japanese embassy’s website every day to see if the application has started yet.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
hi travais,
so if only last two years count, do i still have to submit all the transcripts i have received as it says in the guidelines? or are the most recent two enough?
Hi Lawen Sardar,
You do have to submit all years, even if only the last two count for the eligibility criteria. Your earlier grades are still part of the consideration of your application as a whole.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
hi travis,
if this is true about the GPA , why do they mention nothing about it in the guidelines?
Hi Lawen Sardar,
It is in the guidance that MEXT gives to universities to make their selections and nominations, but not in the guidance given to applicants. The guidance given to universities is only available in Japanese.
(Note: I do not have access to the guidance given to Embassies about the selection process)
It is possible that this condition does not exist in the guidance to embassies, but it is present in all of the other forms of application guidance I have seen, including the extension application process. Most applicants I saw that successfully received the scholarship were well above the cut-off line, so as a function of competition, I still think it is a good idea to calculate your GPA on this scale to see how competitive your application is on this basis.
However, if your GPA is below the 2.30 cut off and you still want to apply, please do not let me stop you.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis!
Thank you for your blog! It’s super helpful.
I have a question. I was an exchange student in Japan in the spring semester during my junior year. Should I include my transcript from japanese university to my calculation?
And on more. My department is Journalism and Mass Communication and it says that it’s better to apply for the same program as your bachelor degree. However, I wonder is it possible to apply for example to Media Design program in one university and to Mass Communication/Journalism program in the other two? Cause I found it interesting and I had different courses about graphic design and visual storytelling during my studies, so I want to do my research in this way. I thought maybe it would be possible to connect media and design since it’s a big part of mass media.
Thank you in advance!
Hi Aziza,
If the grades from your exchange did not transfer back to your home university (often, I see that credits transfer back, but on the home university transcript, they all appear as “pass”), then your grades from your exchange should not factor in to your GPA calculation. IF the grades from your exchange do appear on your home university transcript, then they will be counted.
In either case, the reviewers will definitely want to see your grades from your exchange university anyway, as a reference, so you should certainly include the transcript.
Regarding your major, both Media Design and Mass Communication seem to be related enough to be able to apply to either one. However, you can only submit one Field of Study and Research Program Plan, so you would need to make sure that there is a program and professor at each university you apply to where that FSRPP will work. It matters less what the graduate school name is and more that the contents of the research are the same at each university.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
hi travis, how are you doing? i hope you are doing well,if you could help me i would really appreciate it, im in my final year and wont receive a transcript of my final year at the time of the application,so i have to use the grades i have earned in my 3rd and 2nd year of my 4 year bachelor degree course, so in my second year i had 7 subjects 4 of them with 4 credits and the other 3 with 6 credits,in my third year how ever i also had 7 subjects this time 4 of them with 6 credits and the other 3 with 4 credits,this is the scaling system in my university:
0-49 weak/fail
50-59 pass
60-69 medium
70-79 good
80-89 very good
90-100 excellent
these are the grades that i have earned in my second year:
1-pass 6 credits
2-pass 4 credits
3-pass 4 credits
4-medium 4 credits
5-good 4 credits
6-medium 6 credits
7-medium 6 credits
and these are the grade of my third year:
1-pass 6 credits
2-medium 6 credits
3-medium 6 credits
4-good 6 credits
5-medium 4 credits
6-good 4 credits
7- very good 4 credits
Hi Lawen Sardar,
Given your grading system, I would suggest the following conversion:
weak/fail = 0
pass = 1
medium = 2
good, very good, excellent = 3
Use that conversion, multiply each converted score by the number of credits, add all those together and divide by the number of credits, and you’ll have your MEXT converted score.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
thanks, but what is total quality points?
Hi Lawen Sardar,
Total quality points is the total number you get from multiplying each course’s number of credits by the grade value and adding them all up. (You then divide that number by the total number of credits to get your MEXT GPA).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
ok,and since there are 2 years, i have to add them and divide them by 2 right?
Hi Lawen Sardar,
No, you never need to divide by the number of years. For the purpose of this calculation, lump all your classes from the last two years together into one group. There is no need to distinguish between them.
You should be converting all of your grades course-by-course and multiplying each one by the number of credits, then divide the total by the total number of credits.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
I intend to apply for MEXT this year. So I have been searching about it online and came across your blog. Thank you so much for all thos information.
I am curious about if i meet minimum GPA requirement. I am from Nepal and my university uses following evaluation scheme. I have don four years Bachelor in Engineering. The evaluation scheme as follows:
First Year weightage: 20%
Second Year weightage: 20%
Third Year weightage: 30%
Fourth Year weightage: 30%
Grading system:
Distinction : 80% and above
First Division: 65% and above
Second Division: 50% and above
I have obtained 72.90% (First division on aggregate). Do you think it meets the minimum requirement?
I am having hard time converting my scores into grades. My transcript and syllabus doesn’t mention anything about credit.
Hi Ramesh,
If your university does not have a credit weighting system, then treat all courses as if they are 1 credit.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Ramesh,
Only the most recent two years of grades are counted, so you don’t need to worry about the percentages for the years, if you have already finished your degree, since both of the last two years have the same weight.
For your grades, is there anything below Second Division? If second division is the lowest passing grade, then the simplest way to convert the grades would be:
Distinction = 3
First Division = 2
Second Division = 1
But if there is a second upper/second lower distinction or a lower grade, that could change.
You cannot convert your aggregate grade, that will not give you an accurate number. You have to convert the grades course by course and take the average after conversion.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis, thank you for this article.
I read all your articles and I am halfway into your book, but, I have some difficulty with converting my grade points. I am from Nigeria and the grade point system isn’t consistent. My university uses a 6-bucket letter grade conversion scale where:
A- 100-70 (5)
B- 69-60 (4)
C- 59-50 (3)
D- 49-45 (2)
E- 44-40 (1)
F- 39-0 (0)
I don’t know if you’ll be free to help me, but, I’ll really appreciate your help.
Hi Oreoluwa,
Are there quality descriptions that go with the grades? Like A=Excellent, B=Very Good, C=Average, etc? That would be an essential clue to figuring out how to classify them, particularly at the lower grades.
I would suspect that A and B are going to convert to “3”, E would clearly be “1” but the most important distinction is where C and D would fall. C could be 3 or 2, and D could be 2 or 1. The quality descriptions (which show what those grades are relative to the university’s expectations) are going to be the clear deciding factor.
Also, if your university has any system to convert your grades to a foreign country’s system, such as the US or ECTS, etc., for the sake of student exchange or graduate school admission, that would be a huge clue.
Is there anything like that?
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis, thanks for the prompt reply.
The quality of the grades are:
A- 70-100 (Excellent)
B-69-60 (very good)
C- 59-50 (good)
D- 49-45 ( fair)
E- 44-40 (pass/not really sure)
F- 39-0 (fail)
I’m definitely going to look up for a conversion system for exchange programs, right now, I’m not sure of any.
Thanks again
Hi Oreoluwa,
In the case of your grading system, I would think that anything “good” or above would be a 3, “fair” would be a 2, and “pass/not really sure” would be a 1. Typically, a score of 2 represents the average grade for that system, and anything considered good would be higher.
But that is just my assessment and I am not officially affiliated with MEXT or the application process. If you can find a conversion scale or other official source, I think that would be a valuable reference.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks for your guidance.
I have 4 year bachelor degree. You said that only last 2 years course credits are used to convert into mext GPA. Our University gives transcript for 8 semester or 4 year . So for mext application we have to convert our transcript for 2 years or not and i also like to know how we saw embassy people our mext gpa conversation? Any official conversation document required from our University or by our hand calculation.
In my University grade are calulated using this system
10- O – outstanding
9- A+ – excellent
8- A – very good
7- B+ – Good
6- B – Above average
5- C – average
4- P – Pass
0-F – Fail
We get this grade than we have to multiply with course credits and than divided with total credits of respective semesters.
Please give advice for all the questions.🙏🙏🙏
Hi Kaushal Vora,
As I tried to explain in the article above, yes, you only convert the most recent two years (four semesters) of your GPA to calculate your MEXT GPA. However, you do not need to do the conversion yourself and the Embassy (or university) will not accept a conversion that you complete or your university completes. They will always do it themselves. You just need to provide them with your transcript (for all years, not just the most recent two) and an explanation of the grading system, like you posted in this comment. Of course, it would have to be officially issued by your university.
The reason I suggest that you convert your GPA yourself is that a lot of applicants apply either 1) not knowing that they don’t actually meet the minimum requirement or 2) thinking their GPA is low/not competitive, when it actually converts to a higher score than they would expect. In the end, though, it is only for your own reference.
For the calculation, you do need to convert course by course, as I explained in the article.
For your system, I would suggest that
10-7 = 3
5 = 2
4 = 1
0 = 0
As for a 6 (B- above average), it could go either way. It could be lumped in with a grade of 5 and convert to a two, since it is less than “good”, but they might also be generous and group it with the 7-10 range, since it is better than “average”.
Since you are only calculating for your own reference, I suggest that you be as strict as possible with yourself and calculate a B- as converting to a “2”. That way, even if the embassy takes the strict interpretation, you should be prepared.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks for all d info..My question is do students with very high/almost perfect CGPA have very higher chances of winning MEXT??
Hi Ayo,
Having a higher GPA will of course put you at an advantage over having a low GPA. But that’s not going to be enough by itself. It’s safe to assume that most of your competition is also going to have a high/nearly perfect GPA. To give yourself a good chance to earn the scholarship, you’ll also need a strong Field of Study and Research Program Plan and application strategy.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Lovely article,
I am currently doing my 2nd Masters (Master of Research in Stem Cell Biology) University College London and I already have a Master of Science in Regenerative Medicine Merit 62% and I have a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry Lower second class which is 55%. I plan on applying for the Embassy Recommended Scholarship and as a NON-DEGREE SEEKING research student for 2 years and then plan to move to a PhD.
Do you think I am eligible to apply.
Best Regards,
Nauman
Hi Nauman,
As explained in the article above, your overall average percentage is not relevant. You need to convert your grades course by course to check your eligibility.
Since I do not have enough information, I cannot say whether I think you are eligible or not, but you should be able to check rather easily.
I will say that most students who want to move on to the degree-seeking program do not take two years as a research student first. Usually it’s only one semester or two, just until they can pass the entrance exam. So, since that would be unusual, you would probably need to be clear in your application about what you hoped to accomplish that would require two years of research status in addition to your PhD program, especially on top of your current academic background.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you! I have one question. To apply for PhD program, is it mandatory to include both undergraduate and postgraduate degree documents or only postgraduate degree documents are enough?
Hi Gemechu Bedassa,
You only need the degree document (certificate of graduation, etc.) for your most recent degree, but you need to submit your academic transcript for all previous university degrees.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis
With the help of your ebooks and answers to my comments I have finished most of the application process for the University recommendation.
One last thing that I would like to know is whether I have to submit a proper grading scale along with the application. My transcripts do have a grading scale that shows the quality points. So, I have a scale that looks like
A | 4 quality points | Exceptionally high achievement
A- | 3.7 quality points
B+ | 3.3 quality points
B | 3.0 quality points | High Achievement
B- | 2.7 quality points
…..
The question I have is whether I have to submit a document showing that A is 90-100%, B is 80-90% ….
Because, even though 95% of my classes were graded that way, I did however have some classes that had A at 85-100%, B at 70-85% ….
Will the Japanese university consider my grades as a 5 level grading system regardless or will I have to provide a percentage point for each of the letter grades.
Thank you for your help
Shankar Chereddy
Hi Shankar Chereddy,
Ultimately, the embassy or university needs to be able to compare the grades that you were awarded in each course to the grades shown on the grading scale chart.
So, if you were awarded a letter grade in each course and that is what is shown on your transcript, then a grading chart that shows only the letter grades is fine.
If you have grades that show both a letter and percentage grade, then the grading scale that shows only the letters is also fine. However, if you have courses that show only a percentage, then you would need a grading scale that shows how percentages are evaluated.
Ultimately, based on your description, it sounds like your university uses the letters as the ultimate grade and evaluation of the quality of your performance, while the percentages that correspond to those letters are flexible. In that case, it should be the letter grade that gets used to calculate your GPA.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis
Thanks for the reply.
I did my bachelors and masters in the USA. Some of the courses like Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry and Cell biology had a different percentage point for the specific grade. This was done only for a few courses, but none of this is ever mentioned in any of the official transcripts. The official transcripts only show the letter grade obtained for each course. The back of the transcripts has a scale that contains the letter grade and quality points awarded for each one of the letter grade. I asked my university registrar if they can provide me a form to show the grade percentage but they refused it saying each class can be different which is true. They suggested me to attach the grading scheme for all my courses instead, and that is quite a lot of paper to add to it. At present, I am planning to write a sheet explaining the grading system in detail and send it to my potential doctoral advisor.
Thank you for your reply
Shankar Chereddy
Hi Shankar Chereddy,
If only the letter grades are reflected on the transcript, that means that the difference in percentages doesn’t really matter. It sounds like some of your classes were graded on a curve, but there is nothing wrong with that.
I do not think there is any need for your to display the percentages in your application. The letter grade is your final and official grade. How each professor arrives at it is just a matter of the professor’s practice, and that should not be relevant to the application review.
Unless it is going to help you significantly to show the percentages instead of the letters, I would suggest that it is not worth your time and effort. The letters are the true and accurate grade.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Please, my school grading system is weighted as follows;
A (70-100) – 5
B (60-69) – 4
C (50-59) – 3
D (45-49) – 2
E (40-44) – 1
F (0-39)- 0
Please, how do I convert this to the 3.0 scale?
Hi Destiny Egwekhide,
It’s impossible to say for sure without seeing the qualitative descriptions for the grades (e.g. “excellent”, “average”, “poor”), but based on the usual distribution of letter grades, my guess would be:
A=3
B=3
C=2
D=1
E=1
F=0
Again, this is just a guess without knowing more about your system. In general, the grade equivalent to “2” should be the “average” grade in your system, and the rest should be based on that.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thanks for the article, it is quite beneficial. In my university, seven point letter grade system is adopted as follows:
10=Excellent=Ex
9=Very good=A
8=Good=B
7=Fair=C
6=Average=D
5=Pass=P
0=Fail=F
Can you please comment an approximate conversion system for the above?
TIA
Hi Sagar Saren,
This is only my approximate guess, but I would convert as follows:
8-10 = 3
6-7 = 2
5 = 1
0 = 0
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Firstly, thank you so much for running this blog. Its been of tremendous help to me and I’m sure to others as well. I’m not really sure of my interpretation of grades into the MEXT scale so please let me know where ive gone wrong. My university has the following grading system:
S++ – 95-100 – Outstanding
S+ – 90-94 – Outstanding
S – 85-89 – Distinction
A++ – 80-84 – Distinction
A+ – 75-79 – Distinction
A – 70-74 – First class
B+ – 65-69 – First class
B – 60-64 – First Class
C+ – 55-59 – Second Class
C – 50-54 – Second Class
D+ – 45-49 – Pass
D – 40 -44 – Pass
F – <40 – Fail
S++,S+,S – 3
A++,A+,- 3
A,B+,B – 2
C+,C,D+,D – 1
F – 0
And, I have an undergraduate in three majors – (Psychology, Sociology and Economics) – since it is a bachelor of arts degree, do you think Id be able to apply for anything in the arts and humanities dept?
Hi Prabhakar,
I might actually be a little more generous with the conversion at first guess, although it ultimately depends on how common it is to get grades between S++ and A+. In many of the “first class” systems that I have worked with, “first class” has been equivalent to a 3. So if that was the case, the conversion would be:
S/A/B = 3
C = 2
D = 1
F = 0
(Ignore all + and -, just refer to the letter).
However, your conversion method is certainly more conservative, so it would be a “safer” result.
As for your degree field, no, a BA would not mean that you can major in any arts or humanities field. Your field of study in Japan would have to be in one of your three majors or a field directly related to them.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Could you take the time to answer my question please, so I graduated in majoring of chinese and english and my average is 🙁 2.45 out of 4.00 (4.00 scale), is it impossible to apply for the scholarship and is there any way if not accepted to apply or is there any scholarship that accept my average?
Thank you
Hi Shahd,
You need to convert your GPA to the MEXT’s 3.0 scale as described in this article, and you have to convert it course-by-course, covering the last two years. There is no way to tell based on an overall GPA on another system whether or not you would be eligible.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I wrote you an email but maybe you can respond here. I got my masters degree in Belgium. The scale there as I understand it in my field is very unfair because a 12 out of 20 is converted into a 1 out of 3 on your Japanese scale. Can “Satisfactory” be considered a 2 out of 3 on the Japan scale? This 12 is converted into a B on the US scale (which would be a 2 in Japan) and a 12, or even a 10.5 out of 20 in France is a 2 in Japan. Based on my research a 12 out of 20 even at other faculties within the same university in Belgium would be considered Good, which should be a 2 out of 3. Virtually no one gets the 18,19,20 scores, so if the scale for me is unfair as I think it might be, you have basically 15,16,17 at a 3, but then only two scores, 13 and 14 are a 2. A 12 should also be a 2 regardless of the “description” that is given, because ultimately you are talking about a proportion, which shouldn’t differ from country to country.
Sorry the 12 is actually called “fair but with shortcomings” or “sufficient” in my faculty. In other faculties within the same university, the 12 is considered Good. I noticed one of your other readers said a 12 in France is “fairly good.” So the word “fair” is shared there.
In general, what you said I think about going by the descriptions is not how grade conversions work.. a score is a score.. if it is converted into the US GPA, it doesn’t matter what faculty you got the score from, a 12 out of 20 would be a B regardless of the subject.
It says on the faculty of my alma mater in Belgium that it is at the discretion of the recipient institution, and that the descriptions are not binding. So I’d like to know how it can be argued that that 12 is at that “2” level on the Japanese scale, based on what other faculties at the same institution describe it as, and also the corresponding conversions in France and the US.
Hi Philosophygrad,
It’s really impossible to compare scores across institutions that do not have a consistent grading scale. But as I mentioned in my previous comment, the important thing to consider is the range of scores. There is a clearly lower class of scores than satisfactory on the table that still count as passing scores, so those would have to have a value – 1 – and so Satisfactory would have to be higher than that (2).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Philosophygrad,
I looked up the KU Leuven grading scale and the grade distribution for their Institute of Philosophy, and I don’t think I would convert the grades the same way that you are.
The important thing to note when I look at the grading scale is that there is a score below “Satisfactory” – “Barely Sufficient” (10, 11). Since that grading category exists, that would translate to the “1” on the Japanese scale. Then Sufficient (12) and Satisfactory (13) would translate to 2, and anything higher would translate to 3. At least, that’s how I would have done it.
And I think that is a very generous translation. If you look at the grade distribution, it appears that a score of 12 puts you in the bottom 22% of scores.
On the other end of the scale, yes, I see that 18-20 are essentially impossible to obtain in that system (representing 7% of scores). But if you use the conversion method I proposed above, with 14 and higher being a 3, that represents 66% of all scores, which is an incredibly generous and favorable system. Even if, as you suggested, a 14 was a 2 and 15 or higher was a 3, you would still have 50% of scores falling into the “3” conversion.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks Travis. Yes I would agree that it is a fair conversion based on what you are saying. I was concerned before that a 12 and 13 would be rated as a 1 which would be rather harsh and unfair. 14 and up valued at 3 sounds reasonable to me!
I think the conversion becomes clear when you look at the 0-20 scale in terms of letter grade equivalencies. Then how it maps onto the Japanese scale is straightforward.
Hi Philosophygrad,
In general, the letter grade equivalencies should be based on the descriptions of the grades, which is the same standard that I used for my calculation method suggestion. An American “D” would match the description of barely sufficient, like the 10/11 grades there. A C would be sufficient or satisfactory, etc. Of course letter grades themselves differ from country to country, too. (US letter grades are not the same as ECTS letter grades, etc.). Japan universities are probably not going to translate your grades through another system to get to the Japanese one, but the principles are the same!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi there,
Thank you for your very detailed post.
The grading system for my university is:
A+ 90 – 100 4.0 High Distinction
A 80 – 89 4.0 Distinction
A- 75 – 79 3.7 Distinction
B+ 70 – 74 3.3 Good
B 65 – 69 3.0 Good
B- 60 – 64 2.7 Good
C+ 55 – 59 2.3 Pass
C 50 – 54 2.0 Pass
C- 45 – 49 1.7 Fail
D+ 40 – 44 1.3 Fail
D 35 – 39 1.0 Fail
F < 35 0.0 Fail
Would the following be the correct way of converting my grades to MEXT's 3.0 GPA scale?
A+, A, A- = 3
B+, B, B- = 2
C+, C = 1
C-, D+, D, F = 0
Hi Joanne,
Your calculation looks perfect to me. Good catch in including the C- in the “fail” section/0 points based on the description, rather than relying just on the letter.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you for your response!
It seems like my GPA is only 2.47 after calculating it based on the formula from MEXT.. I hope my chances of getting the scholarship won’t be too low (I’m applying for the university-recommended MEXT scholarship).
Hi Joanne,
That was a particularly harsh conversion scale.
You are still eligible for the scholarship, but to be perfectly honest, that would be a relatively low GPA among applicants (assuming that the university calculates it the same way). There is always the chance, though, that the university calculates it on a more favorable scale, so don’t give up! You can also make up some ground on other applicants by having a strong and well-written Field of Study and Research Program Plan!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis!
I quit college after two years because of some family problems and now I want to apply for MEXT as undergraduate.
Will my GPA be calculated from those two years in college or from the last two years of high school?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Damian,
This calculation is for the scholarship for graduate students and is based on university grades. For the undergraduate scholarship, your eligibility should be based on your high school performance. You would only have to submit a university transcript if you were planning to graduate from that university before starting your MEXT program.
For the undergraduate scholarship, I do not know for sure whether GPA is an officially considered factor. They may have minimum grades established for your country under it’s own system.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi!
I’m planning to apply as undergraduate. I quit college after 4 semesters and my grades are… well not good..
Since I’m applying as undergraduate will my GPA be calculated from those 4 semesters of college I quit or from last two years of my highschool?
Hi DJ,
As far as I know, if you are applying as an undergraduate scholar, then your high school performance should be the most relevant. My experience is primarily with the scholarship for graduates and I know that in that case, the GPA is a significant factor, but I do not know how grades are evaluated for the high school scholarship. Since the scholarship for undergraduates is primarily available via Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship, I would assume that they would be familiar with the performance standards in your country at the embassy.
Your previous college experience might come up in the application, though, so it never hurts to be prepared to address it.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi –
Thank you for this excellent post.
I see that for the most part you are discussing grade conversions within the college or university context. I am wondering about high school conversions. My daughter is applying to U.S. colleges, but has attended (Japanese) school for her high school years. Therefore her entire transcript is based on the Japanese system (1 through 5). She is in The math/science tokushin course, but none of the classes are deemed ‘weighted,’ even though they are significantly more advanced than the sou-gou (regular) course. We are at a loss as to how to report the GPA and even provide a course listing on the college applications. *Any* ideas you have are welcome!
Thanks,
Jackie B
Hi Jackie B.,
I’ve never given much thought to converting grades in the other direction. Most of what I work with is applicants for grad school in Japan. But I’m going to have to deal with something similar personally when my own children start looking at college applications, too.
That said, though, I think it depends on the universities that your daughter is applying to in the US. Some will have experience accepting students from Japan and may even have experts on staff that can evaluate Japanese high school credentials without you having to do any conversion. You would need an official or certified translation of the transcript, but that should be it.
I looked up several universities (UC Davis, UMass, University of Richmond) that I work with regularly in the US and most were concerned primarily that applicants’ records show completion of high school. None asked for grade conversions or mentioned a specific minimum GPA, but all wanted official English translations of the transcripts in addition to the originals.
There should be some specific instructions for international students wherever it is that your daughter is considering applying, or at least a point of contact. I’m a big fan of contacting to ask directly!
I hope that helps!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I graduated from university on 2018 and i’m reading the first book and i want to apply for the Embassy Scholarship. So this is my question: my last 2 years, i only took english class (second semester of 2016) and my graduation thesis (also second semester of 2017). Also, both have credits. do only these 2 courses count for my gpa?
Thanks for all the guides you gave us, they are great!
Hi Dario,
Thank you for purchasing the book! I hope you are finding it useful in your preparation.
It sounds like over the last four semesters, you have taken only one regular class, and then written your thesis. Were you taking a leave of absence during the other semesters? (The first semesters of 2016 and 2017)
My suspicion is that the university would calculate your GPA based on all of the grades that you earned over our last 4 full-time semesters, as well as any coursework that occurred more recently than that. If your thesis semester counts as a full time semester – in other words, if it appears on your transcript with a letter grade and a credit value equal to a semester of classes – then that would count as one of your four semesters. Otherwise, you should count backwards to the last four semesters that you were enrolled full-time and calculate your grades from that point forward, including all courses that you took in non-full-time semesters.
I hope that helps.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks, it happened as you said. I was absence on firsts semesters of 2016 and 2017. Also, my thesis and my project thesis counts 3 times more than a regular course (took it on 2nd semester of 2015)
I will recalculate my GPA.
thanks for your support!
Dario
Hi Dario,
I’m glad I could help!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello travis, trank you for this great post, it answered most of my doubts about how to convert my grades to this crazy 3 point GPA scale. But there is one last doubt which i want some insight.
I am almost graduated, the only things felt are obligatory internship and graduation thesis. they are counted as courses and even have falling and passing grades and time credit hour. obligatory internship is basically working for a company and reporting back to university in order to get a grade and pass, its credit hour is 180 hours. Graduation thesis consists of writing a paper about something related to my major. It’s credit hour is 60 hours.
The problem with those is that they apparently have 0 credit assigned to them but still count as courses (they even show up on academic history report) so i am confused if they should be included in my GPA calculations. Can you provide me with some insight?
Hi Josué Lopes,
I’m a little confused. You mentioned first that the internship and the thesis both have credit hours, but then said that they had zero credits assigned. Which is it?
In any case, if the internship is pass/fail, then it would not count for the GPA calculation anyway.
For you thesis, if it has credits on the academic history report as well as a grade, then you would calculate it as part of the GPA. But if it has a grade and zero credits assigned, then it would not count. You need to have the credits in the equation.
If the semesters with the internship and thesis have only those grades, then they may not count as part of the two years calculated for your final GPA. It all depends on the system at your university and how well the university in Japan understands that.
To be safe, when you calculate your GPA for eligibility, I would recommend doing it twice: Once including the internship and thesis semesters in the calculation (even though they will have no grades or credits, still count them as part of the 4 semesters, so you would only have 2 semesters with actual grades and credits to calculate); and once again without counting the internship/thesis semesters (i.e. calculate your GPA based on the last semesters where you actually earned grades and credits).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I will try to explain it better. In my academic history report, the credit values for courses don`t show up, what appears there is the course name, it`s credit hour value, my grade and if i passed or failed it. The credit number only be seen on the internal system of my university.
So both the internship and the graduation thesis have numeric grades and credit hour associated with them but no credit value. That`s why I don`t know if i should include the internship and graduation thesis in my GPA calculation or not.
Also i would like to ask, what`s the probability of the mext staff in japan knowing about how brazillian university grades work to such an extent? How would they be able to calculate the GPA?
Hi Josué Lopes,
The “credits” I was referring to means “credit hours.” That is especially true if, as you say, credit hours are what appear on your transcript. I am not certain what the other credits system you are referring to is, but credit hours is what we need for this calculation. MEXT (or the university or embassy) are going to calculate your grade based only on what is shown on the transcript and the explanation of the system included there.
In your case, you would multiply your grade by the number of credit hours for each course. Since the internship and thesis have credit hours and a grade (not just pass/fail) attached to them, then yes, you would include them in the calculation.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz