Written by Christian Chinonso
Founder, LearnViaHub | Academic Credential & International Student Research
✓ Last Verified: October 2026Sources Cited
Quick answer
Many Philippine schools use a reverse scale: 1.00 is the best grade, 3.00 is the lowest passing grade and 5.00 is a fail. At the University of the Philippines (UP), 4.00 is a conditional failure that can be made up by re-examination (UP Mindanao, UP Diliman Registrar).
Not every school uses it: De La Salle University follows a 4.0-based scale and Ateneo uses letter grades (The Lasallian, UP Diliman guide). We found no official Philippines-to-US formula, so a Philippine 1.0 is not a US 1.0.
Prefer to check your own result? Use the tool below, then compare it with the tables and worked examples on this page.
Philippine grade tool (UP system)
Look up a UP grade, convert a percentage mark the way UP Diliman does, or work out a GWA.
Grades, descriptors and the 4.00 rule follow the University of the Philippines (UP Diliman Registrar and UP Mindanao). The percentage conversion is the formula in UP Diliman's Grade Conversion Guide, which UP uses for applicants from other schools. Honors cut-offs are UP's rule as quoted by the Philippine Supreme Court, and other universities set their own. The tool does not give a US GPA because no official Philippines-to-US formula was found. This is a guide, not an official result.
The UP grade scale
| UP grade | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1.00, 1.25 | Excellent |
| 1.50, 1.75 | Very Good |
| 2.00, 2.25 | Good |
| 2.50, 2.75 | Satisfactory |
| 3.00 | Passing (the lowest passing grade) |
| 4.00 | Conditional failure |
| 5.00 | Failed |
| INC | Incomplete |
| DRP | Dropped |
The descriptors come from UP Diliman’s Registrar memorandum. UP gives grades in multiples of 0.25 only, so 1.25, 1.75, 2.25 and 2.75 exist but a grade such as 1.6 does not (UP Mindanao grading system).
The 4.00 rule. A 4.00 can be made up by repeating the course or passing one re-examination within one academic year. Pass it and the grade becomes 3.00, fail it and the grade becomes 5.00. If it is not removed in time, the student must repeat and pass the course. An INC is given when a student with passing standing misses the final exam or other requirements for a valid reason (UP Mindanao).
What common grade equivalents mean
| Grade | At UP |
|---|---|
| 1.0 | Excellent, the top grade |
| 1.6 | Not a grade UP awards. It can appear as a converted grade or an average, and it sits between 1.50 and 1.75, both Very Good |
| 3.0 | Passing, the lowest passing grade, not a good grade |
| 5.0 | Failed |
Other schools set their own meanings, so check the grading key on your transcript.
How UP converts percentage marks from other schools
UP Diliman’s admissions office publishes a conversion for applicants whose schools use percentages. Marks of 97 to 100 convert to 1.00, and the lowest passing mark of the other school converts to 3.00. In between: UP grade = 1 + 2 × (97 − mark) ÷ (97 − lowest passing mark) (UP Diliman Grade Conversion Guide).
Worked example. A school with a lowest passing mark of 75 gave 90%. UP grade = 1 + 2 × (97 − 90) ÷ (97 − 75) = 1 + 14 ÷ 22 = 1.6364.
| Mark | Lowest passing 60 | Lowest passing 70 | Lowest passing 75 | Lowest passing 80 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95% | 1.1081 | 1.1481 | 1.1819 | 1.2353 |
| 90% | 1.3784 | 1.5185 | 1.6364 | 1.8236 |
| 85% | 1.6486 | 1.8888 | 2.0909 | 2.4118 |
| 80% | 1.9189 | 2.2592 | 2.5454 | 3.0000 |
| 75% | 2.1891 | 2.6295 | 3.0000 | below passing |
| 70% | 2.4594 | 3.0000 | below passing | below passing |
| 65% | 2.7296 | below passing | below passing | below passing |
| 60% | 3.0000 | below passing | below passing | below passing |
Values are from UP’s own table. The same guide converts other systems too: Ateneo letter grades A, B+, B, C+, C and D become 1.0, 1.4, 1.8, 2.2, 2.6 and 3.0. This is UP’s method for its own admissions, not a rule other universities follow.
Other schools
UP Diliman’s guide lists many schools whose marks need no conversion because 1.0 is the highest grade and 3.0 the lowest passing grade, including Adamson University, Far Eastern University, Mapua, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the University of Santo Tomas and the University of the East (UP Diliman guide).
Some well-known schools differ. De La Salle University follows a grading system patterned on American 4.0 grade points, with intervals of 0.5 (The Lasallian). Ateneo uses letter grades. Some sites say DLSU is percentage-based, which does not match these sources.
Latin honors at UP
UP awards honors by the weighted average grade, where a lower number is better. The Supreme Court quotes UP’s rule as an absolute minimum weighted average of 1.20 for summa cum laude, 1.45 for magna cum laude and 1.75 for cum laude (Supreme Court decision on UP Latin honors).
| Honor | Weighted average (UP) |
|---|---|
| Summa Cum Laude | 1.00 to 1.20 |
| Magna Cum Laude | 1.21 to 1.45 |
| Cum Laude | 1.46 to 1.75 |
So a GWA of 1.25 earns magna cum laude, not summa. A GWA of 1.46 misses magna by 0.01 and earns cum laude.
GWA formula: Σ(grade × units) ÷ Σunits. Example (hypothetical): 3 units at 1.25, 3 units at 1.50 and 2 units at 1.75 give (3.75 + 4.50 + 3.50) ÷ 8 = 11.75 ÷ 8 = 1.47, which is cum laude. Other universities set their own cut-offs.
Philippine grades on US applications
We found no official Philippines-to-US GPA formula and no US university table for Philippine grades that we could verify, so we show none. A Philippine 1.0 is the top UP grade, but a US school or evaluator decides what it equals. Follow each program’s instructions. If it does not ask for a US GPA, give your grades and GWA exactly as on your transcript with the grading key, and say that 1.0 is the highest grade. If it requires an evaluation, our WES evaluation guide explains the process. For more systems, see GPA systems around the world and our Singapore GPA guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is 3.0 a good grade in the Philippines?
No. At UP, 3.00 is the lowest passing grade. Good is 2.00 to 2.25 (UP Diliman Registrar).
What is a 1.0 grade in the Philippines?
At UP, 1.00 is Excellent and the top grade. It is not a low grade.
What is the difference between 4.0 and 5.0?
At UP, 4.00 is a conditional failure that can become 3.00 if a re-examination is passed within one academic year. 5.00 is a fail (UP Mindanao).
What is a 5.0 grade equivalent?
At UP, 5.00 means failed. The course has to be repeated.
What is a 1.6 grade equivalent?
UP awards grades in multiples of 0.25, so 1.6 is not a UP grade. It can appear in an average or a conversion, and it falls between 1.50 and 1.75 (Very Good).
What GWA is summa cum laude at UP?
1.20 or better. Magna cum laude is 1.45 or better and cum laude is 1.75 or better (Supreme Court decision).
What is GWA?
General Weighted Average: the sum of each grade times its units, divided by total units.
Is there an official Philippines-to-US GPA conversion?
We found none. US schools and evaluators decide, and their tables differ.
How we researched this
Last checked: 15 October 2026. We read UP Diliman’s Registrar memorandum and Grade Conversion Guide, UP Mindanao’s grading system page and a Philippine Supreme Court decision quoting UP’s Latin honors rule. For De La Salle University we relied on its student newspaper, because we could not retrieve an official DLSU grading page. The worked examples are our own arithmetic.
Grading rules differ by school and change over time, so confirm yours with your registrar.
Christian Chinonso is the founder of LearnViaHub, with 6+ years of research experience in international education — including GPA systems, scholarships, student financing, and study-abroad guidance — for students worldwide.