How can grades obtained at foreign universities be converted to the Dutch grading system? What does an 'A' obtained at Harvard mean and what does a '27' from the University of Siena say? And, how does that compare with a 'B+' from Indonesia or the 'labai gerai' from Lithuania?
Methods
After your stay abroad, your grades must be converted to the Dutch grading system. The examination board can use 3 different methods to convert grades obtained abroad to the Dutch grading system. These methods are listed below in the order in which they are applied:
1. Egracons
The examination board can compare grades based on frequency tables from Ergacons (these are not visible to students on the Ergacons website). These show how often certain grades are awarded to a specific university.
When the frequency tables of the relevant partner university on the Egracons website are not available to the examination board, the examination board can use method 2>
2. Frequency tabel of the partner university
Sometimes frequency tables are available through the partner university or are already mentioned on the grade list. In that case, grades are converted based on this frequency table.
Where this is not the case, the examination board may use method 3>
3. Radboud University's Conversion of Grades and Credits document
The Executive Board has commissioned a document for this purpose: Conversion of Study Results at Radboud University. This document (see download at the bottom of the page) gives an overview of most countries and foreign universities with which Radboud University cooperates and provides insight into the grading systems used there. It also provides a good guide when converting grades obtained abroad. Please note that it is a guide, the decision regarding study results remains with the examination board.
Results are not "translated" on the diploma supplement
Grading systems of different countries vary widely and even within countries they can differ from university to university. Importantly, it should always be possible to trace which grade was obtained at which university. This information should not be lost. The Executive Board has therefore decided that the results obtained abroad will not be directly 'translated' on the diploma supplement. On the diploma supplement, the results obtained abroad - including the university or universities where they were obtained - will be displayed in full.
Frequency table for conversion of grades obtained in Nijmegen
The other question is: how should grades obtained in Nijmegen be interpreted abroad? For this conversion 'from inside to outside', foreign universities and employers need a tool. That tool is a frequency table showing how often the various grades are given at Radboud University. The frequency table is included in each diploma supplement.