Australian Grading System 2026: HD, D, C, P, N Grades by University

The Australian grading system at university uses five main grades: HD (High Distinction), D (Distinction), C (Credit), P (Pass) and N (Fail). There is no single national scale. Each university sets its own percentage bands, and two versions are common. At ANU, Monash, RMIT, Deakin and several others, HD is 80-100, D is 70-79, C is 60-69 and P is 50-59. At UNSW, Sydney, Adelaide, UTS, Griffith, QUT and others, HD is 85-100, D is 75-84, C is 65-74 and P is 50-64. At every university in this guide, a mark below 50 is a fail.

This guide shows the published bands for 23 Australian universities, the GPA or WAM each one uses, how honours grades work, and how state high school results (HSC, VCE, QCE, WACE, SACE) are reported. It was checked against each university’s own grading page on 26 October 2026. Where an official page did not state something, the guide says so instead of guessing.

TL;DR

• HD = High Distinction, the top grade (some universities use other names such as H1 or A). It starts at 80 (ANU, Monash, RMIT, Deakin, Swinburne, UTAS, UWA, La Trobe, Melbourne) or 85 (UNSW, Sydney, Adelaide, UTS, Griffith, QUT, Macquarie, Western Sydney, Newcastle, Flinders, JCU, Bond, UniSA, Wollongong).
• Pass is 50 almost everywhere. Below 50 is a fail, though some universities allow a supplementary assessment or a conceded pass for marks just under 50.
• Many universities report a GPA (7-point at ANU, Adelaide, UTS, QUT, Griffith and others, 4-point at Monash, RMIT, Swinburne and Bond). Others, including Melbourne, UNSW and Sydney, report a WAM (weighted average mark) instead.
• High school results differ by state: HSC Bands 1 to 6 in NSW, A+ to E and study scores in Victoria, A to E in Queensland and WA, A+ to E- in South Australia. Each state converts results to an ATAR for university entry.
• There is no official worldwide conversion. Check the receiving university or credential evaluator before you rely on any “HD equals 4.0” claim.

Australian grades at a glance: HD, D, C, P and N

The pass mark is 50 at all 23 universities checked here. The difference between the two scales is where the top three grades start. That gap matters: a mark of 78 is a Distinction on both scales, but a mark of 83 is an HD at an 80-scale university and a Distinction at an 85-scale one.

Grade checker: enter your mark

Type a mark and choose your university to see the grade it earns. The tool uses the published bands in the table below, and shows a grade point only when that university publishes one.

What grade is my percentage? Common marks

These are the questions students search most. Use the left column for an 80-scale university and the right for an 85-scale one.

So 70% is a Distinction at ANU or Monash but a Credit at UNSW or Sydney. 68% is a Credit on both scales. 78% is a Distinction on both. 85% is an HD on both. 50% is a Pass on both, and 49% is a fail on both.

University grading scales compared (2026)

The table lists the grade names and the lowest mark for each grade, taken from each university’s own grading page. Universities that publish a GPA scale show it in the last column. Universities marked “WAM” report a weighted average mark rather than a GPA.

What each grade means in practice

HD (High Distinction)

HD marks work that is outstanding for the level of study. It starts at 80 or 85 depending on the university. Honours, scholarships and some graduate programs look for a run of HDs, but the exact cut-offs are set by each faculty, so read the entry requirements for the program you want.

D (Distinction)

A Distinction shows a high level of achievement. It is the grade many postgraduate programs and employers read as “strong”. A Distinction average across a degree is often enough for competitive entry, but requirements vary by program.

C (Credit)

Credit is a good, solid result. It sits above the pass mark and is the typical grade of a capable student who does not specialise in a subject. For most coursework degrees, a Credit average is a respectable result.

P (Pass)

A Pass meets the subject’s learning outcomes and counts toward the degree. Some professional programs and honours entry require higher averages, but a Pass is a pass for graduation purposes.

N (Fail), conceded passes and supplementary assessment

A mark below 50 is a fail (N, F, FL, FA, NN or Z, depending on the university). Some universities add a safety net. Deakin allows a Pass Conceded in some cases with faculty approval and a mark of at least 45. At the University of Tasmania, its published procedure says a mark of 45-49 can lead to a supplementary task, with a successful result recorded as 50 (check the current version of that policy). At UQ, grade 3 may allow supplementary assessment. At ANU, a mark of 50 earned in a supplementary exam can be recorded as PS. These rules differ by subject and faculty, so ask your course coordinator.

A hurdle is a separate requirement, such as passing the final exam or a lab component. If you fail a hurdle, you can fail the subject even with an overall mark above 50. Melbourne and Monash record this as NH, UTS as X and Wollongong as TF. Hurdles are described in your subject guide.

GPA and WAM in Australia

GPA: 7-point and 4-point scales

Australia has no national GPA. Many universities give each grade a point value and average it by credit points. UQ, ANU, Adelaide, UTS, QUT, Griffith, Western Sydney, Newcastle, Flinders, JCU, UniSA and UTAS use a 7-point scale (typically HD 7, D 6, C 5, P 4). Monash, RMIT, Swinburne and Bond use a 4-point scale (typically HD 4, D 3, C 2, P 1). For example, Monash’s published values are HD 4.0, D 3.0, C 2.0, P 1.0 and a fail 0.3. These are each university’s own GPA scales, not a conversion to the US system.

WAM: weighted average mark

A WAM is the average of your subject marks, weighted by credit points. It uses your actual percentage, not a grade point. The University of Melbourne gives an example: subjects marked 76, 67 and 81 with 12.5, 12.5 and 37.5 credit points give a WAM of 77.200%. Melbourne, UNSW, Sydney, Deakin, La Trobe and Curtin report WAM or a similar weighted average. Your WAM often decides eligibility for honours, scholarships and graduate entry.

Use the education guides on this site for related study planning, and if you have failed a subject, see what to do if you fail a subject in Australia.

Honours grades: H1, H2A, H2B and H3

Honours classes usually follow a published scale. Here are the ones checked:

The Melbourne row reflects the scale published for 2009 to 2024. Its page says a new scheme applies from 2025 but does not show that table, so check the current handbook entry if you are at Melbourne.

Honours and UK degree classes

There is no single official match. First class honours is generally treated as equal to H1. Upper second class (2:1) is usually matched with H2A. H2B is less clear. Loughborough treats H2B as a lower second, while St Andrews’ Melbourne table puts H2A and H2B both in the upper second range. UK ENIC says only that it compares the Australian honours degree to a UK bachelor’s degree with honours and does not publish a class-by-class table. If you are applying to a UK university, check that university’s Australia entry page.

High school grades by state and territory

High school results are reported differently in each state. All states convert results to an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) for university entry. Letter grades or bands are not the same thing as university grades.

If you are converting between state systems or comparing an ATAR to an overseas qualification, see ATAR equivalent scores for international students and the Queensland OP to ATAR conversion guide.

Converting Australian grades for overseas study

Overseas universities and credential evaluators each have their own rules, and no official worldwide table maps HD, D, C and P to a US GPA. A common mistake is treating a university’s internal GPA as a conversion. Monash’s 4-point values, for example, are Monash’s own GPA, not a US conversion.

1. Send your official transcript, which includes your grades and the university’s grading key.
2. Ask the receiving university or the evaluator it accepts (for example WES, ECE or a UK ENIC route) which conversion it will apply.
3. For US applications, check each program’s published GPA policy. Some will recalculate from your marks, others use the evaluator’s figure.
4. For UK applications, use the receiving university’s Australia entry requirements page, which usually states the honours class it expects.

As a rough guide, HD and D results are usually read as top-tier performance by international admissions teams, but the exact translation depends on the institution. Do not rely on a blog conversion, including this one, for an application.

Where grades fit in the Australian Qualifications Framework

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) was first introduced in 1995 and covers 10 levels, from Certificate I (Level 1) to Doctoral Degree (Level 10). A Bachelor Degree is Level 7, a Bachelor Honours Degree, Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma are Level 8, and a Masters Degree is Level 9 (AQF Second Edition, January 2013). The AQF sets qualification levels, not grade bands, which is why each university sets its own grade percentages.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and how this guide was checked

Percentage bands were read from each university’s own grading or results page on 26 October 2026, including ANU, UNSW, Sydney, Melbourne, Monash, RMIT, UTS, Griffith, QUT, Adelaide and the other universities in the table. High school information comes from NESA, VCAA, VTAC, QTAC, SCSA, BSSS, TASC. The AQF facts come from aqf.edu.au.

Last verified: 26 October 2026. Universities update grading policies, and some pages show a version date earlier than 2026, so confirm on your own results page.