Gradebook · Arab World
Arab World University Grading Scale — Egypt, Saudi, Lebanon, Jordan
Arab world universities use a 0–100 percentage scale with four primary grade bands: ممتاز (Excellent, ≥90), جيد جداً (Very Good), جيد (Good), and مقبول (Accepted/Pass). While the scale is shared, the boundary percentages differ between Egypt and the Mashreq and Gulf countries — Egypt uses a 50% pass threshold while Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Jordan use 60%. This page explains each country's grade bands, the pass threshold differences, and how OpenEduCat's aw_country selector applies the correct configuration per campus.
Arab World Grade Bands by Country
Percentage ranges for each grade band across Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Jordan.
| Arabic / English Label | English | Egypt (%) | Saudi Arabia (%) | Lebanon (%) | Jordan (%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ممتاز (Mumtaz / Excellent) | Excellent | 90–100 | 90–100 | 90–100 | 90–100 | Highest band. Required for competitive scholarships (King Abdulaziz University, Cairo University distinction programmes). Arabic: ممتاز is universal across Arab systems. |
| جيد جداً (Jayyid Jiddan / Very Good) | Very Good | 75–89 | 80–89 | 80–89 | 80–89 | Egypt uses a wider Very Good band (75–89). Saudi, Lebanon, and Jordan align on 80–89. Most postgraduate admissions require at least Very Good. |
| جيد (Jayyid / Good) | Good | 65–74 | 70–79 | 70–79 | 70–79 | Egypt uses 65–74 for Jayyid; others use 70–79. Band boundaries between Very Good and Good are the key differentiator between Egyptian and Mashreq/Gulf systems. |
| مقبول (Maqbul / Accepted) | Accepted / Satisfactory | 50–64 | 60–69 | 60–69 | 60–69 | Minimum passing band. Egypt uses 50–64; Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Jordan set Accepted at 60–69. The pass threshold difference is significant for transcript conversion. |
| ضعيف / راسب (Fail) | Weak / Fail | Below 50 | Below 60 | Below 60 | Below 60 | Fail threshold: Egypt 50, Saudi/Lebanon/Jordan 60. Kuwait and Bahrain use 50 as the fail threshold, similar to Egypt. UAE varies by emirate education authority (ADEK, KHDA). |
Band boundaries are institutional conventions that may vary within each country. Kuwait and Bahrain generally use a 50% pass threshold similar to Egypt.
Country-Specific Grading Profiles
Regulatory bodies, pass thresholds, and grading variants for each Arab country.
Egypt
- Regulatory body
- Supreme Council of Universities (المجلس الأعلى للجامعات)
- Pass threshold
- 50%
- Grading framework
- Egypt uses five bands: Excellent (90–100), Very Good (75–89), Good (65–74), Accepted (50–64), Fail (<50). The wider bands reflect Egypt's large public university system. Cairo University, Ain Shams, and Alexandria University all follow this framework.
- Letter grade / GPA variants
- Some faculties (especially those with US or UK partnerships) add A/B/C/D letter equivalents alongside the Arabic band labels.
Saudi Arabia
- Regulatory body
- Ministry of Education (وزارة التعليم) and National Center for Assessment (القياس)
- Pass threshold
- 60%
- Grading framework
- Saudi universities use four primary bands: Excellent (90–100), Very Good (80–89), Good (70–79), Accepted (60–69), Fail (<60). King Abdulaziz University (KAU), King Saud University (KSU), and KFUPM all follow Ministry standards. Some universities add D (50–59) before Fail for partial credit.
- Letter grade / GPA variants
- GPA equivalents (4.0 scale) are increasingly used at Saudi universities for international transcript compatibility: A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0.
Lebanon
- Regulatory body
- Ministry of Education and Higher Education (وزارة التربية والتعليم العالي)
- Pass threshold
- 60% (or 10/20 on the French-origin 20-point scale)
- Grading framework
- Lebanon has two coexisting grading traditions: the 0–100 Arabic scale and the 0–20 French-origin scale (Très Bien, Bien, Assez Bien, Passable, Insuffisant). Lebanese universities of French tradition (USJ, Saint Joseph) use the 0–20 scale; Arab tradition universities use 0–100. Both are in active use.
- Letter grade / GPA variants
- French-system universities use: Très Bien (16–20), Bien (14–15.9), Assez Bien (12–13.9), Passable (10–11.9), Insuffisant (<10).
Jordan
- Regulatory body
- Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (وزارة التعليم العالي والبحث العلمي)
- Pass threshold
- 60%
- Grading framework
- Jordanian universities use a 0–100 scale with five bands aligned closely with Saudi convention: Excellent (90–100), Very Good (80–89), Good (70–79), Accepted (60–69), Fail (<60). University of Jordan, Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), and Yarmouk University follow this framework.
- Letter grade / GPA variants
- GPA on a 4.0 scale is increasingly reported alongside percentage grades at Jordanian universities: A (4.0), B+ (3.5), B (3.0), C+ (2.5), C (2.0), D (1.0), F (0).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Arab world university grading scales and country differences.
One gradebook platform for the entire Arab world
OpenEduCat's aw_country selector activates the correct grade band boundaries, pass threshold, and Arabic كشف الدرجات report card format for each Arab country — Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, UAE, Kuwait, and more.