Question 1

What is the difference between Imtiyaz and Mumtaz in Arab university degrees?

Accepted Answer

Imtiyaz (امتياز) and Mumtaz (ممتاز) are the Arabic words for "Distinction/Excellence" — effectively the same concept but different terms used by different countries. Egypt predominantly uses Imtiyaz for the top distinction band (≥90%). Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and many Gulf universities use Mumtaz for the same top band. Both terms appear on the degree certificate and transcript when awarded. When reviewing Arab world transcripts, both terms indicate the highest grade band: average ≥90%. Some universities in Lebanon and the Gulf use ممتاز بامتياز (Mumtaz bi-Imtiyaz) for scores of 95+.

Question 2

How does the Egyptian distinction system differ from Saudi Arabia and Jordan?

Accepted Answer

The primary differences are in the band boundaries and terminology. Egypt awards Imtiyaz (Distinction) at ≥90% and uses Martabat al-Sharaf (Honour) or Jayyid Jiddan for the 75–89% Very Good band, which is wider than in Saudi Arabia or Jordan (80–89%). Saudi Arabia and Jordan use Mumtaz for the top band (≥90%), Jayyid Jiddan for Very Good (80–89%), and Jayyid for Good (70–79%). An Egyptian graduate with 78% would hold Jayyid Jiddan in Egypt, while the same graduate applying to Saudi or Jordanian graduate programmes might be mapped to Jayyid (Good) due to the different band boundaries — this is a critical distinction for international transcript evaluation.

Question 3

How does the Lebanese university honour system work?

Accepted Answer

Lebanon has two parallel honour systems. Universities of Arabic tradition use a percentage-based mention system with Imtiyaz/Distinction (≥90%), Jayyid Jiddan/Very Good (80–89%), and Jayyid/Good (70–79%). Universities of French tradition — including Université Saint-Joseph (USJ) — use the French mention system: Très Honorable (≥16/20), Honorable (14–15.9/20), Assez Honorable (12–13.9/20). The American University of Beirut (AUB) and Lebanese American University (LAU) use US GPA conventions with Summa/Magna/Cum Laude. When processing Lebanese degree certificates, always identify which tradition the institution uses.

Question 4

How does OpenEduCat assign Arab world distinction automatically?

Accepted Answer

OpenEduCat uses the aw_country campus configuration to apply the correct distinction thresholds. For Egyptian campuses, the system assigns Imtiyaz at ≥90% and Jayyid Jiddan for 75–89%. For Saudi and Jordanian campuses, Mumtaz is assigned at ≥90% and Jayyid Jiddan for 80–89%. For Lebanese campuses, the system can be configured for either the Arabic percentage tradition or the French 0–20 mention system. Distinction eligibility checks — including no-failed-subject and no-supplementary-exam conditions — are applied automatically at graduation before the honour label is assigned.

Arabic Label	English	Threshold	Notes
امتياز (Imtiyaz)	With Distinction	Average ≥90	Highest Egyptian distinction. Printed on the degree certificate. Required for most doctoral programme applications at Egyptian public universities.
مرتبة الشرف (Martabat al-Sharaf)	With Honour	Average 80–89 (Jayyid Jiddan band)	Honour distinction. Common alternative designation for Very Good-range graduates receiving a degree citation.
جيد جداً (Jayyid Jiddan)	Very Good	Average 75–89	Wider band in Egypt than Gulf/Mashreq countries. A student at 75% is in Very Good in Egypt but Good elsewhere.

Arabic Label	English	Threshold	Notes
ممتاز (Mumtaz)	Excellent	Average ≥90	Top distinction in Saudi universities. King Abdulaziz University and KSU award Mumtaz on the degree certificate with distinction notation.
جيد جداً بامتياز (Jayyid Jiddan bi-Imtiyaz)	Very Good with Distinction	Average 85–89 (some universities)	Intermediate distinction used by some Saudi universities between Mumtaz and Jayyid Jiddan. Not universal — check specific institution.
جيد جداً (Jayyid Jiddan)	Very Good	Average 80–89	Standard Very Good band. No distinction notation on degree certificate at this level.

Arabic Label	English	Threshold	Notes
بامتياز / Très Honorable	With Distinction / Highest Mention	≥90% (Arabic) / ≥16/20 (French)	Top distinction in both traditions. AUB and LAU use US GPA system with Summa/Magna/Cum Laude equivalent.
بتقدير عالٍ / Honorable	With High Distinction / Honourable	80–89% / 14–15.9/20	Second band. Used by French-tradition universities (USJ) and some Arabic-tradition institutions.
بتقدير / Assez Honorable	With Merit	70–79% / 12–13.9/20	Third distinction band in French tradition. Some Arabic universities merge this with the base passing grade.

Arabic Label	English	Threshold	Notes
ممتاز (Mumtaz)	Excellent	Average ≥90 (GPA ≥3.5)	Degree certificate distinction. University of Jordan and JUST award Mumtaz with degree citation.
جيد جداً (Jayyid Jiddan)	Very Good	Average 80–89 (GPA 3.0–3.49)	Strong academic result — qualifies for most Jordanian and regional graduate programme applications.
جيد (Jayyid)	Good	Average 70–79 (GPA 2.5–2.99)	Good result. Employers and graduate admissions in Jordan typically prefer Jayyid Jiddan or above for competitive roles.

Arab World University Honours — Imtiyaz, Mumtaz, Jayyid Jiddan

Distinction Comparison — Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan

Egypt

Saudi Arabia

Lebanon

Jordan

Frequently Asked Questions

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