CGPA in a German Motivation Letter: Convert It?
Should a German motivation letter state your CGPA or a Bavarian-formula grade? State the CGPA once, on its own scale; the university does the conversion.
CGPA in a German Motivation Letter: Convert It?
State your CGPA once, on the scale your transcript uses (for example "7.5 out of 10"), and do not put a self-computed German grade in the letter. The university or uni-assist converts your grade with the modified Bavarian formula, using a minimum-pass value from your own university's rules. Guess that value wrong and your number can be 0.3 to 0.4 of a grade off, as our two worked examples below show.
Grade-conversion calculators answer "what is my German grade?". They do not answer the question you are writing: should that grade be in the letter, and what can the letter do about it? This page answers both. It shows the formula from the German education ministers' agreement, works two constructed CGPAs through it, and marks which programmes decide on the grade before anyone reads your letter.
Every university, agency and KMK page quoted below was checked on 31 October 2026. Conversion rules are set per programme, so recheck your target's regulations before you rely on any number.
How the conversion is actually done
The formula comes from an agreement of the Standing Conference of Education Ministers (KMK). The KMK agreement ("Beschluss der Kultusministerkonferenz vom 15.03.1991 i. d. F. vom 12.09.2013") gives the "Modifizierte bayerische Formel" as:
X = 1 + 3 × (Nmax − Nd) ÷ (Nmax − Nmin)
Here X is the German grade, Nmax is the best grade on your scale, Nmin is the lowest passing grade, and Nd is your average. The same agreement adds a rule that is easy to miss: "Bei der Umrechnung wird die zu ermittelnde Note auf eine Stelle nach dem Komma bestimmt; es wird nicht gerundet." Our translation: the converted grade is set to one decimal place, and it is not rounded. That agreement is written for foreign school-leaving certificates, so a master's programme may apply its own rule on decimals.
Three official pages show who does the converting, and that it is not you:
- TUM says its online converter uses the "modified Bavarian formula", and that "Results are for reference only and are not binding. Official conversions are governed by the applicable Academic and Examination Regulations of the respective degree program."
- TUM's Finance and Information Management master's says in its assessment procedure that a foreign grade "will be converted into the German grading system using the Bavarian formula by TUM or Uni-Assist."
- uni-assist's India page asks for "the maximum and minimum grade needed for the award of degree at your university/college", and warns: "Please note that many Indian universities have separate minimums for courses and for the award of degree. The minimum grade required for passing individual courses is not relevant and cannot be accepted."
That last line is why your own number is risky. Nmin is the degree-award minimum from your university's regulations, which may not be the course pass mark you know. Finding the right document is covered in which Indian passing grade uni-assist needs.
Why your own number can be wrong
Two constructed examples, using our arithmetic. Both use a 10-point scale (Nmax = 10) and test two possible minimums, 4.0 and 5.0, because those are the values an applicant might confuse.
| Constructed CGPA | If Nmin = 4.0 | If Nmin = 5.0 | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 out of 10 | 1 + 3 × 2.5 ÷ 6 = 2.25, so 2.2 under KMK's no-rounding rule | 1 + 3 × 2.5 ÷ 5 = 2.5 | On TUM FIM's grade table, 2.2 earns 3 points and "2,5 or below" earns 0 |
| 6.5 out of 10 | 1 + 3 × 3.5 ÷ 6 = 2.75, so 2.7 | 1 + 3 × 3.5 ÷ 5 = 3.1 | RPTU CVT credits Bachelor grades "from 1.0 to 3.0"; 3.1 is outside that range |
The same transcript gives two different German grades depending on one number in your university's regulations. In the first row, that is the difference between 3 points and 0 points out of the 15 TUM FIM gives for the grade. In the second, it is the difference between a grade RPTU credits and one it does not.
Our view: never write "my German equivalent grade is 2.2" in a motivation letter. If you used the wrong minimum, the letter now contradicts the official conversion in the same file. If you used the right one, the sentence adds nothing the evaluator did not already compute.
The countercase: if a programme's application form asks you to enter a converted grade, enter it there, using the degree-award minimum from your regulations, and keep the letter on the original scale. A form field is not the letter.
Where the grade decides and the letter cannot help
Some programmes score the grade from the transcript with fixed points. At those, no sentence in the letter moves the grade score.
| Programme (checked 31 October 2026) | How the grade is used | What the page says about the letter |
|---|---|---|
| KIT M.Sc. Informatics | "a maximum of 70 points will be awarded for the overall grade of the final academic examination", out of "a maximum of 190 achievable assessment points" | The ranking lists grade and subject points only; the page does not list a motivation letter |
| TUM Finance and Information Management | "Up to 15 points" for the final grade, falling one point per 0.1, to 0 at "2,5 or below" | The application documents list no motivation letter; an essay is scored separately, at a maximum of 25 points |
| RPTU Commercial Vehicle Technology | Bachelor grades "from 1.0 to 3.0 are credited"; subjects, grade and bonus items weighted "9:9:3" | The letter is "assessed as 'bonus point' or 'no bonus point'" |
| Saarland Informatics Campus master's, including Embedded Systems | "Minimal prerequisite is a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (CGPA) of 75% or 3.00 GPA on a 4 point scale and ranking in the top 10% of the graduating class." | Stated on your own scale; no conversion needed to check it |
One programme in the set decides on content instead of grade. RWTH's automotive institute FAQ says missing prerequisite modules can be made up during the master's: "The maximum is usually 30 CP. If the amount is greater than 30 CP, the application will be rejected." There the letter cannot add credits either. For that problem, see whether an SOP can fix missing credits.
What to write about a low CGPA or backlogs
Where a letter is read, give the grade one or two sentences: the cause, and the evidence that it changed. Then move on to the subjects and work the programme lists.
A gap year is a CV row, not a letter paragraph: see where a gap goes in a German application.
Constructed example: a low-CGPA sentence for a German letter
Constructed example, written by us, not a real applicant statement. Context (invented): CGPA 6.6 out of 10, weak first two years, strong final two.
Weak (39 words):
Although my CGPA of 6.6 may not reflect my true potential, I would like to assure the committee that I am a hard-working and dedicated student who is fully capable of succeeding in a rigorous master's programme in Germany.
Revised (39 words):
My CGPA is 6.6 out of 10. My first two years were weak while I worked part-time. My last four semesters averaged 7.9, including 8.5 in machine design and finite element analysis, the two subjects closest to this programme.
Why the revision works. It states the grade on its own scale, once. It gives a cause in one clause, without asking for sympathy. It replaces "true potential" with a number the transcript can confirm and names the subjects the programme cares about. It does not convert anything.
Backlogs. Your marksheets already show them. Mention a backlog only if it changes the story the reader would otherwise infer, and keep it to one sentence. The backlogs in your SOP page covers when and how.
No letter asked. TUM's M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering lists no motivation letter among its online application documents. Its page says grades and "written documents" are evaluated "using a point system". There, the transcript and the CV carry the grade story, so make the CV show the strong later semesters and any work that followed.
Questions about CGPA and the Bavarian formula
Should I mention my CGPA in a motivation letter for Germany?
Only once, on the original scale, and only if the sentence that follows does work: a trend, a cause, or the subjects that matter. The transcript already carries the number.
Which minimum passing grade do I enter in a Bavarian formula calculator?
The minimum needed for the award of your degree, not for passing a course. uni-assist says the course minimum "is not relevant and cannot be accepted". TUM says its converter's results "are for reference only and are not binding".
Does the Bavarian formula round up?
The KMK agreement says the grade is set to one decimal place and "es wird nicht gerundet" (it is not rounded). Your target programme's regulations govern the official conversion, so treat any calculator result as an estimate.
Can a strong motivation letter make up for a low CGPA in Germany?
Not where the grade is scored in fixed points, as at KIT Informatics, TUM FIM or RPTU CVT. Where the letter is read, it can show a trend and relevant subjects. It cannot change the grade score. Some programmes ask for original grades instead: see EE and embedded programmes in Germany.
At TUM the converted grade also feeds the interview stage: see how the TUM aptitude interview combines with your grade points.
If you are admitted but cannot start, the decline-and-reapply rule at TUM keeps your aptitude result.
Get a free review of your motivation letter
Get a free Quick Review of your motivation letter against GradPilot's German Motivationsschreiben rubric. It reads for whether your academic background shows you are prepared, whether your coursework is mapped to the programme's stated requirements, why this programme, and claims a reader can check, including the way you present your grade.
More guides on grades and German applications:
- Which Indian passing grade uni-assist needs: the registrar evidence for the degree-award minimum.
- Convert foreign grades to GPA for US grad school?: the same question for US applications, where the rule is to report your own scale.
- Motivation letter for a master's in Germany: sample: a constructed letter that states a 7.4 CGPA once and moves on.
- More graduate application guides.
Sources
Retrieved 31 October 2026, except where noted.
- KMK, Vereinbarung über die Festsetzung der Gesamtnote bei ausländischen Hochschulzugangszeugnissen (15.03.1991, as amended 12.09.2013): the modified Bavarian formula; one decimal place, not rounded.
- TUM, Grade conversion formula for grades earned outside Germany: non-binding converter; programme regulations govern.
- TUM School of Management, FIM assessment procedure (valid for applications for winter semester 2024/25 or later): grade points table; conversion by TUM or uni-assist; essay maximum.
- TUM School of Management, FIM how to apply: application documents (no motivation letter listed).
- uni-assist, India country information: degree-award minimum; course minimum not accepted.
- KIT, M.Sc. Informatics: 70 of 190 points for the grade.
- RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, CVT application and admission requirements (no year stated): grade range credited; 9:9:3 weights; letter as bonus point.
- Saarland Informatics Campus, Application guide: 75% CGPA or 3.00/4 and top 10%.
- RWTH Aachen Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika), FAQ: missing prerequisites up to usually 30 CP.
- TUM, M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering: online application documents; point-system evaluation.
Review Your Motivation Letter
See how your own draft reads against the limit and the questions your programme publishes.