How to read a Vietnamese university transcript
For admissions officers and credential evaluators.
Quick answer: A Vietnamese transcript normally shows two cumulative averages — one out of 10, one out of 4. The 4-point figure is usually the official GPA and is built per course; it cannot be derived from the 10-point one. Some universities treat the 10-point average as official instead, some institutions produce no 4-point figure at all, and some record credits as class hours.
Two averages, and they are not the same number
A Vietnamese university transcript from a credit-system institution normally carries two cumulative figures, and confusing them is the most common reading error.
- Điểm trung bình tích lũy, thang điểm 10 — the credit-weighted average of the raw marks, out of 10.
- Điểm trung bình tích lũy, thang điểm 4 — usually the official GPA, built per course: mark → letter → point value → credit-weighted.
The 4-point figure is the one used for classification and graduation eligibility. That holds at most institutions but not all: FPT University’s own quy chế đào tạo (Article 19) states that marks are given on the 10-point scale and that the letter and 4-point scales are for reference only. Where an applicant’s two averages would support different conclusions, the institution’s own quy chế settles which is authoritative. It is not derivable from the 10-point figure — converting the aggregate collapses the transcript into a single band and can only return a whole number. If both are printed, take the 4-point figure as given.
The grade columns
Under Circular 08/2021 Article 9, each course mark out of 10 becomes a letter:
| Mark | Letter | Point | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.50 – 10.0 | A | 4 | Giỏi |
| 7.00 – 8.49 | B | 3 | Khá |
| 5.50 – 6.99 | C | 2 | Trung bình |
| 4.00 – 5.49 | D | 1 | Trung bình yếu |
| below 4.00 | F | 0 | Kém |
These bands are unchanged from Decision 43/2007, so they apply to transcripts going back to 2007.
Other codes you may see, none of which count toward the average: P (ungraded pass), I (deferred, incomplete assessment), X (result not yet received), R (credit transferred or exempted). Institutions may add finer letters such as B+ or C+, which must still map onto the 0–4 range.
Credits may be recorded as class hours
Decision 43/2007 Article 3 §3 defines one credit as 15 periods of theory (30–45 for practical work, 45–90 for placement). Some institutions record the periods rather than the credits, so a column showing 15, 30, 45 or 60 is contact hours, not credit value. Divide by 15. A period is 50 minutes.
Reading those figures as credits will distort any weighted average you calculate.
Some institutions produce no 4-point GPA at all
Circular 08/2021 Article 10 §4 provides that institutions training on the year-based system (niên chế) and using the 10-point scale calculate their averages on that scale and do not convert letter grades to a 4-point scale. For those students there is no official 4-point GPA to request — its absence is not an omission.
Which regulation applies
| Intake | Governed by |
|---|---|
| Before 3 May 2021 | Decision 43/2007 (credit system) or Decision 25/2006 |
| 3 May 2021 onward | Circular 08/2021 |
| From 2026–27 (proposed) | A draft replacement is out for consultation |
The grade bands, point values and classification thresholds are the same across all of these, so the era affects procedural rules rather than how a mark converts.
How the document itself is issued
Worth knowing when a student says they cannot have a transcript sent directly: most Vietnamese institutions do not send transcripts to other universities on a student’s behalf. The student requests a signed and stamped original from the institution, then has copies certified with a red stamp at a government office, where translation is usually available. This is the normal process, not an irregularity.
What is not on the transcript
- No percentage equivalent. The 10-point average is not a percentage and should not be read as one.
- No class rank. EducationUSA notes that a 7.5 average is likely to place a student in the top 10–15% of their cohort, and recommends weighing rank and the wider application over a converted GPA.
- No school-level GPA for secondary records — see Vietnamese school grades.
Sources
- Circular 08/2021/TT-BGDĐT — current university regulation, effective 3 May 2021.
- Decision 43/2007/QĐ-BGDĐT — the predecessor, governing pre-May-2021 intakes. Read in full.
- Draft replacement regulation (2026) — Government Portal. A draft, not law.
- EducationUSA Vietnam — Basic Information on Grading in Vietnam (US Embassy Hanoi, 2025).
The official transcript issued by the institution is always the authoritative record.