How US and UK universities read CBSE, ISC, IB and state-board marks

Do US universities convert Indian marks into a GPA?

The ones that say so in writing do not. MIT says its admissions counselors are trained in the education system of each part of the world, and that it does not try to convert grades to the American system or find other equivalence (MIT).

Cornell says grades should not be converted to a US grade point average, and that it reads the classes taken and the grades received rather than an overall GPA (Cornell).

Stanford says its admission staff specialise in education systems around the world and review each applicant in the context of the country where they study (Stanford). A converted GPA adds a number the reader did not ask for. Your marks, as your school issues them, already say what they need to.

US universities whose own admissions pages say how they handle Indian or other non-US marks, read on 29 October 2026. This is not a ranking.

What does a US university need from an Indian school?

A transcript, sent by the school. MIT asks for a Secondary School Report with a transcript from the school counselor, or from another school official if there is no counselor (MIT). Cornell wants subjects studied each year and the marks received, sent by a school official (Cornell).

Board results travel with it. MIT names CBSE among the external exams a transcript should show, and asks for predicted grades where a school gives them. Only admitted students send final grades (MIT). Our guide to US recommendation letters covers the counselor’s other forms.

How do UK offers become Class XII percentages?

Each one publishes its own rule, and the method differs as much as the numbers. Warwick, Nottingham and Bristol give a Class XII percentage for a named A-level offer, such as A*AA. Manchester gives one range, 80 to 95%, beside its A-level range, and Edinburgh sets percentages by college with no A-level grade beside them.

UK universities whose India pages state a Class XII rule we could read on 29 October 2026. Course pages can ask for more.

Two details change the arithmetic. Nottingham averages your four best subjects, while Warwick reads five. And a subject can carry its own bar: at Warwick, an A* in a named subject means 90% in that subject (Warwick).

Are state boards read the same way as CBSE and CISCE?

Sometimes, and you cannot assume it. At Nottingham, Maharashtra Board marks are read exactly like CBSE and CISCE, West Bengal Board marks need less and the other state boards need more: 98% for A*AA against 93% (Nottingham).

Manchester names the five state boards it accepts for direct entry: Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. It asks them for the same 80 to 95% overall as CBSE and ISC, but does not consider them for Medicine (Manchester).

Warwick considers state boards case by case (Warwick). Edinburgh’s arts, humanities and social sciences college accepts only CBSE and CISCE, while its science and engineering college states the same rule for other state boards (Edinburgh). A state-board student should read the page for the exact college and course.

What are predicted grades, and who gives them in India?

UCAS defines a predicted grade as the grade a school believes the student is likely to achieve in positive circumstances. Universities use predictions alongside other information, each in its own way (UCAS).

The referee, normally a teacher or counsellor, predicts the exams not yet taken. UCAS notes that many education systems outside the UK do not normally predict grades (UCAS). So an Indian school may need to set up a process, and the predictions are fixed once the application goes in: universities may only consider the predicted grades received with it (UCAS).

Ask early which teachers will predict, and on what evidence. Our guide to applying through UCAS from India covers the rest of the form.

How are IB students read?

On their IB predictions and results, not a conversion. MIT lists the IB beside CBSE among the external exams a transcript should show (MIT). Edinburgh tells IB applicants from India to meet its IB entry requirements, set separately from the Class XII rule (Edinburgh).

Harvard requires the SAT or ACT; only in exceptional cases, when those are not accessible, can IB actual or predicted scores, or national leaving exam results or predictions, meet the requirement (Harvard).

Do Class X marks count?

For some decisions, yes. In the UK, Class X can stand in for GCSEs. Nottingham treats CBSE or CISCE Class X marks of 90%, 80% and 70% as GCSE grades A, B and C (Nottingham), and Warwick reads 88% as a 7, 85% as a 6 and 80% as a 4 (Warwick).

In the US, UMass Amherst asks a student still in school for official Standard X results (UMass Amherst). Our companion piece on Grades 8 to 10 follows this further.

Common questions

Should I convert my percentage to a 4.0 GPA?

Not for the universities in this piece. MIT says it does not convert grades, and Cornell says grades should not be converted to a US GPA. If an application form asks for a GPA your school does not give, follow that university’s own instructions.

Do UK universities accept state-board marks?

Some do, on their own terms. Nottingham publishes separate percentages by board, Manchester names five state boards it accepts, Warwick considers state boards case by case, and Edinburgh’s rule differs between its colleges.

Does CBSE Applied Maths count as a maths subject?

It depends on the course. Warwick’s Computer Science, Mathematics and Statistics departments do not accept it, while its other departments treat it like A-level Mathematics. Edinburgh’s science and engineering college does not accept it for a Mathematics requirement.

Who writes predicted grades for an Indian student?

The UCAS referee, normally a teacher or counsellor at the school, predicts the grades for exams not yet taken.

Sources

1. MIT Admissions, International applicants.
2. Cornell Undergraduate Admissions, How do I get my international transcript evaluated?
3. Stanford Undergraduate Admission, International Applicants.
4. Harvard College, International Applicants.
5. UMass Amherst Undergraduate Admissions, Transcript requirements (India).
6. Wichita State University, Transcript Requirements for India.
7. The University of Edinburgh, India: undergraduate entry requirements.
8. University of Warwick, India entry requirements.
9. University of Nottingham, India.
10. The University of Manchester, Information for students from India.
11. University of Bristol, India.
12. UCAS, Predicted grades: what you need to know for entry this year.
13. UCAS, Supporting international students.