Evaluating Marks On Indian Educational Documentation

Evaluating Marks on Indian
Educational Documentation
NAFSA Conference
Region XII
Reno, NV
October 28, 2010
Jason Wessel, Evaluator
Copyright © 2009
Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. 1
Structure of Indian Educational System
• 12-year Primary/Secondary Sequence
– SSC (10 years) + HSC (2 years)
• First Degrees
– BA, BS, BCom = 3 years
– BPT, BOT = 3 to 4 years + internship
– BAg, BEng, BTech, BPharm = 4 years
– BDS = 4 years + internship
– MBBS = 4.5 years + internship
– BVS = 5 years
• Second Degrees
– BEd = 1 year
– MA, MS, MCom, MBA = 2 years
– MCA = 3 years
– Master’s in professional fields = usually 2 years (also 1.5 to 3 years)
• Third Degrees
– MPhil = 1 to 2 years
– PhD = minimum of 2 years
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Indian Tertiary Education
• British-based educational system

• College vs. University
• Not all work documented by a university is university-
level study.
• Official documentation: university-issued marks
sheets for all attempts at all exams.
• Recognition: established or recognized by state or
national act (pursuant to the UCG Act); AIU
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Converting Indian Marks into US Credits
• Determine Target number of credits:

– One year = one year (30 to 36 semester hours of credit).
– Minimum years of study x 30 = Target.
– E.g., 4 x 30 = 120 (or as high as 4 x 36 = 144).
• Determine the total Maximum Marks for the whole
program (usually 900 to 6000 is the range).
• Express the total Maximum Marks as a more
manageable number (i.e., in terms of “sets” of 100):
– Drop the last two digits from the total (e.g., 3800 becomes
38).
– The resulting number is the Abbreviated Maximum Marks
[AMM].
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Converting Indian Marks into US Credits
• Conversion Factor: what needs to be done

mathematically to the AMM in order to arrive at the
Target?
– AMM (38) x Conversion Factor (?) = Target (120 to 144).
– 38 x 1 = 38 (too low).
– 38 x 2 = 76 (still too low).
– 38 x 3 = 114 (still to low).
– 38 x 4 = 152 (too high).
– 38 x 3.5 = 133 (within the Target range of 120 to 144).
– Conversion Factor = 3.50
• Conversion Factor x AMM for each subject = US
credits for each “course.”
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Convert Osmania University Marks into
US Credits
• Target number of US credits?
• Total Maximum Marks?
– First Year
– Second Year (Sem I + II)
– Third Year (Sem I + II)
• Abbreviated Maximum Marks?
• Conversion Factor?
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Convert University of Bombay Marks into
US Credits
• Target: 3 x 30 = 90 credits (up to 3 x 36 = 108 credits).
• Total Maximum Marks = 3000.
• Abbreviated Maximum Marks [AMM] = 30.
• AMM (30) x Conversion Factor (?) = Target (90 to 108 credits).
– 30 x 1 = 30 credits (too low).
– 30 x 2 = 60 credits (again, too low).
– 30 x 3 = 90 credits (on target); Conversion Factor = 3.
• Convert AMM for each individual subject into US credits
(Conversion Factor x AMM = US Credits):
– 100 Maximum Marks [MM] = 1.00 Abbreviated Maximum Marks
• 3 x 1.00 = 3.00 US credits.
– 75 MM = 0.75 AMM
• 3 x 0.75 = 2.25 US credits.
– 25 MM = 0.25 AMM
• 3 x 0.25 = 0.75 US credits.
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General Grading Issues
• Grades have relative verbal value, not absolute mathematical
value.
• No universal, absolute percentage that represents a passing
performance.
– 60% in another country does not necessarily mean the same thing
that it means in the US.
– An above average American student would not regularly score
above 80% if subjected to Indian grading practices.
– An above average Indian student would not regularly score below
60% if subjected to American grading practices.
• Two things you can usually assume when looking at another
grading system:
– The highest possible passing grade or range = A in the US.
– All grades below the lowest possible passing grade = F in the US.
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Converting Indian Marks into US Grades
Marks sheets will usually show:

– Highest possible score for each subject (Maximum Marks);
– Lowest passing score for each subject (Minimum Marks);
– Minimum number of marks required to pass the whole year or semester
(Aggregate Pass); and
– Marks Obtained by the student for each subject.
• Most Indian schools don’t assign grades to individual subjects.
• Universities classify degrees; this classification scheme can be used to
determine US equivalent grades for each subject.
– First Class with Distinction
– First Class
– Second Class
– Third or Pass Class
• Degree classifications are based on the percentage of Marks Obtained
out of the Maximum Marks; therefore, use the percentage of Marks
Obtained to determine US equivalent grades for each subject.
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Convert Gujarat University Marks into US
Grades
• Minimum Subject Pass?
• First Class?
• Second Class?
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Grades
• Minimum Subject Pass = 36% (36/100).
• First Class = 60% (420/700 or 600/1000).
• Second Class = 48% (336/700 or 480/1000).
• No Minimum Aggregate Pass is specified, so it’s the
same as the Minimum Subject Pass.
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Grades
• We can assume two things:
– First Class = 60 to 100% = A.
– Failing = 0 to < 36% = F.
• We have three remaining US grades (B, C, and D)
but only two remaining ranges of Indian marks:
– Second Class = 48% to < 60%.
– Passing = 36 to < 48%.
• Does the concept of “D” exist in India?
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Concept of “D” in India
• Subject Pass < Aggregate Pass.
– Aggregate Pass is often 40%, but at many universities the
Subject Pass can be below 40%.
• Grace Marks.
– If a student performed well enough overall, the school may
“grace” the additional marks needed to pass an individual
subject.
• Condoned Failure
– Used under the same conditions as Grace Marks.
– Student has failed the subject but is treated as if he or she
had passed it.
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Suggested US Grades for Gujarat
University Marks
• 60 to 100% = A
• 50 to 59.99% = B
• 40 to 49.99% = C
• 36 to 39.99% = D
• 0 to 35.99% = F
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Suggested US Grades for University
Marks when 50% is the Minimum Pass
• When 60% = First Class
– 60 to 100% = A
– 59 to 59.99% = B
– < 50% = F
– 65 to 100% = A
– 50 to 64.99% = B
– < 50% = F
– 70 to 100% = A
– 50 to 69.99% = B
– < 50% = F
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Evaluating Marks on Indian

• British-based educational system

• Determine Target number of credits:

• Conversion Factor: what needs to be done

Marks sheets will usually show:

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