QCE to GPA: how the NCAA converts Queensland grades
Updated 27 October 2026
The NCAA converts Queensland grades to US points one for one: an A is 4.0, a B 3.0, a C 2.0, a D 1.0 and an E 0.0. Your core GPA is the average of those points across your core subjects from Year 9 to Year 12. Your ATAR doesn't come into it.
The conversion table
These are the NCAA's conversions for Queensland, from its guide for Australian schools (September 2026).
| Grade | Meaning | US grade points |
|---|---|---|
| A | Very High Achievement | 4.0 |
| B | High Achievement | 3.0 |
| C | Sound Achievement | 2.0 |
| D | Limited Achievement | 1.0 |
| E | Very Limited Achievement | 0.0 |
The NCAA's guide doesn't list plus and minus grades. AussieScout's calculator reads an A+ or an A- as an A, and so on. The NCAA Eligibility Center makes the final call.
Which QCE subjects count
Only core subjects count: English, maths, science, social sciences such as history, geography and legal studies, and a few others such as languages.
- Named as approved for Queensland: Essential Mathematics, General Mathematics, Mathematical Methods and Specialist Mathematics (Years 11 and 12), Maths B and C, Forensic Science, Investigative Science, Marine Science, Science in Practice, Humanities and SOSE in Years 9 and 10, Economics and Business in Year 9, and Study of Religion and Religion and Ethics in Years 11 and 12.
- General level courses count as long as the rest of the title is an approved subject. General Science counts. General Art History doesn't.
- Named as not approved: Maths A, Numeracy, Science 21, Marine Aquatic Practices and Commerce. Physical Education isn't an academic subject, so it doesn't count either.
- Not core anywhere: art, music, drama, design and technology, food subjects and VET certificates. They still count towards the NAIA's overall GPA.
Essential Mathematics counts in Queensland. That's not true everywhere: in South Australia it doesn't. The full list is on the Queensland page.
A worked example
One semester of Year 11 for a made up Queensland student:
| Subject | Grade | US grade points |
|---|---|---|
| English | B | 3.0 |
| General Mathematics | C | 2.0 |
| Biology | A | 4.0 |
| Modern History | B | 3.0 |
| Physical Education | A | Doesn't count |
Four core subjects for one semester make 2 core courses. The core GPA for that semester is 3.0: (3 + 2 + 4 + 3) divided by 4. The NCAA does the same across every semester from Year 9 to Year 12.
Proof you finished school
The NCAA accepts the QCE with the Senior Statement, and the Euka Assessed or University Pathway. It doesn't accept the Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA), the ATAR or the Euka Assessment-free Pathway.
Work out yours
Put your grades into the GPA calculator. It uses the NCAA's Queensland table and shows your core GPA and core courses straight away. For why the ATAR doesn't count, see ATAR to GPA.
This is general guidance from the NCAA's published guide. Only the NCAA Eligibility Center can decide your eligibility.
Sources: NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards: Queensland (September 2026), NCAA initial eligibility requirements.