A converted grade should be compared with the original result code, result name, mark range and official description, followed by any unit-specific criteria for learning outcomes. A familiar grade label or similar wording is not enough to establish equivalence.
Start with the original result fields
The comparison should preserve the distinction between what the original record contains and what the conversion adds:
| Field | What to check |
|---|---|
| Result code | Whether the converted record refers to the same officially identified result rather than merely using a similar name |
| Result name | Whether the grade names are genuinely equivalent or only appear similar |
| Mark range | Whether the range attached to the original result is recorded and compared correctly |
| Description | Whether the official wording represents the same standard, without relying on wording alone |
| Learning-outcome criteria | Whether the applicable faculty, school and unit criteria support the comparison |
If a field is unavailable, it should be marked as unconfirmed rather than reconstructed from the converted grade.
Use the guide connected to the original result
The relevant starting point is the grade guide published by the Australian institution that issued the original result—not a guide belonging to another institution or a general assumption about Australian grades.
The University of Sydney, for example, publishes result codes, result names, mark ranges and descriptions in its grade guide. Those fields provide the structure for a comparison, but their presence alone does not prove that a converted result will be accepted for a particular purpose.
Check unit-specific requirements separately
A grade description does not remove the need to examine learning-outcome requirements. The University of Sydney states that each faculty or school and unit of study has specific criteria for meeting the learning outcomes of each unit.
The comparison should therefore record:
- which faculty or school applies;
- which unit of study is concerned;
- which learning-outcome criteria are relevant; and
- whether the available evidence shows that those criteria were met.
This prevents a converted label from being treated as the complete explanation of the original result.
What still requires confirmation
Before relying on the comparison, the reader should obtain confirmation of:
- the authoritative grade guide applicable to the original result;
- the rule or explanation used to produce the converted grade;
- whether the original code, mark range and description were retained;
- the applicable faculty, school and unit learning-outcome criteria; and
- whether the relevant institution accepts the comparison for the reader’s intended enrolment or transfer purpose.
If those points cannot be confirmed, the converted grade remains useful as a reference, but not as verified proof of equivalence.