What is VPD?
The question of what a VPD is is also frequently asked. Let’s say you have decided to study an undergraduate or graduate program in Germany and you meet the application requirements. Since there are usually more applicants than there are places available, you will be subject to a selection process and ranking.
Perhaps the most important graduate school selection criteria is the grades you received at your current school and your graduation grade. For undergraduate applications, depending on the country, your university entrance score will be more important than your high school grades. However, for some undergraduate programs, this is not enough and you will have to prove your competence by taking a worldwide exam called TestAS (See What is TestAS?). For which programs this exam is mandatory, you need to carefully examine the websites of the universities.
What is VPD?
I digress, but it would be incomplete if I didn’t mention TestAS. When we were talking about the importance of grades and scores in rankings, the VPD was born because there was a need for standardization in order to compare grades in applications from all over the world. This so-called “Vorprüfungsdokumentation” includes a translation process so that your school-leaving grade can be compared with the German grading system. Not only the grades are translated into the German system, but also whether the school you graduated from is sufficient for you to continue your studies in Germany and which departments you can apply for. You can think of it as a kind of diploma verification (HZB). The converted grades are used for your evaluation with a ranking system called NC (Numerus Clausus). (Check on the university’s website whether the program you are applying for contains NC or not)
Where to Apply for VPD
As with the applications, some schools do the conversion of your grade and verification of your VPD in-house, while others use Uni-Assist for the whole application process. Some schools only use Uni-Assist to calculate your grades and issue your VPD. The application requirements of the schools you will apply to are important. If they require a VPD, you first apply for a VPD on uni-assist, and after you receive your VPD, you apply directly to the relevant university. Let me remind you that the process can sometimes take up to 8 weeks, especially during the summer semesters, as there are many applications and the process requires very strict controls.
A formula called the Bavarian formula is used to translate the grades. It is actually a very simple formula. The grading system in Germany is the opposite of ours, there is a 4 grading system where the best grade is 1 and the worst grade is 4. You can use the formula below to calculate your VPD in the German grading system.
How to Calculate VPD?
Below I give the famous Bavarian formula and sample calculations. You can calculate with your own grade or YKS (example: Turkish University Placement Examination Score) score.
NC= (Nmax-Nd) / (Nmax – Nmin) x 3 + 1
Nmax: The highest possible score
Nmin Minimum score to pass
Nd: Your own score
Let me give an example in the calculation for Turkish students: You scored 390 points in YKS and you can be placed in the Computer Engineering department of a foundation university. You want to evaluate Germany preference, let’s calculate your score: (Note that these calculations will be made with different scores according to the country where you received your HZB!)
NC = ( 560 – 390 ) / ( 560 -180 ) x 3 + 1 ** YKS Max 560 Min 180 Points can be obtained.
NC= 2,3
We calculated your NC as 2.3, which is quite high for Germany and may be enough for you to study Informatics at many good universities in Germany. For example, RWTH Aachen closed last year (2020) with 3.3. Don’t think oh how comfortable, let me remind you that it is easy to enter university in Germany, it is difficult to finish. You need to work hard.
If you are applying for a master’s degree, you need to convert your graduation grade to NC. For example, let your final grade be 3.2. The calculation of this is as follows.
NC = ( 4 – 3,2 ) / ( 4 -2 ) x 3 + 1 ** Your final grade can be Max 4 Min 2.
NC= 2,2
The Technical University of Munich has a calculation application on their website, which you can access here and calculate your VPD based on your current grade or score.
It now depends on the quota of the program you are applying for and how high the NC values of the applicants are. VPD means that these calculations are done officially. You will receive a document as a result of the calculation. This document is valid for 1 year.
How Can You Improve Your NC Grade?
I mentioned TestAS at the beginning of this article. TestAS is an exam that is accepted by some universities in Germany, improves the NC grade and is used as an equally important ranking criterion. In some universities it is even used instead of HZB. For a list of these schools, you can read my article Universities Accepting TestAS. Since this exam aims to measure cognitive abilities rather than knowledge, it can be challenging for some prospective students. You can find my articles about preparing for the TestAS exam here.
Did I help you? If you have any questions, you will probably find the answer on these pages, but you can still contact me at recep[at]recepdayi.com.tr and on my social media accounts. I try to improve my articles according to your feedback, so please send me your comments. Thank you in advance.
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