Australia Hub • Calculators

What WAM Do I Need? Australian University Calculator 2026

Calculate exactly what average you need in remaining subjects to reach your WAM target — Honours entry, Graduate with Distinction, or H1 for PhD.

1Current Status

Total credits for completed subjects.

2The Target

Total credits left in your degree.

Enter your current WAM, credits, and target to see what average you need.

Key Australian WAM Targets

First Class Honours (H1)

WAM 80+

The gold standard. H1 is typically required for direct entry into a PhD program and major government scholarships (like the RTP).

Graduate with Distinction

WAM 75+

At most Australian universities, maintaining a 75 WAM across your Bachelor's degree earns you"With Distinction" on your final testamur.

Upper Second Class (H2A)

WAM 70-79

Highly competitive for graduate roles, coursework Masters, and sometimes acceptable for research degrees with a strong proposal.

Honours Minimum Entry

WAM 65+

The typical cutoff required to be invited back for a standard Honours year after a 3-year Bachelor's degree.

How is this calculated?

Your required average is calculated using reverse WAM mathematics. We take your target WAM and multiply it by your total degree credits to find the"Total Points" needed to graduate.

We then subtract the points you've already earned (Current WAM × Completed Credits) to find out exactly how many points you still need to earn. Finally, we divide that number by your remaining credits to give you the required percentage average.

Keep in mind: You cannot score higher than 100% in a subject. If the calculator says you need an average above 100%, it means your target WAM is mathematically impossible to reach with the credits you have left.

Frequently Asked Questions

A WAM of 65+ (Credit) is considered good, 75+ (Distinction) is very good, and 80+ (High Distinction) is excellent. Graduate employers typically look for 65-70+ depending on the industry.
Australia uses a percentage-based WAM system (0-100) and 7-point GPA scale, compared to the US 4.0 system. An Australian 'Distinction' (75%) is roughly equivalent to a US 3.7 GPA.
Yes, student visa holders (subclass 500) can work up to 48 hours per fortnight during semester and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks. Violating this limit can result in visa cancellation.