CGPA & Grading Glossary

1

10-point scale

The grading scale most common in India, where grade points run 0–10 and O/A+ = 10 is the maximum.

110 e lode

The top Italian degree result — a perfect 110/110 with honours (lode).

4

4.0 scale

A grade point scale where A/A+ = 4.0 is the maximum; used by many US and Canadian universities (for example the University of Toronto).

4.33 scale

A grade point scale where A+ = 4.33, above the A = 4.0 value; used by universities such as the University of British Columbia (UBC).

4.5 scale

A grade point scale where the top grade equals 4.5; used in South Korea and by some other institutions.

A

Absolute grading

A scheme where fixed mark ranges map to grades, independent of how other students performed.

Academic probation

A status for students whose GPA falls below a required minimum, with conditions to improve.

Academic standing

A student's status (good standing, probation, dismissal) determined largely by GPA.

Academic year

The annual cycle of study, typically two semesters or three trimesters.

Aggregate

The total or overall marks/percentage across all subjects or semesters, often used interchangeably with overall percentage in India.

AGPA (Adjusted Grade Point Average)

An admissions GPA that removes some lower grades or applies a formula, used by certain Canadian professional programmes.

AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education)

India's regulator for technical education; some AICTE-linked institutions use the (CGPA − 0.5) × 10 or (CGPA − 0.75) × 10 conversion.

AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service)

The centralised US medical-school application that recomputes applicant GPAs, including a separate science GPA.

Annual system

An examination system with one set of exams per year, as opposed to the semester system.

AP (Advanced Placement)

US college-level high-school courses that often earn a weighted GPA boost and possible college credit.

Aprobado

Spanish for "pass" — marks of 5.0–6.9 on the 0–10 scale.

Arrear

An Indian term for a backlog — a subject not yet cleared and carried to a later exam.

ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank)

A percentile rank (not a GPA) used for Australian university admission, up to 99.95.

Attempt

A single sitting of an examination; some systems record the number of attempts taken to pass.

Audit

Taking a course for no grade or credit; audited courses do not affect the GPA.

Ausreichend

German for "sufficient" — grades 3.6–4.0, the minimum pass, roughly a US C−/D.

Australian WAM

The Weighted Average Mark used by Australian universities — a credit-weighted percentage average determining honours.

B

Backlog

A course a student has failed and must clear; also called an arrear or supplementary.

Batch

The group of students admitted in the same year; often the cohort for ranking.

Befriedigend

German for "satisfactory" — grades around 2.6–3.5, roughly a US B−/C.

Bell curve

A normal distribution used as a template when grading on a curve.

Best-of grading

A policy counting only the higher of two attempts at a course toward the GPA.

Bologna Process

European reforms that standardised degree cycles and the ECTS credit system across participating countries.

C

Carnegie unit

A historical US standard defining a credit in terms of instructional time; the basis for the credit-hour system.

Carry forward

Allowing an uncleared course to be attempted in a later term rather than blocking progress.

CBCS (Choice Based Credit System)

A UGC framework that lets students choose courses across a credit-based structure, graded on a 10-point scale.

CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average)

A credit-weighted average of grade points earned across all semesters of a programme, on a fixed scale (usually 10 in India, 4 in the US). It summarises overall academic performance.

cGPA (Canada)

The cumulative grade point average across a Canadian student's whole record, distinct from a sessional GPA.

CGPA to GPA

Estimating a US 4.0 GPA from a 10-point CGPA, usually a credit-weighted or banded conversion for study abroad.

CGPA to percentage

The conversion of a cumulative grade point average into a marks-out-of-100 figure using an institution's official formula.

Classification

The band into which a UK degree result falls; the Commonwealth analogue of a GPA.

Class rank

A student's numerical position within their cohort by GPA or marks.

Cohort

The group of students progressing through a programme together; the reference group for relative grading.

Condonement

A UK regulation permitting a marginal fail in a module to be disregarded so a student can still progress or graduate.

Consolidated marksheet

A single document summarising a student's marks or grades across all semesters of a programme.

Contact hours

The scheduled hours of teaching for a course, which help determine its credit value.

Continuous assessment

Ongoing evaluation across a course through multiple tasks rather than a single final exam.

Conversion formula

The institution-specific rule for converting CGPA to a percentage. It varies by university, which is why a single ×10 rule is often wrong.

Convocation

The ceremony at which degrees are formally conferred.

Core course

A compulsory course required for a programme, as distinct from an elective.

Cote R (Cote de rendement au collégial (R-score))

A standardised score used in Quebec CEGEP admissions that combines a student's grade, group strength, and dispersion.

Course-by-course evaluation

A detailed credential evaluation listing each course with its converted grade and credits, plus an overall GPA.

CPI (Cumulative Performance Index)

An alternate name for CGPA used by the IITs and some other institutions; a credit-weighted average of grade points.

Credential evaluation

A formal report from an approved agency translating foreign qualifications and grades into local equivalents.

Credit

A unit measuring the weight of a course, usually based on weekly instruction hours. Grade points are weighted by credits when computing SGPA and CGPA.

Credit hour

A US measure of course weight equal to roughly one hour of instruction per week for a semester; GPA is credit-hour-weighted.

Credit load

The total credits a student registers for in a term; GPA is averaged over the credits attempted.

Credit transfer

Applying credits earned at one institution toward a programme at another.

Credit-weighted average

An average in which each course's grade points are multiplied by its credits before averaging — the basis of every GPA and CGPA.

Cum laude

"With honour" — a US graduation distinction for a high GPA, below magna and summa cum laude.

Cum laude (Europe)

A Latin honours label used across several European countries for top degree results.

Cumulative GPA

The GPA across all terms completed so far, as opposed to a single term's GPA.

Cutoff marks

The minimum marks required for admission, eligibility, or a particular grade.

D

Dean's Honour List

A Canadian recognition for students achieving a high sessional or cumulative GPA.

Dean's List

A recognition of students who achieve a high GPA (often ≥ 3.5) in a given term.

Degree audit

A check of completed and remaining requirements, including GPA, needed to graduate.

Degree certificate

The official document conferring a degree, usually stating the class or distinction achieved.

Detained

Status of a student barred from an exam (often for low attendance), who must repeat the term or paper.

DGPA (Degree Grade Point Average)

The final cumulative grade point average for an entire degree, sometimes reported separately from the semester CGPA.

Distinction

A top classification of a degree result, typically awarded above a high CGPA or percentage threshold set by the university.

Distinction (postgraduate)

The top UK master's classification, typically an average of 70% or above.

Division

The Indian classification of results into First, Second, and Third Division by percentage bands.

Document-by-document evaluation

A basic credential evaluation confirming the level of a qualification without a full course breakdown.

Dutch grading (1–10)

The Netherlands scale from 1 to 10, where 6 is the pass mark and marks above 8 are uncommon.

E

ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators)

A US credential-evaluation agency, an alternative to WES for converting foreign grades.

ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System)

A European credit standard where a full academic year is 60 ECTS credits, enabling credit transfer across countries.

ECTS grade

A relative European grade (A–F) indicating a student's standing within the passing cohort, used alongside local grades.

Elective

An optional course a student chooses, as distinct from a compulsory core course.

Equivalence certificate

A document certifying that a foreign or older qualification is equivalent to a recognised standard.

External assessment

Marks from an end-of-term examination set or evaluated outside the immediate teaching staff.

F

Failing grade

A grade (F or E) below the pass threshold, usually counted as 0 grade points.

Final grade calculation

Working out the score needed on a final exam to achieve a desired overall course grade.

First attempt

Passing a course or exam on the first sitting, sometimes required for certain awards or jobs.

First Class

A degree classification, usually 60% and above (or a corresponding CGPA), used across Indian and Commonwealth systems.

First Class Honours

The top UK degree class, typically an overall average of 70% or above.

First Class with Distinction

A higher classification than First Class, often 75% and above, recognising outstanding performance.

First Division

An Indian result classification, usually 60% and above.

First Division (Bangladesh)

A Bangladeshi result class; many institutions now report a 4.0 or 5.0 GPA instead of divisions.

G

Gesamtnote

The overall German final grade — a credit-weighted average on the 1.0 (best) to 5.0 (fail) scale.

Gold medal

An award given to the top-ranked student in a programme or university, based on the highest CGPA.

GPA (Grade Point Average)

The average of grade points, typically on a 4-point scale (common in the US) or a 10-point scale (common in India).

GPA cutoff

A minimum GPA required for eligibility — for a scholarship, programme, or job application.

Grace marks

A small number of marks added at a board or university's discretion to help a borderline student pass.

Grade appeal

A formal request to review or change an awarded grade believed to be incorrect.

Grade band

A range of marks that maps to a single letter grade and grade point under absolute grading.

Grade card

A statement showing a student's grades and GPA for a term; a grade report or grade sheet.

Grade distribution

The spread of grades awarded in a class; the reference for relative grading.

Grade forgiveness

A policy allowing a repeated course's new grade to replace the old one in the GPA calculation.

Grade point

The numeric value assigned to a letter grade (for example O = 10, A = 9), used to compute averages.

Grade point average (Canada)

In Canada, a credit-weighted average on a 4.0 or 4.33 scale; the exact letter-to-point mapping is set by each university.

Grade point deficiency

The shortfall in quality points below the number needed for a target GPA — what a planner computes.

Grade point value

The points a letter grade is worth on a given scale; on a US 4.0 scale an A = 4.0, B = 3.0, and so on.

Grade replacement

Substituting a repeated course's grade for the original in GPA calculations, where policy permits.

Grade sheet

An official listing of course grades and the resulting GPA for a semester or programme.

Grading key

The legend printed on a transcript explaining what each grade and grade point means.

Grading on a curve

Relative grading in which grades are distributed according to a target statistical spread rather than fixed cutoffs.

Gut

German for "good" — grades around 1.6–2.5, roughly a US A−/B.

GWA (General Weighted Average)

A credit-weighted average used in the Philippines, often on a 1.0 (best) to 5.0 scale where lower is better.

H

HD (High Distinction)

The top Australian grade, typically 85% and above.

HEC (Higher Education Commission (Pakistan))

Pakistan's higher-education regulator; the HEC convention converts a 4.0 CGPA to percentage as CGPA × 25.

Honor roll

A list recognising students who meet a set GPA standard, common in US high schools.

Honors course

A more rigorous version of a standard course that may carry extra weight in a weighted GPA.

Honours classification

The UK degree grading system that awards a class (First, 2:1, 2:2, Third) rather than a GPA.

Hyōten

The Japanese numeric grade (often 0–100) underlying letter grades and the GPA.

I

IB (International Baccalaureate)

An international pre-university programme graded 1–7 per subject; often converted to a weighted GPA.

Incomplete

A temporary grade (I) given when coursework is unfinished; it converts to a final grade or an F if not completed.

Internal assessment

Marks awarded by the teaching department during the term (assignments, quizzes, attendance) as opposed to the final exam.

J

Japanese GPA

A 4.0-scale GPA increasingly used by Japanese universities, mapped from percentage or S/A/B/C letter grades.

K

Korean 4.5 scale

The South Korean GPA scale where A+ = 4.5 is the maximum, distinct from the US 4.0 scale.

L

Latin honors

Graduation distinctions (cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude) awarded by US institutions based on GPA thresholds.

Lecture hours

The portion of a course delivered as lectures, contributing to its credit weighting.

Letter grade

A symbolic grade (O, A+, A, B, C, and so on) awarded for a course and mapped to a grade point.

Lower Second Class (2:2)

A UK degree class, typically 50–59%.

LSAC (Law School Admission Council)

The body that processes US law-school applications and standardises applicant GPAs.

M

Magna cum laude

"With great honour" — a US graduation distinction above cum laude, for a very high GPA.

Major GPA

A GPA computed only from courses in a student's major, often requested by graduate programmes.

Marksheet

The Indian term for an official statement of marks and grades for a semester or year.

Marks obtained

The actual marks a student scores, divided by maximum marks to give a percentage.

Matrícula de honor

The top Spanish grade distinction (9–10 with honours), often carrying a tuition benefit.

Maximum marks

The full marks a paper or course is graded out of, against which the percentage is computed.

Mention

A French honour label attached to a result — passable, assez bien, bien, or très bien — by mark band.

Merit list

A ranked list of top-performing students published by an institution or board.

Merit (postgraduate)

A UK master's classification above pass, typically an average of 60–69%.

Minimum pass marks

The lowest marks needed to pass a paper, often 33%, 40%, or 50% depending on the system.

Moderation

The review and adjustment of marks by an examiner or board to correct for an unusually hard or easy paper.

Modified Bavarian formula

A common German method for converting a foreign grade to the 1.0–5.0 scale relative to the local maximum and minimum pass marks.

Module mark

The percentage mark for a single UK course unit (module); modules combine, often year-weighted, into the final classification.

N

Non-credit course

A course taken without earning credit toward the degree or GPA.

Normalization

Statistically adjusting raw marks across different sections or papers so they are comparable before grades are assigned.

Notable

Spanish for "very good" — marks of 7.0–8.9 on the 0–10 scale.

Notation sur 20

The French 0–20 marking scale, where 10 is the pass mark and marks above 16 are rare and excellent.

Notendurchschnitt

German for "grade average"; the mean of module grades on the 1.0–5.0 scale, where lower is better.

Notional percentage

An indicative percentage derived from CGPA by a standard multiplier when no official formula exists, labelled as an estimate.

O

OBE (Outcome-Based Education)

A framework that grades against defined learning outcomes; increasingly tied to credit and grading reforms.

OGPA (Overall Grade Point Average)

A cumulative GPA term used mainly by Indian agricultural universities, computed as a credit-weighted mean across all courses.

OMSAS (Ontario Medical School Application Service)

The Ontario medical-school application service, which converts percentage grades to its own standard 4.0 OMSAS scale.

OMSAS scale

A conversion table used by OMSAS that maps percentage ranges to grade points on a 4.0 scale (for example 90–100 = 4.0).

Ordinary degree

A UK degree awarded without honours, usually for meeting pass requirements but not the honours standard.

Overall percentage

The percentage across an entire programme, typically derived from the final CGPA via the official formula.

P

Pass/Fail

A grading option recording only whether a course was passed, usually excluded from the GPA.

Passing grade

The lowest grade that counts as a pass; below it a course must be repeated.

Pass mark

The minimum mark to pass a course; commonly 40% in the UK and India, 50% in some postgraduate contexts.

Percentage of marks

Marks expressed out of 100. Universities convert CGPA to percentage using an official formula that varies by institution (for example CGPA × 10, CGPA × 9.5, or (CGPA − 0.75) × 10).

Percentage system

A marks-out-of-100 system, still used by many Indian universities and boards alongside or instead of CGPA.

Percentage to CGPA

The reverse conversion, estimating a CGPA from a known percentage using an institution's formula.

Percentage-to-GPA table

A university-published table mapping percentage bands to letter grades and grade points, common at Canadian institutions.

Percentile

The percentage of a cohort scoring at or below a given mark; used in relative and normalised systems.

Percentile rank

A student's standing expressed as the percentage of the cohort scoring at or below them.

Plus/minus grading

A scheme using grades like A−, B+ with fractional grade points (for example A− = 3.7, B+ = 3.3).

Practical marks

Marks for laboratory or hands-on work, usually assessed separately from theory papers.

President's List

A recognition, usually above the Dean's List, for students earning a near-perfect or perfect GPA in a term.

Promotion

Advancing to the next year or semester on meeting the required credits or grades.

Provisional certificate

A temporary document confirming a student has completed a degree before the formal certificate is issued.

Provisional result

A result issued before final verification, subject to change on revaluation or moderation.

Q

Quality points

The product of a course's grade points and its credit hours; summed across courses and divided by total credits to give the GPA.

Quarter system

A US calendar dividing the year into four terms (usually three taught), each with its own GPA.

R

Rank

A student's position in a merit order based on marks or CGPA within a cohort.

Relative grading

A scheme where grades are assigned relative to the class distribution (a curve), so the same mark can earn different grades in different cohorts.

Repeat course

A course taken again to replace or improve an earlier grade, subject to the institution's policy.

Retake

Repeating a course or exam to improve a grade or clear a failure.

Revaluation

A re-checking of an answer script on a student's request, which can change the awarded mark.

Rounding

Adjusting a CGPA or percentage to a set number of decimals; rounding rules vary by institution and can change a classification.

RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning)

Awarding credit for knowledge or skills gained outside formal study, toward a qualification.

R-score

The English name for Quebec's cote R, a normalised college performance score used for university admission.

S

Scale maximum

The highest grade point on a scale — 10 in India, 4.0 or 4.33 in North America, 4.5 in Korea.

Scaling

Rescaling raw scores to a common range or mean, often used when combining marks from differently-difficult subjects.

Science GPA

A GPA computed from science and math courses (BCPM), used by medical-school applications such as AMCAS.

Second Class

A degree classification below First Class, commonly 50–59%, sometimes split into upper and lower divisions.

Second Division

An Indian result classification, usually 45–59% (thresholds vary by board/university).

Sehr gut

German for "very good" — grades 1.0–1.5, roughly a US A.

Semester

A half-year academic term; most credit systems compute a GPA per semester.

Semester GPA

The GPA for one term only; combined across terms it forms the cumulative GPA.

Semester system

A system with two graded terms per year, each producing an SGPA that feeds the CGPA.

Sessional GPA

A Canadian term for the GPA of a single academic session (term or year).

Sessional marks

Internal marks earned during the session/term through tests and assignments, counting toward the final grade.

SGPA (Semester Grade Point Average)

The credit-weighted average of grade points for the courses taken in a single semester.

SGPA to CGPA

Combining semester GPAs (credit-weighted) into a cumulative CGPA across a programme.

Sobresaliente

Spanish for "outstanding" — marks of 9.0–10 on the 0–10 scale.

SPI (Semester Performance Index)

A single-semester grade point average, equivalent to SGPA, used by the IITs and some universities.

Standardization

Converting raw scores to a standard scale (such as z-scores) so results from different exams can be compared.

Summa cum laude

"With highest honour" — the top US graduation distinction, for the highest GPA band.

Supplementary exam

A re-examination offered to students who failed or missed a paper, letting them clear a backlog.

T

Target GPA

The GPA a student aims for; a target planner works out the grades still needed to reach it.

Third Class Honours

The lowest UK honours class, typically 40–49%.

Third Division

An Indian result classification, usually a bare pass around 33–44%.

Transcript

The official record of courses, grades, credits, and GPA issued by an institution.

Transfer credit

Credit granted for prior study at another institution; often it counts toward the degree but not the GPA.

Trenta e lode

An Italian exam grade of 30/30 with honours, the highest single-exam mark.

Trimester

An academic year divided into three teaching terms.

Très bien

French for "very good" — a mention for marks of 16/20 and above.

Tutorial

A small-group teaching session that may carry its own credit or assessment weight.

U

UGC (University Grants Commission)

India's higher-education regulator, which recommends the 10-point CBCS grading framework and the CGPA-to-percentage guidance many universities follow.

Unweighted GPA

A US GPA on a strict 0–4.0 scale that treats all courses equally regardless of difficulty.

Upper Second Class (2:1)

A UK degree class, typically 60–69%; often the minimum for graduate study and many employers.

V

Verification of marks

A re-checking of the totalling and recording of marks, distinct from a full revaluation.

Viva voce

An oral examination in which a student answers questions in person; often a component of practical or project grades.

Voto di laurea

The Italian final degree mark, out of 110, with 110 e lode as the highest distinction.

W

WAEC (West African Examinations Council)

The board whose secondary-school results (for example in Nigeria and Ghana) are converted to a GPA for study abroad.

WAM (Weighted Average Mark)

A credit- and level-weighted percentage average used in the UK and Australia to determine a degree classification.

Weighted average

An average where each value is weighted by a factor (here, credits); the basis for SGPA and CGPA.

Weighted GPA

A US GPA that gives extra grade points for harder courses (AP, IB, honours), so it can exceed 4.0.

Weighted percentage

A percentage computed by weighting each subject's marks by its credits or maximum marks.

WES (World Education Services)

A credential-evaluation body that converts international transcripts to US/Canadian equivalents, including a GPA.

WES iGPA

The grade point average WES calculates on a 4.0 scale from a foreign transcript during an evaluation.

wGPA (Weighted Grade Point Average)

A Canadian graduate/medical admissions GPA that adjusts for course load or drops the lowest marks (used by several Ontario programmes).

Withdrawal

A grade (W) recorded when a student drops a course after the deadline; usually GPA-neutral.

Y

YGPA (Yearly Grade Point Average)

A grade point average computed over an academic year rather than a single semester, used by some annual-system universities.

Z

Zero-credit course

A required course that must be passed but carries no credits and does not affect the GPA.

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