When applying for higher education, you'll encounter various terms like GPA (Grade Point Average), CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average), and Percentage. While they all measure academic performance, they do so in different ways.
What is GPA?
GPA usually refers to your score for a single semester or a specific period. It is calculated by taking the average of the grade points obtained in all subjects, weighted by the credit hours of each subject.
Formula for GPA:
GPA = (Sum of (Grade Point × Credit Hours)) / (Total Credit Hours)
What is CGPA?
CGPA represents your overall academic performance across multiple semesters (usually your entire degree). It aggregates all your semester GPAs into one final score.
Formula for CGPA:
CGPA = (Sum of all Semester GPAs) / (Number of Semesters)
(Note: If semesters have different total credits, a weighted average is more accurate.)
GPA/CGPA vs Percentage
Percentage is a direct representation of raw marks (e.g., 85/100).
- Pros: Easy to understand.
- Cons: Doesn't account for subject difficulty or credit weight.
GPA systems (4.0 or 10.0 scale) are generally preferred by international universities because they standardize scores, making it easier to compare students from different educational backgrounds.
Converting Between Systems
Percentage to GPA (4.0 Scale)
A widely used approximation is (Percentage / 20) - 1. E.g., 80% ≈ 3.0 GPA.
CGPA to Percentage (10.0 Scale)
For CBSE/Indian systems: Percentage = CGPA × 9.5. E.g., 10 CGPA = 95%.
Conclusion
Whether you are calculating GPA, CGPA, or Percentage, accuracy matters. Use our dedicated tools to get instant results: