How CGPA is calculated
Your CGPA (cumulative grade point average) combines the SGPA, or semester GPA, of every semester you have finished. Each semester counts in proportion to its credits.
If all your semesters carry the same number of credits, this is the same as a plain average of the SGPAs. If they do not, the plain average is wrong, so enter the credits shown on each grade card.
Worked example
Three semesters on a 10-point scale:
| Semester | SGPA | Credits | SGPA × credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8.2 | 20 | 164.0 |
| 2 | 7.6 | 24 | 182.4 |
| 3 | 9.0 | 22 | 198.0 |
| Total | 66 | 544.4 |
CGPA = 544.4 ÷ 66 = 8.25. A plain average of the SGPAs would give 8.27, slightly too high, because the weakest semester also had the most credits.
Converting CGPA to percentage
There is no single formula. Each board or university decides its own rule, and the rule can change from one batch or scheme to the next. Always use the rule printed on your grade card or in your regulations. The calculator includes the official rules we could confirm from the issuing body, plus a custom box for any other rule.
| Body | Rule | CGPA 8.6 gives | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBSE Class 10 (CCE, 2010–2017) | CGPA × 9.5 | 81.7% | Official |
| VTU (2015, 2017, 2018 schemes) | (CGPA − 0.75) × 10 | 78.5% | Official |
| Plain proportion | CGPA × 10 | 86% | Only if your university uses it |
CBSE: why 9.5?
Under the CCE system, CBSE Class 10 marks statements gave grades rather than marks and stated that an indicative percentage is 9.5 times the grade point, or 9.5 times the CGPA for the overall figure. CBSE explained the factor as the average mark of students in the top grade band, so a perfect 10 CGPA corresponds to 95%, not 100%. The rule is for CBSE’s CCE grading only.
VTU
Visvesvaraya Technological University publishes its standard formula, Percentage = (CGPA − 0.75) × 10, and says it applies to the 2015, 2017 and 2018 schemes only. For later schemes, check the regulations for your batch.
Other universities
The University of Mumbai, AKTU, Anna University and many others set their own conversion rules in their regulations or on the back of the grade card, and they differ between grading schemes. We could not confirm the current official rule for each one, so they are not built in. Choose Custom formula, enter the multiplier and the amount to add or subtract, and the calculator does the rest. For example, a rule of “(CGPA − 0.5) × 10” is a multiplier of 10 and an offset of −5.
4.0 scale and HEC Pakistan
For 4-point CGPAs there is no standard formula either. We could not find any conversion formula published by HEC Pakistan; universities map marks to grade points using their own grading tables, and the same CGPA can mean different marks at different universities. The calculator shows a simple proportion (CGPA ÷ 4 × 100) as a rough guide only. If a job or visa form asks for a percentage, ask your university for an official equivalence letter.
Tips
- Round only at the end. Keep two or three decimals in each SGPA; rounding each semester first can move your CGPA by 0.01 or more.
- Use the reverse box for cut-offs. If a job needs 60%, the reverse field shows the CGPA that rule requires. Under the VTU rule, 60% needs a CGPA of 6.75.
- US-style letter grades? The GPA calculator works with A to F grades and credit hours. To find the mark you need in a final exam, try the grade calculator, and for marks out of a total use the percentage calculator.