What is CGPA? - CGPA Full Form, Meaning & Conversion Formulas

Whether you are a high school student or a first year student at college or university, you are likely aware of the term "CGPA". This article sheds light on what is CGPA, and why it holds so much importance? CGPA is a grading system, calculated by averaging the total grade points across all semesters.

Willing to study abroad, but don't know the relevance of your CGPA  for top universities abroad? A CGPA is a grading scale used to assess a student's academic performance through various semesters across a degree program. The CGPA thus represents the cumulative grade points of a student throughout their entire academic journey or degree, rather than just for one semester. The CGPA is often calculated by taking a weighted average of all the Semester Grade Point Averages (SGPAs) received in a degree program. 

The CGPA can be expressed either as a “letter grade” or a “numeric grade point”. Each CGPA has its own relevance with the percentage of marks that the students have obtained in their semester exams. In this article, we will dive deep into the meaning of CGPA, its full form, its calculation (Percentage to CGPA conversion formula and vice-versa), and its importance. We will also learn briefly about the difference between GPA and CGPA and the formula for their interconversion.

How to convert CGPA to GPA using the CGPA to GPA Calculator?

CGPA To GPA

Here is the formula to convert your CGPA to GPA:

What is CGPA full form?

The CGPA full form is Cumulative Grade Point Average, which is a grade point that summarises a person's overall academic performance across all your subjects, semesters, and years throughout your entire academic degree. The CGPA is useful in attracting various academic and professional opportunities, such as getting higher education, scholarships, and jobs abroad.

Related Blog: Calculate CGPA into Marks

CGPA Vs GPA

While the CGPA full form and the GPA full form are closely the same, there is a significant difference between the criteria of measurement of these two types of grades. Note that in India, the commonly used grading system is either the “percentage” or the CGPA grading system. However, most universities and colleges abroad follow a GPA grading system, and some of them use the CGPA 10-point scale as well.

The key points on the difference between GPA and CGPA are given below.

How is CGPA Calculated?

The calculation of CGPA may vary from institution to institution depending on the type of grading system accepted. However, the general principle of calculating the CGPA remains the same. Let us learn how to calculate CGPA from GPA and from percentage below.

1. Calculation of CGPA from Percentage

You can calculate your CGPA from percentage by using the following formula:

CGPA = Percentage ÷ 9.5

As per the above formula, by dividing your overall percentage by 9.5, you can get your CGPA.

2. Calculation of CGPA from GPA

The formula to calculate your CGPA from GPA is:
CGPA = (GPA x 10)/4 or 5
Here, 10 = maximum CGPA scale, and

4 or 5 = maximum GPA scale

Also Read:

• How to Calculate SGPA?
• SGPA to CGPA
• Difference Between SGPA & CGPA

CGPA to Percentage Conversion

CGPA to percentage conversion can be done by using a simple formula. Students often require a CGPA to percentage conversion to reflect on their academic journeys better, as to how much of the total score out of 100 they have scored. Students also need the CGPA to percentage conversion when applying for admission to a higher course in an Indian university or for applying to a job within India, as percentage is the commonly accepted grading system in India. The CGPA to percentage formula is given below.

Percentage = CGPA × 9.5

CGPA to Percentage Conversion Table on a 10-Point CGPA Scale

The CGPA to Percentage Conversion Table on a 10-point CGPA scale is given below. This chart provides an estimated range for the percentage equivalent of CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) above 6.0 on a 10-point scale. Note that these conversions are drawn according to the above-given CGPA to Percentage formula (and vice versa). These approximations may change based on different universities and colleges abroad.

Note: To be admitted to good universities abroad, students must score a minimum CGPA of 6.0.

CGPA to Percentage Conversion Table on a 4-Point CGPA Scale

The CGPA to Percentage Conversion Table on a 4-point CGPA scale is given below. Note that the percentage calculation formula from CGPA to percentage on a 4-point scale is:

Percentage = CGPA × 25

This chart provides an estimated range for the percentage equivalent of a CGPA above 3.0 on a 4-point scale. Note that these conversions are drawn according to the above-given CGPA to Percentage formula (and vice versa). These approximations may change based on different universities and colleges abroad.

What is the Importance of CGPA?

The CGPA scores serve as a crucial indicator of one’s overall academic performance throughout their degree/course. The CGPAs are used by educational institutions and other professional organisations to assess students' profiles for scholarships, graduate programs or job opportunities. More points on the importance of CGPA are given below. 

• A CGPA determines an individual's academic standing.
• To get admitted to universities abroad and hired by foreign employers, a good CGPA (or higher CGPA) is generally recommended.
• A good CGPA can bring you good reputation among your peers and class of studies. 
• The requirements of scholarships abroad vary, but a good CGPA often forms the base of all these requirements. 

In conclusion, a CGPA is a metric to denote the overall academic performance of an individual for the entire course of their academic degree. Unlike the SGPA, which determines the performance of a student through a semester, the CGPA determines the academic performance across the entire journey of completing a degree. rather than just one semester or year. 
For example, a B.Sc degree usually has 6 semesters divided across the course of 3 years. So, the SGPA you receive after each semester exam would represent your performance limited to that semester only while, a CGPA  would represent your performance throughout all three years. With this being said, it can be inferred that you can get a SGPA before getting your CGPA but you cannot get your CGPA before getting all your SGPAs across a degree or higher education program.
The CGPA denotes the academic performance of an individual by either by the letter grade (A, B, C, D, E, and F) or by the numerical grades (1 to 10). So, the CGPA you get at the end of your degree is a result of how you performed across all the years of your program.

This was all about "What is CGPA', CGPA meaning, the full form of CGPA, how is CGPA calculated and CGPA Vs GPA. We hope this comprehensive guide on CGPA has resolved all your doubts. 

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