Published 2025-02-01 · Updated 1970-01-01 · 8 min read · By the CGPA Calculator Editorial Team
What is CGPA?
CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) is the weighted average of grade points earned across every subject in a programme, reported on a 10-point scale by most Indian universities under the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS). It is the single number colleges, recruiters and PG admissions look at first.
The CGPA formula
The numerator is the total credit points you have earned. The denominator is the total credits you attempted. The ratio is your CGPA, rounded to two decimal places.
Step 1 — List every subject and its credits
Pull out your grade sheet for the semester (or the full programme, if you're calculating final CGPA). Write down every subject along with its credit value. Credits usually range from 1 to 5 and are printed on the official transcript. Lab and theory components of the same subject often carry different credits — treat them as separate rows.
Step 2 — Convert each letter grade to a grade point
The standard 10-point mapping used by UGC-aligned universities:
| Letter grade | Grade point | Remark |
|---|---|---|
| O | 10 | Outstanding |
| A+ | 9 | Excellent |
| A | 8 | Very good |
| B+ | 7 | Good |
| B | 6 | Above average |
| C | 5 | Average |
| P | 4 | Pass |
| F | 0 | Fail |
Step 3 — Multiply credits × grade points
For each subject, multiply its credits by the grade point you mapped in step 2. The result is the subject's credit points.
Step 4 — Divide by total credits
Sum every subject's credit points, sum every subject's credits, then divide. Round only the final answer to two decimals. Never round intermediate values — small rounding errors compound across a four-year programme.
Worked example
Suppose you have five subjects in a semester:
| Subject | Credits | Grade | Grade points | Credit points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 4 | A+ | 9 | 36 |
| Physics | 3 | A | 8 | 24 |
| Programming | 4 | O | 10 | 40 |
| English | 2 | B+ | 7 | 14 |
| Physics Lab | 2 | A | 8 | 16 |
| Total | 15 | 130 |
CGPA = 130 ÷ 15 = 8.67. To convert to percentage, multiply by your university's factor — for CBSE/generic that is 9.5, giving 82.35%. Use the converterto get the right factor for your institution.
SGPA vs CGPA
SGPA (Semester GPA) is calculated for a single semester. CGPA is the running average across all semesters completed so far. To go from SGPA to CGPA, take a credit-weighted average of every semester's SGPA — our SGPA to CGPA calculatordoes this in one click.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Counting backlog subjects twice. Drop the original "F" attempt once the supplementary result is declared.
- Using simple averaging instead of credit-weighted. A 4-credit subject impacts your CGPA twice as much as a 2-credit one.
- Rounding mid-way. Always round only the final CGPA.
- Mixing 4-point and 10-point scales. Convert any 4-point GPA to a 10-point CGPA first — multiply by 2.5.
Skip the math — use the calculator
Want the answer right now? Open the free CGPA calculator, enter your subjects, and you'll have your CGPA, percentage and letter grade in under 10 seconds.