Jasmine Grover Content Strategy Manager
Content Strategy Manager | Updated On - Nov 5, 2025
As an Indian student planning to study abroad, understanding CGPA is crucial. The CGPA full form is Cumulative Grade Point Average—a key metric for your academic profile. CGPA is used by universities globally to evaluate applicants. While Indian institutions often use percentage marks or grades, most international universities consider CGPA or GPA (Grade Point Average).
The main difference between a GPA and CGPA is:
- GPA: Refers to grades for a specific term or semester.
- CGPA: A cumulative average GPA across all terms or semesters and is based on a 10.0 scale.
| Example: If you have completed four semesters with Semester GPAs of 8.5, 9.0, 8.0, and 8.8. Consequently, your CGPA would be (8.5 + 9.0 + 8.0 + 8.8) / 4 = 8.58 (on a 10-point scale). |
CGPA Full Form: What Does CGPA Stand For?
CGPA, or Cumulative Grade Point Average, is a numeric representation of your overall academic performance over a specific period, such as a semester or an entire course. It averages your grades in all subjects, providing a score reflecting your academic standing.
For example, in the Indian system:
- A CGPA of 9.0 or above is often considered excellent.
- A CGPA of 6.0–8.0 is good, while anything below 6.0 might require improvement for competitive programs abroad.
For studying abroad, understanding the CGPA is crucial since top graduate schools and scholarship programs, including Harvard University, Stanford, and MIT, consider it as a primary selection criterion.
How to Calculate CGPA for Universities Abroad?
Each country and university has its unique GPA scale and conversion method. Hence, it is necessary to know the academic guidelines of your desired university. However, the standard CGPA calculation steps remain the same.
Step 1: List all the courses you attempted, the corresponding credit values, and final grades.
Step 2: Write down the grade points earned for each course (for example, 4.0 for an A, 3.0 for a B, and 2.0 for a C).
Step 3: Convert the letter grades obtained in each subject to grade points. For example, on a 10-point scale, A may be equivalent to 10, B to 8, and so on.
Step 4: Identify the credit value of each subject. This represents the weightage of the course. For example, a 3-credit course has more weightage than a 2-credit course.
Step 5: Multiply the grade points attained in each subject by the credit value of the subject, then sum these values.
Step 6: Divide this sum by the total credits for the semester to obtain the Semester GPA.
Step 7: Calculate the mean of all the Semester GPAs. Add the Semester GPAs and divide by the total number of semesters.
Now, you have your CGPA.
| Study Abroad Guide | ||
|---|---|---|
| Study in USA | Study in UK | Study in Germany |
| Study in Canada | Study in Australia | Study in New Zealand |
How to Calculate CGPA from GPA?
The majority of the universities in the US Education System follow a 4.0 GPA scale. In this case, the formula for calculating CGPA from GPA is CGPA = (Obtained GPA / Total GPA) * Total CGPA.
| Example: If your GPA is 3.5 on a 4-point scale, and you want to convert it to a 10-point CGPA scale, the calculation would be: CGPA = (3.5 / 4.0) * 10 = 8.75 |
How to Calculate CGPA from Percentage
If your academic performance is determined on a percentage scale at an Indian institution, you must calculate the equivalent CGPA or GPA while applying for universities abroad. In this case, the formula is CGPA = Obtained percentage / 9.5
| Example: Suppose you got 90% marks, and you want to convert it to a 10-point CGPA, the calculation would be CGPA = 90 / 9.5 = 9.47 (Approx) After getting the equivalent CGPA, you can convert it to GPA using the CGPA = (Obtained GPA / Total GPA) * Total CGPA formula. |
Read also: How to Calculate Percentage in CGPA and GPA?
How to Convert a 10-Point CGPA to a 4-Point GPA?
Converting a 10-point CGPA to a 4-point GPA is essential for students applying to an international university, where the 4-point GPA system is commonly used. For this, you need to divide your CGPA by 10, then multiply by 4.
Example:
- Suppose, you have a CGPA of 8.
- Divide it by 10, you will get 0.8
- Multiply 0.8 by 4.
- Your GPA is 3.2.
Also read: Difference between SGPA and CGPA
Difference Between CGPA and GPA
GPA and CGPA are interconnected, with some notable differences. Check out the Differences between CGPA and GPA in the table below.
| Parameters | CGPA | GPA |
|---|---|---|
| Full Form | Cumulative Grade Point Average | Grade Point Average |
| Grading scale | 10.0 scale | 4.0 scale |
| Purpose | Determining overall performance in multiple semesters | Determining performance in a single semester |
| Focus | Holistic overview of a student's academic progress | Short-term performance of a student |
| Calculation | Average grade points from all subjects and semesters | Average of grade points from all courses in a single semester |
Note: Though there are subtle differences, always aim for a higher CGPA/ GPA. Both can impact access to scholarship opportunities, research positions, or competitive programs.
Calculating CGPA for universities abroad depends on the destination and specific institution requirements. You must always check the university’s guidelines and provide accurate transcripts. If unclear, consult credential evaluation services to ensure your academic performance is represented correctly.
FAQs
Ques: How is CGPA calculated?
Ans: CGPA is calculated by averaging your grade points across all subjects. You multiply the grade points for each subject by its credit, sum them up, and divide by the total credits. For example, if you score 9 in one subject and 8 in another, and both have equal credits, your CGPA is 8.5.
Ques. What is the full form of CGPA?
Ans. The CGPA full form is Cumulative Grade Point Average, measuring overall academic performance on a scale like 10.0.
Ques: What is a 75% mark in CGPA?
Ans: In most Indian universities, CGPA is converted to a percentage using the formula:
Percentage=CGPA×9.5
If your percentage is 75%, your CGPA would be approximately:
CGPA=75/9.5=7.9
Ques: What is a 9.5 CGPA in percentage?
Ans: To convert 9.5 CGPA to a percentage, you simply multiply it by 9.5:
Percentage=9.5×9.5=90.25%
Ques: What is a 10 CGPA in percentage?
Ans: A perfect 10 CGPA translates to:
Percentage=10×9.5=95%
This is the highest possible score under the CGPA system.
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