CGPA full form: Cumulative Grade Point Average

How to say it: letter by letter.

CGPA stands for Cumulative Grade Point Average. It is a single number that sums up a student's performance over all subjects or all semesters, on a grade-point scale, most often out of 10.

Taking the name apart

• Grade point: each grade carries a number of points, for example 10 for the top grade.
• Average: the grade points of the subjects are averaged, usually giving more weight to subjects with more credits.
• Cumulative: the average runs over the whole course so far, not one term.

GPA, SGPA and CGPA

• SGPA, Semester Grade Point Average: the average for one semester.
• CGPA: the average over all semesters completed.
• GPA: the general term. Universities in the United States usually use a scale of 4.

How a credit-weighted average is worked out

Multiply each subject's grade point by its credits, add the results, and divide by the total credits. A student with grade points 8, 9 and 7 in subjects of 4, 3 and 3 credits has (8 × 4 + 9 × 3 + 7 × 3) ÷ 10 = 80 ÷ 10 = 8.0.

Changing CGPA to a percentage

There is no single rule. Each board and university publishes its own formula, and they differ. A formula that is right for one university is wrong for another. Always use the conversion printed on your own mark sheet or in your university's regulations, and quote the CGPA itself, with the scale, when an application form allows it. Our sister site Marks and Grades has calculators and explains the common formulas with their sources.

Why institutions use grades

Grade points group marks into bands. This reduces the weight of a difference of one or two marks and allows subjects of different sizes to be combined fairly through credits.

More school full forms

• LKG Lower Kindergarten
• UKG Upper Kindergarten
• RTE Right to Education
• TET Teacher Eligibility Test
• CTET Central Teacher Eligibility Test
• SSC Secondary School Certificate
• HSC Higher Secondary Certificate
• SSLC Secondary School Leaving Certificate

All school, boards and exams Next: ATM explained

Check what matters. These pages explain names and terms in general. Rules, dates, fees and limits change: take them from the official body. Read on 12 November 2026.