Guides to marks, grades and CGPA

What the numbers on a mark sheet mean, how they are worked out, and what the rules of the boards and universities really say.

A calculator gives an answer; it does not tell you whether you asked the right question. Should the CGPA be multiplied by 9.5 or by 10? Is "best of five" something the board awards? Does a high practical mark make up for a low theory mark? These guides answer such questions from the documents of the boards and universities themselves. Where a rule is quoted, the guide names the document, and the documents are linked on the about page.

The guides on basics need no document: a percentage is the same sum everywhere. The guides on CBSE, CISCE and the universities are only as wide as what we have read, and they say so.

Basics

• How to calculate the percentage of marks
• Best of five: what it is and who decides
• How many marks do I need?
• Percentage, percentile, GPA and CGPA: the difference

CGPA

• CGPA to percentage: there is no single formula
• SGPA and CGPA: how they are calculated
• The 10-point grade scale recommended by UGC

CBSE

• CBSE CGPA and the 9.5 rule
• CBSE pass marks, grades and compartment

CISCE

• ICSE and ISC: pass marks and grades

Universities

• VTU: CGPA to percentage and class
• Anna University: CGPA to percentage and class

Attendance

• The 75% attendance rule

Check with your board or university. The rules quoted on this site were read in the official documents on 12 November 2026. Boards and universities revise them, and yours may differ. For anything that decides an admission or a job, use the rule printed on your own mark sheet or in your institution's regulations. This is an independent site.