CGPA refers to Cumulative Grade Point Average. Converting percentages to CGPA is crucial for students and professionals aiming for standardization in academic performance. CGPA is often considered a prerequisite when applying for higher education internships or jobs with universities, schools, or institutions in the world. The conversion ensures an accurate representation of academic achievements facilitating smoother transitions across different education systems. This is a guide explaining the importance and easy steps to convert the percentages into CGPA.

Understanding Percentage and CGPA

Percentage

Percentage is a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100. It is widely used in academic settings to represent students’ scores in examinations. These are used to measure the academic performance of individual subjects, assignments, or overall academic performance in a year.

A percentage is denoted by a sign (%). 

Key Points:

Percentages ensure the detailed performance in a precise measure in each subject by the student. 

These are commonly understood and widely used at various educational levels.

Ex– 75% means 75 out of 100.

Calculation–  Obtained score÷total possible score = percentage. 

CGPA

CGPA means cumulative grade point average, indicates a student’s academic performance in a standardized manner. CGPA is typically measured on a scale of 0 to 10 or 0 to 4. It is the average of grade points obtained in all subjects, excluding additional subjects. The calculation might vary according to the institution’s policy. 

Key Points:

• CGPA is a standardized measure of the academic performance of students across different institutions. 
• CGPA simplifies the academic performance representation by consolidating various subject scores into a single average. 
• CGPA offers consistency and a more balanced view of performance.

Calculation- Percentage ÷10 = CGPA

Why conversion is important for students

Converting the percentage to CGPA is important for several reasons:

Standardization – CGPA is a widely used system, making it easy to compare the academic performance of a student across different Institutions and countries.

Eligibility Criteria – Diverse Institutions, schools, and Universities across the world accept CGPA as eligibility criteria.

Simplification – Converting a range of percentages into a more manageable scale, CGPA represents academic performance in simpler numerics.

Fair Assessment – As CGPA is known to be used by diverse universities and courses across different countries, a more balanced evaluation of student performance is assessed.

Scholarships & Awards – Eligibility for scholarships, awards, and grants are dependent on CGPA rankings.

GPA Comparison – The GPA rankings are measured on a scale from 0 to 10 or 0 to 4. CGPA facilitates comparisons across different Institutions complying with different scales.

Reporting – Consistent reports are ensured by the educational boards which prefer the CGPA concept. 

Steps to Convert Percentage to CGPA

Step 1: Learn Conversion Formula

Different institutions across the world might use different methods but commonly use the formula to convert percentages to CGPA:

CGPA = Percentage ÷ 10

Here, the standard factor is 10 to divide the percentage. 

Step 2: Gather Subject Percentages

Collect the percentage scores gained for all the subjects that need conversion, and make sure these percentages are final and official.

Step 3: Convert each percentage to grade points 

Using the conversion formula, convert each subject’s percentage to its corresponding grade factor with a standard factor of 10. 

Grade Point = Percentage ÷ 10

Example: Mathematics – 75%, then Grade Point shall be:

Mathematics = 75÷10 = 7.5

Step 4: Calculate the Average GP

Calculate the average grade points of each subject and divide them by the total subjects 

(CGPA =  ∑ Grade Points ÷ No.of Subjects)

Example: 

English =60%

Hindi =50%

Mathematics =80%

Social =70%

Biology =90%

First, convert them into Grade points:

English = 60÷10 = 6

Hindi =50÷10 = 5

Mathematics = 80÷10 = 8

Social = 70÷10 = 7

Biology = 90÷10 = 9

Now the CGPA as per the conversion formula for multiple subjects is:

CGPA = (6+5+8+7+9)÷5

= 35 ÷ 5

= 7.

Step 5: Verification

• Ensure the calculations are performed accurately.
• Ensure that you have used the correct formula and application. Using an incorrect divisor can lead to an inaccurate GPA. 
• Ensure that you have double-checked the details and percentages of each subject. 
• Make adjustments or specific institutional criteria that are to be complied with by the institution’s policy as required.

Tips 

1. Use reliable data which is accurate and up-to-date. 
2. Understand institutional policies and also the point scales i.e. 10 point scale or 4 point scale used by such educational institutions. 
3. Utilize online calculators which are designed to minimize or avoid human error. 
4. In light of doubt, seek guidance from teachers or academic counselors.
5. Redo and verify your calculations.

Examples of Percentage to CGPA Conversion

Here are the detailed examples of CGPA Conversion:

a) CGPA Conversion for All subjects in One Semester

1. Subject Percentages

Maths – 90%

Science – 70%

English – 60%

Chemistry – 80%

Social – 70%

2. Concert the Percentages into Grade Points

CGPA = Percentage ÷ 10

Maths – 90÷10 = 9

Science – 70÷10 = 7

English – 60÷10 = 6

Chemistry – 80÷10 = 8

Social – 70÷10 = 7

3. Now calculate the CGPA for all subjects or a whole semester

(CGPA =  ∑ Grade Points ÷ No. of Subjects)

CGPA = (9+7+6+8+7) ÷ 5 = 7.4

Therefore the CGPA of all subjects in one semester is 7.4.

b) CGPA Conversion for All semesters in one academic year

• Semester 1:

Maths – 90%

Science – 70%

English – 60%

Chemistry – 80%

Social – 70%

Now the Grade points shall be:

Maths – 90÷10 = 9

Science – 70÷10 = 7

English – 60÷10 = 6

Chemistry – 80÷10 = 8

Social – 70÷10 = 7

CGPA for the Semester 1 shall be:

(CGPA =  ∑ Grade Points ÷ No. of Subjects)

CGPA = (9+7+6+8+7) ÷ 5 = 7.4

• Semester 2:

Maths – 50%

Science – 60%

English – 70%

Chemistry – 80%

Social – 50%

Now the Grade Points shall be:

Maths – 50÷10 = 5

Science – 60÷10 = 6

English – 70÷10 = 7

Chemistry – 80÷10 = 8

Social – 50÷10 = 5

CGPA for the Semester 2 shall be:

(CGPA =  ∑ Grade Points ÷ No. of Subjects)

CGPA = (5+6+7+8+5) ÷ 5 = 6.2

• Now the CGPA for the Overall academic year shall be:

CGPA = (Semester 1 CGPA + Semester 2 CGPA) ÷ 2 

= (7.4 + 6.2) ÷ 2 

= 13.6 ÷ 2 

= 6.8

Therefore the Overall CGPA for the whole Academic year is 6.8

Tools and Resources

Manual Calculation

Use the calculator to compute the CGPA manually with basic arithmetic, following the below steps:

1. Convert all the percentages to the grade points using the common conversion formula. 
2. Sum the grade points obtained from each subject. 
3. Average the grade points and divide them by the number of subjects.

Online GPA calculators

There are several online tools available on the internet to automate the CGPA calculation process. By typing in the inputs of percentages or grid points, the computation of CGPA is done instantly.

Examples –

Calculated.net and Colleges’ official websites by the universities are the popular apps. 

Spreadsheet software on Excel

To create custom GPA calculators, spreadsheets on Excel or Google Sheets can also be used. Following are the steps to create a CGPA calculator in Excel or Google Sheets.

Step 1. Enter the subject names and other input data with their corresponding percentages. 

Step 2. Convert the percentages to the grade points using the formula ‘=A2/10’

Step 3. Calculate the sum and average using functions like ‘SUM()’ and ‘AVERAGE()‘ to calculate total and average grade points.

Educational Apps

Many smart educational apps on smartphones provide CGPA calculations.

Examples – 

myCBSEguide & Univariety are a few popular educational apps providing CGPA calculations for students.

University Portals

There are a host of online portals by the universities where students can log in and calculate their CGPA automatically.

Conclusion

Understanding the widely used conversion or CGPA helps to apply it more precisely for a University or school in a simpler format. This simplified measure of the overall academic performance of a student helps teachers too in assessment. Hence, CGPA ensures accurate representation and comparison to enhance further opportunities and professional endeavors.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. What is the formula to convert a percentage to CGPA?

CGPA = Percentage ÷ 10, is the common conversion formula for one subject.

(CGPA =  ∑ Grade Points ÷ No. of Subjects), is the conversion formula for multiple subjects. 

2. Are there any reliable online tools for converting percentages to CGPA?

Calculated.net, myCBSEguide, and Univariety are a few popular and reliable online tools for converting percentages to CGPA.

3. How do I verify if my CGPA conversion is accurate?

While manually applying the formula, double-check the calculation using multiple calculators. To ensure consistency compare institutional guidelines to verify the accuracy. 

4. Can different institutions have different conversion formulas?

Different Institutions can use different conversation formulas of scales. A specific institution must confirm the policies to ensure that a correct method for conversation is being used.

5. What should I do if my percentage falls between two CGPA values?

If your percentage falls between two CGPA values, the best method is to round off to the nearest value according to the institution’s guidelines. Always refer to and double-check the specific rounding rules provided by your institution.