How to Calculate Your CGPA (Formula Explained)

CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) looks like a simple average, but it isn't — it's a credit-weighted average, which means subjects with more credit hours count for more.

The formula

CGPA = Σ(Grade Point × Credit Hours) / Σ(Credit Hours). In words: multiply each subject's grade point by its credit hours, add those up, then divide by the total credit hours across all subjects.

Why this matters

A high grade in a low-credit elective won't move your CGPA nearly as much as the same grade in a high-credit core subject. This is the single most common source of confusion when students try to estimate CGPA by simply averaging their grade points.

A worked example

• Subject A: grade point 8, 4 credits → 32
• Subject B: grade point 7.5, 3 credits → 22.5
• Subject C: grade point 9, 4 credits → 36
• Total: 90.5 grade points across 11 credits → CGPA = 8.23

One more thing worth knowing: don't mix grading scales. If your institution uses a 10-point scale for some subjects and a 4-point scale for others (rare, but it happens with transfer credits), convert everything to a single scale before averaging.