How to use the CGPA Calculator
- Enter the credit hours and GPA for each completed term, adding rows as needed.
- Use the GPA printed on the transcript for each term, not a recalculated estimate.
- Read the cumulative GPA, which weights each term by its credits.
- Check total quality points — the number registrars actually store.
- Use the target row to see how many further 4.0 credits would lift you to a 3.7.
How the calculation works
Cumulative GPA is a credit-weighted mean, not the average of term GPAs. Each term contributes quality points equal to its credits multiplied by its GPA; the cumulative figure is total quality points divided by total credits. A 4.0 earned in a 6-credit term moves the cumulative number far more than a 4.0 in a 3-credit term, which is why averaging term GPAs directly gives the wrong answer whenever credit loads differ.
The arithmetic explains the inertia students find frustrating. After 90 credits at 3.2, a perfect 15-credit term produces 3.31 — a strong term moves a large denominator only slightly. The corollary is that early terms carry disproportionate weight, because they are averaged against a small credit base.
Institutional rules vary and this calculator deliberately ignores them: repeated-course replacement, pass/fail credits excluded from GPA but counted for progression, transfer credits that count for hours but not points, and plus/minus scales where an A− is 3.7 rather than 4.0. Check your registrar's policy before treating any projection as official.
CGPA = Σ(credits × term GPA) ÷ Σ credits; credits at 4.0 needed = (target × credits − points) ÷ (4 − target)Source: AACRAO Academic Record and Transcript Guide (2019) on credit-weighted grade point computation.
Worked example
Three terms: 18 credits at 3.6, 17 at 3.8 and 16 at 3.4.
- Quality points = 18×3.6 + 17×3.8 + 16×3.4 = 64.8 + 64.6 + 54.4 = 183.8.
- Total credits = 51.
- CGPA = 183.8 ÷ 51 = 3.604.
A cumulative GPA of 3.60 over 51 credits — note it differs from the plain 3.60 average because credit loads differ.
Frequently asked questions
Why not just average my term GPAs?+
Because terms carry different credit loads. Unweighted averaging treats a 6-credit summer term as equal to a 18-credit autumn term.
Do failed courses count?+
Usually yes — an F contributes zero quality points but its credits still count in the denominator, which is why one F is so costly.
How do repeated courses work?+
It depends on the institution. Some replace the original grade, some average both attempts. Check the registrar's policy.
Is CGPA the same as GPA?+
Term GPA covers one term; CGPA covers everything completed. Employers and graduate programmes generally mean CGPA.
Last reviewed September 1, 2026. We review this page whenever the underlying formula, tax year, published rate or standard changes.