CGPA vs GPA vs SGPA

Are you curious about the difference between CGPA, GPA, and SGPA?

Well, back when I was in college, I remember staring at my marksheet completely puzzled.

What exactly did all these abbreviations mean?

If you are feeling the same way about CGPA vs GPA vs SGPA, then you are at the right place.

Let me explain to you easily, the way I wish someone had explained it to me years ago.

What Is CGPA?

CGPA stands for Cumulative Grade Point Average.

Think of it as the grand total of your academic journey.

Indian schools and colleges love this system.

CBSE schools use it. Universities like RTMNU, VTU, and SPPU use it too.

You will see your CGPA on your final marksheet.

It takes all your semester performances and squeezes them into one number.

What CGPA Score Means?

What is CGPA score, and what is the right and good CGPA score?

Do you have questions or doubts about it?

Your CGPA typically falls somewhere between 0 and 10 in most Indian colleges.

The higher your score, the better you have performed.

Most universities consider anything above 8.5 pretty impressive.

I remember my cousin asking me, “What is CGPA in the result?”

He was looking at his mark sheet, totally confused.

Simply put, it shows your overall academic standing without you having to calculate averages across different subjects and semesters.

What is GPA?

GPA (Grade Point Average) is basically the international cousin of CGPA.

Funny, right?

Actually, universities in America, Canada, and many other countries use GPA.

They usually grade on a 4-point scale, although some places stretch it to 5 points.

GPA works a lot like CGPA, but the calculation methods vary depending on which country or school you are dealing with.

Converting GPA to Percentage

If you’re applying to Indian universities with a foreign GPA, you’ll need to convert it.

The typical formula goes:

Percentage = (GPA ÷ 4) × 100

For instance, my friend who studied in the US had a 3.7 GPA.

When he applied to an Indian university, he converted it: (3.7 ÷ 4) × 100 = 92.5%.

What Is SGPA?

SGPA means Semester Grade Point Average.

It’s like a snapshot of how you performed in just one semester.

Many scholarship programs and universities prefer to see your percentage rather than your SGPA.

Students can convert their SGPA to percentage, and after getting the percentage, they can apply to the desired university or scholarship to meet this requirement.

Think of SGPA as a progress report that eventually feeds into your final CGPA.

Turning SGPA into CGPA

To get your CGPA from several semesters of SGPA, you simply average them out:

CGPA = Sum of all SGPAs ÷ Number of semesters

For example, my SGPAs over four semesters were 7.8, 8.2, 8.5, and 7.9.

My CGPA worked out to (7.8 + 8.2 + 8.5 + 7.9) ÷ 4 = 8.1.

CGPA vs GPA vs SGPA: Spot the Differences

What We’re Looking At	CGPA	GPA	SGPA
What it stands for	Cumulative Grade Point Average	Grade Point Average	Semester Grade Point Average
Time period covered	Your entire degree/program	Can be term, year, or whole program	Just one semester
Where it’s common	India (CBSE, VTU, SPPU)	US, Canada, International schools	Indian universities
Main purpose	Final evaluation of your academics	Overall performance measurement	Tracking progress term by term
Typical scale	10 points in India	4 points in US	10 points in India
How long it lasts	Permanent on final transcript	Varies based on what it measures	Temporary until rolled into CGPA

Converting CGPA to Percentage

The CGPA to Percentage Formula

Most Indian schools use this straightforward formula:

Percentage = CGPA × 9.5

CBSE follows this formula.

So if you scored 8.6 CGPA, your percentage would be 8.6 × 9.5 = 81.7%.

Different CGPA Multiplying Factors

Many universities provide a standard formula to convert CGPA into percentage for job applications and higher education requirements.

We have included nearly every university in our tool to simplify the calculation process.

Not all universities use the same formula.

Here are some examples of what some major ones use:

VTU CGPA to percentage: (CGPA – 0.75) × 10
Mumbai University CGPA to percentage: Factors range from 7.1 to 8.8, depending on your program
RTMNU CGPA to percentage: Multiply by 10

Always double-check with your college.

My roommate almost missed a job opportunity because he used the wrong multiplying factor on his application!

How to Calculate Your Percentage from CGPA

The steps are pretty simple:

Find out what multiplying factor your school or college uses
Multiply your CGPA by this number
That’s your percentage!

My CGPA was 8.4 at a CBSE school, so my percentage was 8.4 × 9.5 = 79.8%.

Going from Percentage to CGPA

Sometimes you need to work backwards.

The formula is just as simple:

CGPA = Percentage ÷ 9.5 (for most Indian institutions)

My cousin scored 88% in her exams.

Her CGPA would be 88 ÷ 9.5 = 9.26.

Marks to CGPA Calculator

Many students ask me how to convert their raw marks to CGPA.

Here’s how:

Add up all your subject marks
Calculate your percentage [(Total marks ÷ Maximum possible marks) × 100]
Convert percentage to CGPA (Percentage ÷ 9.5)

For example, my brother scored 472 out of 500 marks:

His percentage: (472 ÷ 500) × 100 = 94.4%
His CGPA: 94.4 ÷ 9.5 = 9.94

Real-Life Student Scenarios and Misconceptions

During my years mentoring students, I’ve encountered countless misconceptions about these grading systems.

Let me share some real situations that might sound familiar to you.

I got a 7.5 SGPA – does that mean my CGPA is 7.5?

Not necessarily! Your CGPA is the average of all your SGPAs throughout your academic program.

I remember a student who panicked about her 7.2 SGPA in her third semester, thinking her overall CGPA would drop dramatically.

She was relieved when I explained that it would only be averaged with her previous semesters’ 8.4 and 8.2 SGPAs, resulting in a still-respectable 7.93 CGPA.

My GPA is 3.0 out of 4. Will Indian colleges accept it?

Yes, they will – but you’ll need to convert it properly first.

My cousin applied to several Indian universities with his American 3.0 GPA.

After converting it to the Indian percentage (3.0 ÷ 4 × 100 = 75%), he qualified for most programs.

Just make sure you mention both the original GPA and the converted percentage in your application.

I converted my CGPA wrong on a job application — will it affect me?

It absolutely could.

A student from my neighborhood lost a job opportunity because he incorrectly converted his CGPA to percentage using the wrong multiplying factor.

The company’s verification process flagged the discrepancy, raising concerns about his attention to detail.

Always verify your university’s specific conversion method and provide an official conversion certificate if available.

Are CGPA and GPA the same?

No, they’re definitely not identical.

CGPA is the standard in Indian education, typically calculated on a 10-point scale.

GPA is more international, usually on a 4-point scale, especially in American universities.

My friend who transferred from Delhi University to NYU had to learn this difference the hard way – she initially thought her 8.5 CGPA would directly translate to a 3.4 GPA, which was incorrect.

Do companies ask for SGPA or CGPA?

Most employers are interested in your final CGPA as it represents your overall academic performance.

However, I’ve noticed a trend where companies hiring for internships sometimes ask for recent SGPA scores too.

My junior was applying for a summer internship while still in his second year, and the company specifically requested his latest semester SGPA since his CGPA only covered a short academic period at that point.

University-Specific Conversion Methods

SPPU CGPA to Percentage

Savitribai Phule Pune University uses:

Percentage = CGPA × 10

So a 7.6 CGPA at SPPU equals 76%.

VTU CGPA to Percentage

Visvesvaraya Technological University has a slightly different approach:

Percentage = (CGPA – 0.75) × 10

With an 8.3 CGPA at VTU, your percentage would be (8.3 – 0.75) × 10 = 75.5%.

RTMNU CGPA to Percentage

Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University keeps it simple:

Percentage = CGPA × 10

An 8.5 CGPA at RTMNU equals 85%.

CBSE CGPA to Percentage

The Central Board of Secondary Education uses:

Percentage = CGPA × 9.5

If you have a 9.2 CGPA in CBSE, your percentage is 9.2 × 9.5 = 87.4%.

Tools That Make Conversion Easier

When I was a student, I used these online tools all the time:

CGPA to Percentage Calculator
Percentage to CGPA Converter
SGPA to CGPA Calculator
Marks to Percentage Calculator
Exam Percentage Calculator

These saved me tons of time and prevented calculation errors when applying for internships and jobs.

Final Advice:

Make sure you know how your school calculates grades.

Keep a note of the correct conversion formulas somewhere safe, or choose a site or app where you can convert easily – trust me, you will need them repeatedly.

Be accurate when converting scores for job applications or college admissions.

I have seen friends miss opportunities because of conversion errors.

And remember – while good grades open doors, they are just one part of your story.

My friend with average grades but amazing projects and communication skills landed a better job than many toppers in our class.

Good luck with your academic journey!

CGPA vs GPA vs SGPA: Every Student Must Know