GPA Calculation & International Grade Conversion

This section offers step-by-step instructions on how to calculate GPA's for fellowships and admissions purposes. It also offers information on how to convert grades from foreign transcripts, allowing international degrees to be evaluated using the same GPA process and spreadsheet.

The information featured in this section is also available in a PDF document, with examples.

Required items

  • Transcripts: You will need all transcripts to complete the calculation. If some have not yet arrived in your office, you may need to wait.
  • The CGPA calculator
  • International Degree Equivalency Fact Sheets: If the student in question has a transcript from an institution from outside Canada or the US, you will need to consult the Degree Equivalency for that country.
  • Competition requirements: If you are calculating the GPA for fellowships purposes, please review the competition requirements before you begin.

Overview

There are at most four steps to calculating a GPA:

  1. Determine what grades need to be considered. When calculating GPA's for fellowships purposes, please be aware that many competitions specify the specific time periods to be referenced (NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR and Vanier, for example, use the last two years of full-time study or equivalent).
  2. In the case of international applicants, determine degree equivalencies.
  3. Enter data in the CGPA calculator.
  4. If the GPA does not meet minimum requirements for a specific competition, ensure that it is justified in the appropriate place on the application.

Please ensure you consult transcript keys that accompany transcripts. These are often printed on the reverse side of the document. Transcript keys and country guides must be included in competition applications. It may be helpful to consult the website of the issuing institution.

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International License.
Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, McGill University.

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