In the current academia, grading has been liberal with different calendar year institutions employ different means of evaluating students’ performance. The systems that are commonly applied at the educational institutions around the world include one branded ‘‘Cumulative Grade Point Average’’. It is common knowledge that CGPA is used frequently, however, many students, parents, and even employers sometimes have to change the CGPA to percentage deciphering the academic performance.
What is CGPA?
CGPA therefore can be defined as the means of the grade point that a student has obtained in his course of study for a particular semester, course, or over the duration of a degree. It is earned by dividing the sum of grade points obtained by the student in all subjects for the particular period in consideration and dividing the result by the total number of subjects. The system makes it possible for a better understanding of the extent of ability possessed by the student because it does not only consider the performance of the student in an examination but it considers the performance of the student in different subjects.
Why Convert CGPA to Percentage?
Nevertheless, percentages are used widely and are comprehensible as compared to the CGPA and are accepted particularly in cases of when applying for a job, competing for examinations, and admission among others. Even to the present, various organizations, universities, and institutions use percentages primarily because they are simple with known methods of measuring the academic performance of a student. Converting CGPA to a percentage thus becomes relevant in many incidences as and or when the evaluation is computed in percentage.
How is CGPA Converted to Percentage?
Despite the fact that the approach applied in each institution may not be exactly the same, it is critical to convert CGPA to percentage by simply multiplying the CGPA by a certain figure, so as to get the percentage. This depends on the particular educational institution concerned or the examining body as the case maybe. The above arrived at figure is an equivalent percentage that represents the performance of the student academically.
Another thing to bear in mind is that some institutions may have own formulas or procedures of this conversion. This means that one should always consult the specific authority in order to get the right conversion. However, the general principle remains the same: the obtained CGPA is then multiplied by a certain factor with a view of arriving at a percentage.
The Advantages of Using CGPA
Before diving deeper into the conversion, it’s worth understanding why many educational institutions prefer using CGPA over percentage:
1. Holistic Assessment:
CGPA as a system affords one a better view of his scores as it is an aggregate of his scores in all the subjects and all the semesters unlike the former systems where ones scores were only a composite of his scores in a given test or term.
2. Stress Reduction:
The CGPA system sometimes takes stress off students because an individual poor performance is not as severe. Easy and hard days are both balanced and a poor day or difficult test doesn’t severely impact the grade which helps the healthy learning environment.
3. Encourages Consistency:
As we shall see, since the CGPA is accumulated over a duration, the system fosters very good performances in all courses, at all times, not just isolated areas of strength.
Challenges in Converting CGPA to Percentage
As much as there are advantages that come with the use of CGPA, this point of assessment has a major disadvantage in the sense that it is not a percentage. ’ Percentages are unproblematic; their meanings are clear and easy to understand; they are the number of marks attained divided by the total possible number of marks. CGPA on the other hand only need an elementary understanding of the grading system and are commonly parsed into percentage.
A third difficulty is that of having no standard conversion rate. The conversion of CGPA to percentage involves various aspects and different educational boards or universities may consider different aspects while making this conversion hence the inequality. This absence of standardization can at some times cause confusion among students and employers.
Practical Application of Conversion
Suppose you find yourself in a situation where you are filling a job application form or admission application form for the higher studies and the form asks for the percentage of marks. In cases where your transcript only displays your CGPA then you have to convert this to percentage. This can be done through the conversion factors given by your institution of through the conversion standards of your institution.
Some other students may demand comparison of the obtained marks with marks of their friends coming from different classes, schools or countries and would like to know the percentage equivalent to the obtained marks. In those circumstances, it is rather useful to know how to calculate the equivalent percentage for your CGPA.
Conclusion
Although CGPA is a good way of measuring the overall performance of a candidate, there is always the need to translate it to a percentage because of the generality and acceptance of the percentage system all over the world. It is vital for students while dealing with aspects of further education and available careers to learn how to properly perform conversion of these units. Thus, being aware of the conversion process and the factors which influence it, students will be able to put their achievements in the best possible manner, whether for gaining the place in the university or for getting the proper position in the workplace.
