What is GPA (Grade Point Average) ?
As a student, formal education relies heavily on marks and percentage. In this era, they determine your intelligence and knowledge. It is no wonder, then, that all students and their parents aim to score high marks. Your admission to top colleges abroad also heavily depends on your academic transcripts. Admissions committees look at your extracurriculars, essay, Letter of Recommendation and other criteria, to judge your profile. If you are dreaming of studying abroad, you need to focus on all these aspects. For now, we shall look at marks and more specifically, GPA. To score higher, you need to understand how this grading system works.
Here, we list out all that you need to know about GPA so that you can ace that mark sheet and secure admission to a top school abroad.
What GPA means?
GPA stands for Grade Point Average, and as the name suggests, it is an average that indicates your academic performance. For any subject that you are studying, your marks are the score that you have achieved. A GPA is a score that presents how well or how poorly you did on the courses in a subject. Your grades have a numerical value for which one can calculate an average to produce a GPA.
CGPA or Cumulative Grade Point Average is the average across all your subjects and courses. Schools also calculate it over semesters. Depending on the country or institution of you higher studies, there may be a four-point, seven-point or ten-point grading scale. The higher you score on this scale, the better your score is.
| Grade Letter | Percentage | GPA |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97-100 | 4.0 |
| A | 93-96 | 4.0 |
| A- | 90-92 | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87-89 | 3.3 |
| B | 83-86 | 3.0 |
| B- | 80-82 | 2.7 |
| C+ | 77-79 | 2.3 |
| C | 73-76 | 2.0 |
| C- | 70-72 | 1.7 |
| D+ | 67-69 | 1.3 |
| D | 65-66 | 1.0 |
| E/F | Below 65 | 0.0 |
How to Score a High GPA?
As with any grading system, you have to work hard to secure a high score. Here are a few tips to boost your GPA:
1. Study Consistently: Opening your books for the first time, the next before your exam is never a good idea. As and when you study a new topic, revise the concepts regularly. Don’t put off your tasks and assignments to the last minute. Procrastination is the thief of time.
2. Do Not Cheat: Whether on a test, an essay or homework, always be honest. Plagiarism will leave a bad mark on your reputation. Complete your work diligently and cite the relevant sources of your information. Honesty is the best policy. If you put in the effort and start on time, you will not feel the need to cheat.
3. Note-Taking: Takedown legible and structured notes during the lesson. Write in a manner that is concise and clear so you can refer to them without confusion. Use a style that suits your learning patterns and incorporate images/icons, bullet points and even acronyms. There are many note-taking methods, use the one that works for you.
4. Practice Tests: Solving mock tests will familiarise you with the test pattern. You will understand the questions better and know what to expect when the exam approaches. You can practice improving your writing speed and flow of thought.
5. Read: To consolidate your knowledge, refer to other books and other suggested reading materials. Make the most use of your library and online resources. Not only will you understand the subject better but also answer questions in a test thoroughly with appropriate examples.
Thus, we have understood what a GPA is and what you can do to score better. If you have more queries, feel free to send them to us. We will try our best to answer them. Go ahead and ace the next test. Your study abroad dream awaits.
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