What is the difference between GPA and CGPA?

GPA is the grade point average for one semester. CGPA is the cumulative grade point average across all semesters so far, worked out from total quality points over total units.

How many decimal places should I use?

Keep the full figure while you calculate and round only the final GPA or CGPA to two decimal places.

Is a 4.0 the same as a 5.0 scale?

No. A 4.0 CGPA on a 4-point scale is the top of that scale, while on a 5-point scale it is a good Second Class Upper. Always compare using the same scale.

Does StudyPat support GPA and CGPA?

Yes. Universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and colleges of health can register on StudyPat, choose the 5-point or 4-point scale, edit any grade band, and set up their faculties, departments, programmes and courses.

How to Calculate GPA and CGPA in Nigeria (5-Point and 4-Point)

In a Nigerian university, polytechnic or college of education, a student is not ranked on one total score. Each course has credit units, each result earns grade points, and the two are combined into a GPA for the semester and a CGPA for the whole programme. This guide shows exactly how, with a worked example.

Last updated 29 October 2026 · about 7 minute read

The four ideas you need

Credit unit: how much a course weighs, usually 1 to 6. A 3-unit course counts three times as much as a 1-unit course.
Grade and grade point: the course mark out of 100 gives a letter grade, and each grade is worth points (for example A = 5 on the 5-point scale).
Quality point: grade points multiplied by the course's credit units.
GPA and CGPA: total quality points divided by total credit units. GPA covers one semester; CGPA covers every semester so far.

The usual 5-point scale (universities)

Mark (out of 100)	Grade	Grade points	Meaning
70 to 100	A	5	Excellent
60 to 69	B	4	Very good
50 to 59	C	3	Good
45 to 49	D	2	Fair
40 to 44	E	1	Pass
0 to 39	F	0	Fail

Some universities use a 4-point scale instead: A is 4, B is 3, C is 2, D is 1 and F is 0, with the same mark ranges for A, B and C. Always use the scale your institution publishes.

The polytechnic scale (ND and HND)

Mark (out of 100)	Grade	Grade points
75 to 100	A	4.00
70 to 74	AB	3.50
65 to 69	B	3.25
60 to 64	BC	3.00
55 to 59	C	2.75
50 to 54	CD	2.50
45 to 49	D	2.25
40 to 44	E	2.00
0 to 39	F	0.00

Worked example: one semester

A student on the 5-point scale takes five courses in a semester:

Course	Units	Mark	Grade	Points	Quality points (units x points)
CSC 101	3	78	A	5	15
MTH 101	3	64	B	4	12
PHY 101	2	55	C	3	6
GST 101	4	47	D	2	8
STA 101	2	31	F	0	0
Total	14				41

GPA = 41 ÷ 14 = 2.93. The failed course still counts: its 2 units are in the 14, which is why failing a course pulls the GPA down.

From GPA to CGPA

CGPA is not the average of the semester GPAs. Add up all the quality points and divide by all the units, so a semester with more units counts for more.

Example: a first semester of 20 units with a GPA of 4.00 has 80 quality points. A second semester of 10 units with a GPA of 2.00 has 20 quality points. CGPA = (80 + 20) ÷ (20 + 10) = 3.33, not the 3.00 you would get by averaging 4.00 and 2.00.

When a student repeats a failed course, many institutions count only the latest attempt in the CGPA. Check your own regulations before you decide how carry-overs are counted.

Degree classes from the CGPA

The final CGPA decides the class of degree. Typical bands on the 5-point scale:

CGPA	Class of degree
4.50 to 5.00	First Class Honours
3.50 to 4.49	Second Class Honours (Upper Division)
2.40 to 3.49	Second Class Honours (Lower Division)
1.50 to 2.39	Third Class Honours
1.00 to 1.49	Pass

Class boundaries differ slightly between institutions and between the 5-point and 4-point scales. Use the bands in the regulations of your own institution.

Where mistakes usually come from

Adding the semester GPAs and dividing by the number of semesters, instead of using total quality points over total units.
Forgetting that a failed course still counts its units.
Using the 4-point table on a 5-point scale (or the reverse). Check the scale first.
Rounding each course instead of rounding only the final GPA.

How to calculate GPA and CGPA in Nigeria