How to Calculate GPA and CGPA (Pointer): Formula and Worked Example
GPA is the total of (grade point × credit hours) for one semester divided by that semester's credit hours; CGPA is the same sum across every semester divided by all credit hours. It is not the average of your semester GPAs. How a failed or repeated course is counted depends on your university's regulations.
By Degreemate Editorial · Education research teamPublished 5 min read
Your pointer comes from one formula, and you can check it yourself before the official result appears. If you only want the number, enter your grades and credit hours in the CGPA calculator. To understand what sits behind it, read on.
GPA and CGPA are two different numbers
- GPA (PNG, Purata Nilai Gred) is the average for one semester.
- CGPA (PNGK, Purata Nilai Gred Kumulatif) is the average across every semester so far.
The names vary. UiTM calls CGPA "HPNG" (Himpunan Purata Nilai Gred). The calculation is the same.
The formula
Every grade has a grade point. Every course has credit hours.
- Multiply the grade point by the course's credit hours.
- Add up the results for all courses.
- Divide by the total credit hours.
GPA = sum of (grade point × credit hours) for the semester ÷ credit hours registered that semester
CGPA = sum of (grade point × credit hours) for all semesters ÷ credit hours for all semesters
This is how the academic regulations of UiTM, UM, UKM and UPM define it.
Worked example: two semesters
This example uses UiTM's scale (A = 4.00, A- = 3.67, B+ = 3.33, B = 3.00, B- = 2.67, C+ = 2.33, C = 2.00). Your university's points may differ, so check the grading systems comparison first.
Semester 1
| Course | Credits | Grade | Grade point | Credits × point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course 1 | 3 | A | 4.00 | 12.00 |
| Course 2 | 3 | A- | 3.67 | 11.01 |
| Course 3 | 3 | B+ | 3.33 | 9.99 |
| Course 4 | 3 | A | 4.00 | 12.00 |
| Total | 12 | 45.00 |
Semester 1 GPA = 45.00 ÷ 12 = 3.75
Semester 2
| Course | Credits | Grade | Grade point | Credits × point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course 5 | 4 | B | 3.00 | 12.00 |
| Course 6 | 3 | B- | 2.67 | 8.01 |
| Course 7 | 3 | C+ | 2.33 | 6.99 |
| Course 8 | 3 | B+ | 3.33 | 9.99 |
| Course 9 | 3 | A- | 3.67 | 11.01 |
| Course 10 | 2 | C | 2.00 | 4.00 |
| Total | 18 | 52.00 |
Semester 2 GPA = 52.00 ÷ 18 = 2.89
CGPA = (45.00 + 52.00) ÷ (12 + 18) = 97.00 ÷ 30 = 3.23
The plain average of the two GPAs is (3.75 + 2.89) ÷ 2 = 3.32. That is wrong. Semester 2 carried more credits, so it weighs more.
Failed and repeated courses
A failed course does not vanish. UKM's regulations say courses with a fail status are counted in the GPA and CGPA of that semester, and UM's table counts the credits of grades C- to F in the calculation. What happens after you repeat the course depends on the university:
| University | What the regulations say |
|---|---|
| UiTM | For students completing their studies, the HPNG is regenerated with the failed grade replaced by the passing grade earned after repeating. |
| UM | The best grade point is taken into account for a repeated failed course. A passed course may be repeated once to improve, best grade counts. |
| UKM | The repeat grade counts and the earlier failed grade is dropped. Passed courses with C- and below may be repeated; only the latest grade counts. |
| UPM | The first failing grade is dropped once you pass. A second or later fail in the same course stays in the CGPA. |
| UTM | Courses with B- or below may be improved once, up to 15 credits in total. The better grade counts in the CGPA, the latest in that semester's GPA. |
| UIAM | The replaced grade is recorded as "RPT" and excluded from the CGPA. |
Read your own university's regulations before planning a repeat, because a repeat can also cost you the Dean's List for that semester.
Common mistakes
- Averaging semester GPAs. Always go back to total points and total credits.
- Ignoring credit hours. A B in a 4-credit course pulls harder than an A in a 2-credit course.
- Using another university's scale. A- is 3.67 at UiTM, 3.70 at UM and 3.750 at UPM.
- Expecting A+ to exceed 4.00. At UiTM, UM and UTM both A+ and A carry 4.00.
- Counting courses without grade points. Pass/fail, audit and exempted courses usually carry no grade point and stay out of the GPA.
- Rounding up. UM's regulations state that GPA and CGPA cannot be rounded up; 3.69 is not 3.70.
What to do with the number
A CGPA is one signal, not the whole picture. See how employers weigh CGPA against skills. If you hold or want a sponsorship, check the minimum CGPA it requires in the scholarships list.
Sources: the undergraduate academic regulations of UiTM (2021 amendment), UM (2024), UKM (2024), UPM (2014 rules), UTM (16th edition, 2025 amendment) and IIUM (SAPER 2021). Regulations are amended from time to time; confirm the current version with your faculty or your university's academic affairs office.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between GPA and CGPA?
- GPA (PNG) is the credit-weighted average of your grade points for one semester. CGPA (PNGK) is the same calculation across all the semesters you have completed.
- Can I get my CGPA by averaging my semester GPAs?
- No. Semesters carry different credit loads, so you must add up all the grade points earned and divide by all the credit hours. Averaging GPAs only works if every semester has exactly the same credits.
- Does a failed course count in my CGPA?
- Yes, in the semester you fail it. After you repeat and pass, the treatment depends on the university: UM counts the best grade, UKM drops the earlier failed grade, and UPM drops only the first fail. Check your own regulations.
- Is an A+ worth more than 4.00?
- Not at UiTM, UM or UTM, where A+ and A both carry 4.00. UKM, UPM and IIUM do not have an A+ in their undergraduate scale at all.
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