Studying in Canada can be ones biggest dream! However, it might also bring in some challenges your way. One such task is to research well and understand what is required in Canada as an international student. This is especially the case when the education system of Canada is different from that of your home country. In addition to this, the Canadian grading system is different for every province! So, let us dive in and learn about the grading system in Canada.
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The Canadian grading system is one of the most reliable and accepted. Thus, it is one of the main reasons why students want to study in Canada. However, this system varies for every province in Canada. There are 10 provinces in Canada, each of which follows a different grading system. The Canada grading system can vary from 4.0 to 9.0 scale. Moreover, sometimes they also use letters from the English alphabet like A, B, C, D, and F. They often combine these two. In addition, they also assess students with numerical numbers.
There are several grading systems used and validated in Canada. These are different from province to province and even professor to professor. However, there are 2 scales which are commonly used across Canada:
Let us now take a look at how GPA is calculated in Canada.
GPA stands for Grading point average and in Canada, there are 2 GPA scales widely followed. One scale is a 4.0 Canadian grading scale and another one is a 9.0 scale. Moreover, in the sections below you will notice how alphabetical letters, numerical values, percentages, and other criteria are used.
The Canadian grading scale is a bit complex. Thus, it is vital to learn how the GPA calculator in Canada works.
Every course has to be taught in a certain number of hours. They call these credit hours which you can earn by attending lectures and submitting assignments on time, etc.
Thus, the GPA system in Canada is calculated using credit hours and credits earned. It reflects your overall grade during the semester.
Final GPA= GPA Value * Credit Hours
On a scale of 4.0, the highest is 4.0 and is graded as excellent. It means it is the highest GPA in Canada. On the same scale below 2.5 is unsatisfactory.
Now, let us learn about the various Canadian provinces and their grading systems.
As we noted before, the Canadian provinces have different grading systems. Therefore, we will discover all ten provinces and their grading systems in the sections below:
This province is famous for being home to the top universities in the world. Some of them are the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, etc.
Take a look at the table below to understand the Alberta grading system:
|
Alphabetical Letter Grade |
GPA |
|
A+ |
4.3 |
|
A |
4.0 |
|
A- |
3.7 |
|
B+ |
3.3 |
|
B |
3.0 |
|
B- |
2.7 |
|
C+ |
2.3 |
|
C |
2.0 |
|
C- |
1.7 |
|
D+ |
1.3 |
|
D |
1 |
|
E/F |
0.0 |
British Columbia is another popular province with top-class universities. For instance, you will find the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and more.
The universities in British Columbia use alphabetical letters as grades. However, these are different from Alberta and are based on the percentage system. Therefore, Indian students relate more to this system than anyone else.
|
Alphabetical Letter Grade |
Percentage |
|
A |
86 - 100 |
|
B |
73 - 85 |
|
C+ |
67 - 72 |
|
C |
60 - 66 |
|
C- |
50 - 59 |
|
I |
0 - 49 |
|
F |
0 - 49 |
Moreover, the Indian CGPA to Canada GPA is also a very simple process. For instance, if your Indian CGPA is 5.0, then it is obvious that you scored 50%. Furthermore, if you want to convert it to Candian GPA (on a 4.0 scale), then do (CGPA/10)*4.
The University of Manitoba and Brandon University are located in Manitoba, a province in Canada. The GPA system in Canada varies in all regions. Several more famous universities in the region follow the below-mentioned grading scheme:
|
Alphabetical Letter Grade |
GPA |
|
A+ |
4.5 |
|
A |
4 |
|
B+ |
3.5 |
|
B |
3 |
|
C+ |
2.5 |
|
C |
2 |
|
D |
1 |
|
F |
0 |
The distance between these two is 414 km. McGill University and the University of Montreal are 2 of the best universities in Quebec. The grading system in the table below is as followed here:
|
Alphabetical Letter Grade |
GPA |
|
A- |
3.66 |
|
B+ |
3.33 |
|
B |
3.00 |
|
B- |
2.66 |
|
C+ |
2.33 |
|
C |
2.00 |
|
C- |
1.66 |
|
D+ |
1.33 |
|
D |
1.00 |
|
E |
0.00 |
International students get quality education at the Memorial University of Newfoundland and other such institutes. However, the Canadian grading scale in all the colleges that lie under this region is:
|
Alphabetical Letter Grade |
Percentage |
|
A |
80 - 100 |
|
B |
65 - 79 |
|
C |
55 - 64 |
|
D |
50 - 54 |
|
F |
0 - 49 |
It is another hotspot for world class education. Universities like Dalhousie, Acadia, and Saint Mary's are located here. Nova Scotia has a different Canadian grading system:
|
Alphabetical Letter Grade |
Percentage |
|
A+ |
90 - 100 |
|
A |
85 - 89 |
|
A- |
80 - 84 |
|
B+ |
77 - 79 |
|
B |
73 - 76 |
|
B- |
70 - 72 |
|
C+ |
65 - 69 |
|
C |
60 - 64 |
|
C- |
55 - 59 |
|
D |
50 - 54 |
|
F |
0 - 49 |
The Canadian grading system for institutes in the Ontario province has:
This is how they look together:
|
Alphabetical Letter Grade |
Numerical Grade |
|
A+ |
10 |
|
A |
9 |
|
A- |
8 |
|
B+ |
7 |
|
B |
6 |
|
C+ |
5 |
|
C |
4 |
|
D+ |
3 |
|
D |
2 |
|
E |
1 |
|
F |
0 |
There are several great universities in this region of Canada. Take a look at the grading system they follow:
|
Alphabetical Letter Grade |
Percentage |
|
A+ |
91.00 - 100.00 |
|
A |
85.00 - 90.00 |
|
A- |
80.00 - 84.00 |
|
B+ |
77.00 - 79.00 |
|
B |
74.00 - 76.00 |
|
B- |
70.00 - 73.00 |
|
C+ |
67.00 - 69.00 |
|
C |
64.00 - 66.00 |
|
C- |
60.00 - 63.00 |
|
D+ |
57.00 - 59.00 |
|
D |
54.00 - 56.00 |
|
D- |
50.00 - 53.00 |
|
F |
0.00 - 49.00 |
The simplest grading system of all to understand is in Saskatchewan. Take note of the percentage and alphabetical letters used:
|
Alphabetical Letter Grade |
Percentage |
|
A+ |
90 - 100 |
|
A |
80 - 89 |
|
B |
70 - 79 |
|
C |
60 - 69 |
|
D |
50 - 59 |
|
F |
0 - 49 |
These are the various grading systems used in one single country Canada. It proves that the Canadian grading system is very diverse.
To conclude, there is a great difference between the Canadian grading system in various provinces. However, it is also very surprising to have such a diverse grading system. If the details above are too complex for you to understand then we have a solution for you! Book a free session with our study abroad consultants in India and share your issues. They are eager to help scholars on their study abroad journey.
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