Your CGPA is total quality points from all semesters divided by total credit hours. To add a new semester, multiply your current CGPA by the credit hours it covers, add this semester's quality points, and divide by the new total of credit hours.
The previous-semester fields are already open above. Enter your current CGPA and credit hours from your transcript, then your new courses. Do not simply average the old CGPA and the new GPA, because semesters with more credit hours carry more weight.
The CGPA formula
New CGPA = (current CGPA × credit hours so far + this semester's quality points) ÷ (credit hours so far + this semester's credit hours)
Current CGPA × credit hours so far gives back the quality points you had already earned. You then add the new ones and divide by the new total. This is the same result you would get by listing every course from every semester.
If you only have semester GPAs, the method is the same. Multiply each semester's GPA by that semester's credit hours, add them, and divide by all credit hours. A 12 credit hour semester at 3.50 and an 18 credit hour semester at 2.50 give a CGPA of 2.90, not 3.00.
Worked example: adding semester 5
A student has a CGPA of 3.10 after four semesters and 64 credit hours. Semester 5 has five courses and 16 credit hours, with marks of 82, 74, 69, 88 and 71 (the 69 is in a 4 credit hour course).
- Quality points already earned: 3.10 × 64 = 198.40.
- This semester on the HEC scale: 10.98 + 9.00 + 10.64 + 12.00 + 9.00 = 51.62 quality points, so a semester GPA of 3.23.
- New total: 198.40 + 51.62 = 250.02 quality points over 80 credit hours.
- New CGPA = 250.02 ÷ 80 = 3.13.
A 3.23 semester only moved the CGPA from 3.10 to 3.13. The more credit hours you have behind you, the less one semester can change it.
How to raise your CGPA
Because old credit hours weigh so much, raising a CGPA needs planning. Two examples, both computed with this calculator:
- CGPA 2.80 over 64 credit hours. A 16 credit hour semester at 3.80 brings it to exactly 3.00.
- CGPA 1.85 over 60 credit hours. An 18 credit hour semester at 2.50 brings it to exactly 2.00.
What helps most
- Heavy courses first. A better grade in a 4 credit hour course moves your CGPA more than the same gain in a 2 credit hour course.
- Repeat weak courses. Many universities, including UOL, UCP and Bahria, count only the better or highest grade when you repeat a course. Check your own rules on how the old grade is treated.
- Start early. In semester 2, one good semester can lift a CGPA a lot. By semester 7 the same result barely moves it.
Minimum CGPA for a degree. HEC policy sets a minimum CGPA of 2.00 for a bachelor's degree and 2.50 for MS or MPhil. Many universities also put students on probation below 2.00; QAU, for example, does so between 1.00 and 2.00. Some set higher limits for certain programmes, for example NUST asks for 2.50 in BBA, BS Economics and a few others.
Using your own university's scale
This page uses the HEC grading table when you enter marks. If your university uses its own table, open its page from the GPA calculator list, for example UAF or COMSATS. Each university page also has the previous-CGPA fields.
To turn the final CGPA into a percentage for a form, use the CGPA to percentage calculator.
Questions people ask
How do I calculate CGPA from GPA?
Multiply each semester's GPA by that semester's credit hours to get its quality points. Add the quality points from all semesters. Divide by the total credit hours. For example, 3.50 on 12 credit hours and 2.50 on 18 credit hours gives (42 + 45) ÷ 30 = 2.90. A plain average of the GPAs would wrongly give 3.00.
How do I calculate CGPA out of 4?
Pakistani universities already work on a 4.00 scale, so no conversion is needed. Every grade point is between 0 and 4.00, and CGPA is the credit-weighted average of those points. The result is always out of 4.00. If a form asks for a percentage, use the HEC equivalence table rather than a guess.
What is the minimum CGPA to get a degree in Pakistan?
Under HEC policy, a bachelor's degree needs a CGPA of at least 2.00 and an MS or MPhil needs at least 2.50. Some universities and programmes ask for more. NUST, for instance, asks for 2.50 in some business and social science programmes. Check your university's regulations for your intake.
Can one good semester raise my CGPA a lot?
Only early on. With 64 credit hours behind you at 2.80, a strong 16 credit hour semester at 3.80 takes you to 3.00. With 120 credit hours behind you at 2.80, the same semester only reaches 2.92. Enter your figures above to see the exact effect.
Do failed courses count in my CGPA?
Usually yes. An F carries 0 grade points, but its credit hours are still added, which pulls the CGPA down. When you repeat the course, many universities replace or ignore the old grade. The rule differs, so check your university's regulations and your transcript.
Last reviewed 29 September 2026. Results are estimates; official notices always take precedence.