In today’s time, there are over 30 Canadian universities ranked in the top 300 global universities in the world, according to the QS Rankings. As compared to other education system in the world, grading system in Canada has a unique system. The Canada grading scale is the way of measurement that signifies your level of academic accomplishment during your degree.
The Canadian university grading system does not make use of sorting system, but a blend of letter grading system Canada and grade point average (GPA). If you’re thinking of applying to any university or college in Canada, it is important to know the grading system details. So, here we have mentioned all the needed details about grading system in Canada.
Table of Contents: |
University Grading System in Canada
The Canada grading scale follows a range from a 4.0 grading scale to a 9.0 grading scale. Also, a student will discover variations and a mixture of alphabetical grades, numerical scores, and % being followed in each university. The university grading scale Canada has a GPA out of 4.0–but some use a GPA out of 9.0. Here are two grading scales usually followed in Canada:
-
Scale 1 in Canada: GPA out of 4.0
What is 4.0 GPA in Canada? It directly depends on which state you want to study in since the Canadian GPA slightly differs from one territory of a university to another. Although the common GPA or Grade Point Average in Canada ranges from 0.00—which indicates the F grade letter, up to 4.00—inferring the highest grade A.
Almost every university in Canada uses a combination triangle in the grading system, which starts with the letter grades, persisting with the percentage, and then the GPA, not being consistent in all Canadian Universities.
Letter Grade |
Percentage % |
GPA Number |
A+ |
92-100 |
4.33 |
A |
88-91 |
4 |
A- |
85-87 |
3.67 |
B+ |
82-84 |
3.33 |
B |
78-81 |
3 |
B- |
75-77 |
2.67 |
C+ |
72-74 |
2.33 |
C |
68-71 |
2 |
C- |
65-67 |
1.67 |
D |
55-64 |
1 |
F |
0-54 |
0 |
Further, you can explore different ranges of GPA in Canada, including a GPA out of 9.0. For this reason, check out this alternative of the grading system, which is also employed in various Canadian universities.
-
Scale 2 in Canada: GPA out of 9.0
The following table will help you understand how to calculate GPA out of 9.0!
Letter Grade |
Percentage % |
GPA Number |
A+ |
90- 100 |
9.0 |
A |
80-89 |
8 |
B+ |
75-79 |
7 |
B |
70-74 |
6 |
B- |
65-69 |
5 |
C+ |
60-64 |
4 |
C |
55-59 |
3 |
C- |
50-54 |
2 |
D |
40-49 |
1 |
F |
0-39 |
0 |
Grading System in Canada as per GPA, Credits, and Credit Hours
Canada’s grading system has some common points similar to the US. Each course you take in a particular semester has a particular number of hours allocated to it. Those hours are referred as semester or credit hours. These credits earned by a student can be used to the grader’s approval and completing the course successfully.
The number of credit hours per course are defined by the faculty and even mentioned in the course plan. For a bachelor’s degree, a student will require earning 15 credit hours per semester and 24 credit hours per semester for masters
Note: In Canada, the credit and credit hours are used to calculate the student’s overall grade. It is known as GPA that specifies your average grade across courses through the academic semester. The final GPA that you graduate is a subjective average with the number of credit hours. The final GPA= Letter grade value |
Canadian Grading System for Different Provinces
The Canada GPA system varies depending on the province a student chooses to study. There are many international students who prefer studying in some of the favoured areas, such as British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Let’s take an overview:
1. Alberta Grading System
The grading system in Alberta mainly involves using letter grades A through D. The institutions or lecturers will define the way to convert the letter grades into% or grade points. The Alberta grading scale will vary as used by universities it could lie between 4.0 to 9.0 grading scale.
Letter Grade |
Grade Points |
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 |
Note: In addition, the universities can also follow letter grades such as:
- IEA: Insufficient sign available to elect a specific grade for the student.
- AMP: Academic misconduct. The student was either placed in the wrong class through an academic error.
2. Ontario Grading System
Canada's grading system, Ontario, made all procedures of the grading system official. There are various universities in Ontario region that use letter grades, numerical values and percentage.
Letter Grade |
Numerical Grade |
Percentage % |
A+ |
10 |
95-100 |
A |
9 |
87-94 |
A- |
8 |
80-86 |
B+ |
7 |
77-79 |
B |
6 |
73-76 |
B- |
6 |
70-72 |
C+ |
5 |
67-69 |
C |
4 |
63-66 |
C- |
4 |
60-62 |
D+ |
3 |
57-59 |
D |
2 |
53-56 |
E |
1 |
50-52 |
F |
0 |
0-49 |
3. British Columbia Grading System
The grading system is executed across high school, post-secondary universities and colleges in the province of British Columbia. There are Canadian universities that follow the grading system like Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria, University of British Columbia, and many others.
Grade |
Percentage % |
A |
86-100 |
B |
73-85 |
C+ |
67-72 |
C |
60-66 |
C- |
50-59 |
F |
0-49 |
I (Incomplete assignments) |
0-49 |
W |
Student has withdrawn from course |
P |
Student has passed but no grade available |
4. Saskatchewan Grading System
In Canada, institutions of higher education in Saskatchewan provide the simple Canada GPA system. The method that is used across all institutions and faculties is the use of% to assign grades to students.
Percentage % |
Letter Grade |
Description |
90-100 |
A+ |
Exceptional |
80-89 |
A |
Excellent |
70-79 |
B |
Good |
60-69 |
C |
Satisfactory |
50-59 |
D |
Barely acceptable |
0-49 |
F |
Unacceptable |
So, above are the mentioned grading system in Canada inclined to be decided by each province in Canada. It is beneficial for international students to understand the Canada grading scale before getting enrolled in university.
Student Safety Guide for Canada!
Further, if you need end-to-end guidance in your study abroad process, connect with our expert counsellors by subscribing to Yocket premium services.
Frequently Asked Questions about Canada Grading System
Ques. What grades do Canadian universities look at for international students?
Ans. In Canada, many institutions require grades of 70% above the average ones for international students. The higher your grades are, there will be an opportunity to get enrolled in the best university in Canada.
Ques. What is the minimum GPA required to get admission in Canada University?
Ans. To get admission as an international student in Canada University, students should require a minimum of a letter grade of B or a GPA above 2.67.
Ques. Is 60% a passing grade in Canada?
Ans. Yes, it will be considered a passing grade, and a letter grade of D will be allocated. A D is any percentage between 60-69%, however, a failure occurs below 60%.
Ques. Why is the Canadian education system regarded as the best?
Ans. Canada is recognized worldwide for the high quality of education for international students. The educators in institutes or universities bring various perspectives to the classroom. It helps students to gain professional and technical knowledge for a wonderful future ahead.
Ques. What is a good GPA in Canada?
Ans. Following are the GPA requirements in Canada:
- GPA above 3.5: Very good.
- GPA above 3.0: Good
- GPA above 2.5: Satisfactory.