What is Term Grade Point Average (TGPA)? - How to Calculate?

With the evaluation systems of higher education adopting grade points systems in India, terms like SGPA, CGPA, TGPA etc. have become increasingly common in educational discourses. Not only are they important indices of evaluation and assessment, but also metrics important for comparative purposes and future admissions in institutions for further education. 

While there are many calculators available online for calculation of the TGPA/SGPA, and some even specifically for particular universities (e.g. LPU Marks Calculator), it is an easy and seamless process to simply learn the calculation and meanings of the term for one’s own evaluation and future use. 

What is TGPA or SGPA? Key Differences of TGPA from CGPA 

TGPA stands for “Term Grade Point Average” and is a term often used interchangeably with SGPA or “Semester Grade Point Average”. TGPA is an index of the cumulative average of marks obtained by a student in a term, and reflects their overall performance in that particular term. While a large number of international universities and institutions use the term “SGPA”, the calculation and meaning of these two terms are similar. 

TGPA is a term often confused with CGPA. It is different from CGPA in the following ways. 

Term Grade Point Average (TGPA)	Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)
An index ranging usually from 1 to 10 that indicates performance of a candidate in a semester of a course. It is an index showing the overall performance of the student in the semester.  It indicates performance over a shorter period of time.	An index ranging usually from 1 to 10 that indicates overall performance of a candidate during the entire course duration.  It is an index indicating cumulative average performance of the student.  It indicates performance over a longer and sustained period of time.

TGPA/ SGPA & Related Important Terms to Know About

• TGPA or SGPA or GPA: As already explained, TGPA (often used interchangeably with SGPA or GPA) refers to the cumulative grade point obtained by a student in that particular term or semester. It is calculated by assessing the overall marks obtained in a term by a student along with the credits of each of the papers studied in that term. 

• CGPA: CGPA refers to the Cumulative Grade Point Average, which is an index of the overall performance of a student over the period of the entire learning course. It is calculated by dividing the obtained TGPAs across the semesters by the total number of semesters in the course. 

• Course Credit: Course credit is a point assigned to a particular paper/subject in a paper based on the weightage placed on the course. It is a function of the importance, the number of lectures, the practicum or tutorial lectures involved in the course and so on. 

What is the Usage of SGPA/TGPA? 

A Term Grade Point Average or TGPA provides an index of the overall performance of a student for that semester and is taken to be an indicator of their academic performance and comprehension as part of the course.

Video Source: Mister Classes

The TGPA provides the scope for the improvement performance of the student as it is a cumulative rather than an absolute, one-time measure of performance. Hence, consistently high performance by a student is the basis for a high TGPA. It is also an important metric for assessing the overall performance of a student throughout the whole course. 

Calculation of SGPA or TGPA

The calculation of TGPA or SGPA is contingent on two factors: 

• The grade point obtained by you in the papers for that term
• The credits of the papers as pre-decided during curriculum creation

Usually, the grade points are associated with a common grade (in terms of “O”, “A+”, “B” etc.) as indicated in a student’s mark sheet/scorecard. The scorecard for conversion of the same to equivalent grade points has been provided below. 

Grade	Equivalent Grade Point
O	10
A+	9
A	8
B+	7
B	6
C	5
D	4
E (Reappear)	0
F (Fail)	0
G (Backlog)	0
I (Result Incomplete)	0

To calculate the TGPA for a term, you need to convert your obtained grades to a grade point. You also need to know the corresponding credits of the papers in which you obtained the grades. To calculate the TGPA you have obtained, use the following formula: 

TGPA= Sum of (Grade Point x Corresponding Credit for the Paper)Total Credit for the Term

Numerical Example Templates: Calculation of SGPA 

Based on the formula provided above, let’s try to calculate the TGPA for a student, who obtained grades A, A+, O and B+ in 4 subjects respectively. Based upon the conversion scorecard provided above, the corresponding grade points for these grades are 8, 9, 10 and 7 respectively. 

Let us assume that the corresponding credits of the papers for scores 8, 9, 10 and 7 are 3, 3, 4 and 2. Then, as per the formula 

TGPA= Sum of (Grade Point x Corresponding Credit for the Paper)Total Credit for the Term

We have                     TGPA =    (8 x 3) + (9 x 3) + (10 x 4) + (7 x 2)(3 + 3 + 4 + 2)

                                        = 24 + 27 + 40 + 1412

                                              = 10512

                                                 = 8.75 

Thus the TGPA obtained by the student in the term is 8.75. To easily convert scores and percentages to TGPA and CGPA and vice versa, use this free CGPA calculator too [insert link for College Vidya CGPA to percentage converter]. 

Conclusion

TGPA is an important evaluation index for academic purposes commonly used in higher education for assessing the performance of a student on a term-wise basis. The calculation of TGPA is simple and can be done quite quickly provided the student has their grade points and credits allotted to each paper. TGPA is a popular metric of assessment since it takes into account the cumulative performance of a student over a period of time in the course rather than a single, absolute metric of measuring performance. As a result, it has become the most common mode of continuous assessment in higher educational institutions across the globe.