Grading and Grade Point Averages (GPA)
Instructors may submit final grades as either letter grades or in percentages, but the official grade in each course which is displayed on the transcript is the letter grade. Where appropriate, a class average appears on transcripts expressed as the letter grade most representative of the class performance. In such cases, the class average is calculated for courses where the total number of grade-point grades in all its course sections is 25 or more (grades of S, U, or P do not have grade points).
Grades A through C represent satisfactory passes, D a conditional (non-continuation) pass, and F a failure. Certain courses have been approved for Pass/Fail (P/F) grading. Students may also designate elective courses to be graded under the S/U option. See Courses Taken under the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Option.
You must obtain a grade of C or better in courses that you take to fulfil program requirements. You may not register in a course unless you have passed all the prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better, except by written permission of the appropriate department chair.
| Grades | Grade Points | Numerical Scale of Grades |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4.0 | 85 – 100% |
| A- | 3.7 | 80 – 84% |
| B+ | 3.3 | 75 – 79% |
| B | 3.0 | 70 – 74% |
| B- | 2.7 | 65 – 69% |
| C+ | 2.3 | 60 – 64% |
| C | 2.0 | 55 – 59% |
| D | 1.0 | 50 – 54% |
| F (Fail) | 0 | 0 – 49% |
The University assigns grade points to letter grades according to the above table. Your Academic Standing (e.g., satisfactory, probationary), which is your academic status at the end of each term, is determined by a grade point average (GPA), which is calculated by multiplying the course credit by the grade points and dividing the sum by the total GPA course credits. The GPA result is truncated by two decimal points and not rounded up to the nearest decimal point. For example, a GPA of 3.596 will display on the transcript as 3.59 and is NOT rounded up to 3.60.
GPA course credits are the credits of courses with final grades that are assigned grade points according to the table above (e.g, a 3-credit course with a final grade of A has 3 GPA course credits, but a 3-credit course with a final grade of P has no GPA course credits because a grade of P does not have a grade point value).
The term grade point average (TGPA) is the GPA for a given term calculated using all the applicable courses at the same level in that term. The cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is the GPA calculated using your entire record of applicable courses at McGill at the same level; if you change levels, e.g., from undergraduate to graduate, the CGPA starts again.
If you repeat courses, all final grades are included in the GPA calculation. Therefore, grades of D or F continue to be used in the CGPA calculation even after you repeat the course or if you take a supplemental examination. Note that credits are only granted once for a repeated course regardless of the passing grade.
You must obtain a minimum CGPA of 2.00 to be considered for graduation with a McGill degree.
Note: During the first week of lectures, each instructor will provide you with a written course outline. This information should include, where appropriate:
- whether there will be a final examination in the course;
- how term work will affect the final grade in the course;
- how term work will be distributed through the term;
- whether there will be a supplemental examination in the course, and if so, whether the supplemental exam will be worth 100% of the supplemental grade, or whether term work will be included in the supplemental grade (courses with formal final examinations must have supplementals);
- whether students with grades of D, F, J, or U will have the option of submitting additional work, and, if so, how the supplemental grade will be calculated with the extra work (applicable only to students in Science and B.A. & Sc.).
Policy on Pass/Fail Grading:
For a course to be graded P/F, a proposal must be approved by the Program Director, approved by the Faculty Curriculum Committee, and approved by the Subcommittee on Courses and Teaching Programs (SCTP). Courses that are approved to be graded P/F must indicate this in the course syllabus. Pass/Fail grading applies to all students in a course section and cannot be selectively added to individual students.
Grades of Pass are not included in the GPA calculation and as such are not normally applied to required courses. Grades of F are included in GPA calculations. However, both grades of P and F are included in the count of completed credits for determining eligibility for scholarships and awards.
Please refer to the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory option for information on that grading option for students.
Note for Engineering: In the Faculty of Engineering, letter grades are assigned according to the grading scheme adopted by the professor in charge of a particular course. This may not correspond to grades indicated in the “Numerical Scale of Grades” column in Grading and Grade Point Averages. A grade of D indicates marginal performance which is acceptable only for Complementary Studies courses (i.e., Group A Impact of Technology on Society; and Group B Humanities and Social Sciences, Management Studies and Law), Natural Science Complementary Courses (for Computer Engineering and Software Engineering students from CEGEP), and Elective Courses (for Mechanical Engineering students from CEGEP and for Architecture students). A grade of D is not acceptable for required (core) courses (including Year 0 (Freshman/Foundation Year) math and science courses), technical complementary courses, laboratory complementary courses, or courses in any other category of Engineering programs. Individual departments/schools will decide if a student with a D in a prerequisite course(s) may take the subsequent course.
Note for Law: Faculty of Law does not use this numeric scale.
Note for Physical and Occupational Therapy: A grade of C+ is the minimum required passing grade for courses with the subject codes of OCC1, PHTH, and POTH. A grade of C is the minimum required passing grade for all other courses. For complete details, refer to the Rules and Regulations on the Professional Programs page.
Grades have the following designations:
| Grades | Designation |
|---|---|
| A, A- | Very Good |
| B+, B, B- | Good |
| C+, C | Satisfactory |
| D | Conditional Pass |
| F | Fail |
Other Grades
Note: Not all grades listed below apply to every faculty, school, or level. Faculty policy prevails when determining if a student may be eligible to receive one of these grades.
| Grades | Explanation |
|---|---|
| J | unexcused absence (failed); the student is registered for a course but does not write the final examination or complete other required work; calculated as a failure in the TGPA and CGPA |
| K | incomplete; instructor has extended the deadline for submission of work in a course |
| KE or K* | further extension granted for submission of work in a course, approval from the Faculty SAO may be required |
| KF | failed to meet the extended deadline for submission of work in a course; calculated as a failure in TGPA and CGPA |
| KK | completion requirement waived; not calculated in TGPA or CGPA; Associate Dean approval is required. |
| L | approved to write a deferred examination in a course |
| LE or L* | permitted to defer examination for more than the normal period |
| NR | no grade reported by the instructor (recorded by the Registrar) |
| P | pass; not calculated in TGPA or CGPA |
| Q | course continued in next term (applicable only to courses taken pre-Fall 2002) |
| S | satisfactory; equivalent to C or better in an elective course; not calculated in TGPA or CGPA (See Courses Taken under the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Option 1) |
| U | unsatisfactory; equivalent to D or F in an elective course; not calculated in TGPA or CGPA (See Courses Taken under the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Option 1) |
| W | withdrew; a course dropped, with permission, after the Course Change deadline; not calculated in TGPA or CGPA |
| WF | withdrew failing; a course dropped, with special permission in an exceptional case, after faculty deadline for withdrawal from course, the student's performance in the course at that stage being on the level of an F; not calculated in TGPA or CGPA (Not used by Music) |
| WL | faculty permission to withdraw from a deferred examination; not calculated in TGPA or CGPA |
| NA or && | grade not yet available |
| W-- or -- | no grade; student withdrew from the University, not calculated in TGPA or CGPA (applicable only to courses taken pre-Fall 2002) |
Note for Physical and Occupational Therapy: Grades of S/U are not applicable.
Note for Medicine: Refer to the UGME Assessment and Promotion Policy and the UGME Policy on the Medical Student Performance Record.
Unexcused Absences
All students who miss a final exam or do not complete other required work in a course are given a J grade. You then have the following options:
- Ask to be assigned a grade based only on the grades earned for your work submitted up to, but not including, the final exam or other required course work.
The grade earned is calculated by adding the grades obtained on the individual pieces of work and a grade of 0 for the portion of the final grade allocated to the final exam or other required course work. This option is not available if the professor stipulated in the course outline that the final exam or other course work is a required part of the evaluation. - Request a deferred exam if you have the appropriate reasons and documentation.
- Apply for a supplemental exam if permitted by your faculty.
You must request option 1 no later than four months after the end of the examination period of the original course.
You must request option 2 by the faculty deadlines as indicated on the Final Exam Dates page of McGill Exams website.
You must request option 3 by the faculty deadlines as indicated on the McGill Exams website.
If you wish to appeal a J grade, you should write to your Associate Dean or Director.
Note for Engineering: Option 1 is not available to students in the Faculty of Engineering.
Note for Law: Option 1 is not available to students in the Faculty of Law. Option 3 is by approval of the Associate Dean (Academic) or the Director (Student Life & Learning) only.
Note for Music: Option 1 is not available to students in the Schulich School of Music.
Note for the Faculties of Arts and Science (including B.A. & Sc.): Requests are made at Service Point (3415 McTavish Street). However, it is important that you also meet with a Faculty advisor in Arts OASIS or SOUSA to talk about your options and the effects that your request may have on your studies. For more information, see the Academic Advising page.
Note for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies: Only options 2 and 3 above are applicable to graduate students. Students wishing to appeal a J grade should write to the Associate Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.