uOttawa GPA and Grade Scale

The grading regulation describes an alphanumeric grading system. Letters have numeric values and published percentage bands. Some courses use a Senate-approved pass/fail or satisfactory/not-satisfactory scheme instead. Those alternate results need their own treatment. Start with the grading basis for the course before converting a result into grade points.

This explanation uses the undergraduate average rules. The grading regulation’s section on calculating averages explicitly excludes graduate programs. The same policy lists a minimum graduate passing grade of C+, unless a program requires more. A graduate student should therefore check the relevant graduate regulations instead of using the undergraduate average and standing rules on this page.

The usual undergraduate course pass is D, but it is not the rule for every course. Faculty of Education courses require C. Undergraduate nursing courses require C+, as do some nutrition and dietetic courses for accreditation. The grading regulation also lists professional-program exceptions. Consult the course and program rules when a result falls near a passing boundary.

For a course included in the average, multiply its units by the numeric value of its final letter grade. This gives the course grade points. Add the points for the included courses, then divide by the relevant course units. The letter value alone is not the average, and a plain mean of letters leaves out course weight.

The cumulative grade point average, or CGPA, measures the relevant record across courses taken, whether successful or not. The term grade point average, or TGPA, uses courses from the term. Apply the exclusions for non-numeric results before selecting the denominator. A failed numeric result remains different from a course that has no numeric grade.

Rounding happens at different stages. The grading regulation rounds a final course grade up when the first decimal is 5 or higher, and down when it is 4 or lower. The CGPA is rounded to two decimal places: the third decimal controls rounding. Keep these steps distinct instead of rounding every intermediate value to a whole number.

The undergraduate rule also resets the CGPA to zero when a student is admitted to a second bachelor’s program or a professional program. A cumulative figure therefore belongs to a defined academic record. Ask the faculty how the reset applies to your program before comparing it with a prior degree’s average.

The non-numeric list includes CR, NC, P, S and NS. These do not affect the student’s average. For example, NS records an unsuccessful course but does not enter the GPA calculation. A failed outcome and a numeric failing grade are therefore separate categories. Use the actual transcript symbol and its definition rather than guessing from the outcome.

ABS and EIN are different. ABS can apply when a student has not attended, submitted work or advised the university of a drop within the required limits. EIN indicates missing mandatory evaluations from the approved syllabus. Both are equivalent to failing grades. The scale gives them numeric values, so they should not be treated like excluded credit or pass symbols.

DR denotes a course dropped within the stated deadlines and does not affect averages. NNR means the registrar has not yet received a final mark. DFR is an approved deferral, with a time limit to finish the work; it changes to EIN if the mark is not received in time. Ask the faculty about a pending result before assuming it is settled.

The grading regulation names uOttawa, Saint Paul University, Dominican University College and Carleton University in the application of GPA averages. The transfer regulation gives detailed conditions for specific arrangements. Approved Saint Paul courses that meet program requirements enter the undergraduate GPA and count toward undergraduate residence requirements. Eligibility includes enrolment at uOttawa and good academic standing.

Approved Carleton courses enter the undergraduate GPA after conversion under the official equivalence table. They must meet program requirements and need faculty approval. They do not count toward uOttawa’s undergraduate residence requirements. Course credit, converted grades and residence units are separate checks; receiving one does not establish the others.

For a university without a formal agreement, a faculty letter of permission is required. The undergraduate minimum is normally a 60%, with 65% required for nursing and some nutrition courses. These courses generally appear as CR or NC and do not enter the GPA, apart from the stated partner exceptions. A course taken without a letter is not credited.

uOttawa’s Carleton table maps letters as well as numbers. Carleton’s B, with a value of 8, becomes uOttawa’s B+, with a value of 7. Carleton’s B- becomes uOttawa’s B. This is why dividing a Carleton result by the maximum value and multiplying by the uOttawa maximum would not reproduce the official table.

The agreement also maps non-numeric statuses, such as withdrawal and deferred results. Its failing-grade rows distinguish redeemable and non-redeemable failure. Read the exact row and any footnote before interpreting a transferred result. The agreement is for eligible partner courses; it should not be presented as a generic conversion for another university or a new admissions calculation.

Students remain responsible for course approval, prerequisites and the universities’ term dates. For other permission-based courses, the regulation also requires an official transcript to reach the faculty and sets reporting duties when a student withdraws or does not enrol. Ask the faculty to confirm the record if an expected result has instead appeared as NC.

Passing a course is not the same decision as being in good standing. Under the standing regulation, the general bachelor’s threshold is a CGPA of 4.0, and the honours bachelor’s threshold is 5.0 unless a specific program has an approved exception. Undergraduate certificates use 3.5. The standing regulation also excludes certain faculties from its general scope, so check the regulation’s opening notes.

The probation decision has a timing rule. For bachelor’s and honours programs, it is not made until at least 24 units have been taken, successfully or not. Certificates use 9 units. The later decision to lift probation or require withdrawal uses additional units under the policy. Contact your academic unit about your own stage rather than treating one term’s GPA as the final decision.

Graduation is a further check. The degree regulation requires completion of the program and compliance with the applicable regulations, not only a GPA. It gives CGPA requirements alongside required units and other conditions. A qualifying average cannot replace a missing required course. Likewise, these standing and graduation thresholds are not published admission cutoffs for a new applicant.

Your course syllabus and assessment rules determine how work becomes a final grade. The evaluation regulation requires professors to explain requirements, evaluation methods and the timing of assessments at the start of the course. It also sets feedback requirements before the withdrawal deadline, with a syllabus notice where the nature of a course prevents that feedback. Use that information to understand a result.

An E is a failure with access to a supplemental examination in certain faculties; that note does not apply to graduate study. The evaluation regulation sets faculty-specific eligibility and course conditions. It does not offer every student a general exam retake. Confirm eligibility, the assessment format and the deadline with the faculty instead of treating an E as an automatic second attempt.

For a course with a supplemental exam, the grading regulation says only the grade assigned after that exam enters the average and appears on the transcript. A note identifies that it came from a supplemental exam. That rule does not mean that every repeat or unfinished course has the same treatment. Use the applicable policy for the actual type of reassessment.

The grading regulation says grade-report errors or omissions must be reported to the home faculty within 90 days after the grades become official. The grade-review regulation separately addresses grade reviews and appeals. Technical calculation or transcription errors are corrected by professors themselves. A clerical correction and a disagreement about how work was graded are different requests, with different procedures.

For a disputed grade, contact the professor or practicum supervisor for clarification first. The grade-review regulation permits a formal review on the stated grounds, but a revised grade can go up, down or stay unchanged. A full review request cannot be cancelled. The review must concern errors in applying the grading criteria, rather than a request for extra points without those grounds.

For faculties outside the undergraduate Law procedures, the ordinary deadline is ten business days after receiving a grade before or on the last day of classes. For a grade received later, it is ten business days after the grade becomes official. The request needs the course details, syllabus, grounds and relevant work. Faculty exceptions and the full process still apply; verify them promptly.