What is GPA?

The idea of assessing students' grades according to an accumulative basis has emerged since the late 1970s, specifically when the first evaluation process and conducting oral and written examinations were applied at the University of Cambridge in 1972, which is the second oldest university in English speaking countries. Then, the concepts of assessing students' grades evolved to its current method. It is internationally known as GPA, which stands for "Grade Point Average".

How to Calculate GPA?

  • To calculate the grade points for each course, the points of the grade are multiplied by the number of credit hours for that course.
  • The total points of semester course points obtained by the student are calculated as the sum of semester course points that he studied in that semester.
  • The GPA for any semester is calculated by dividing the total points obtained by the student in the semester by the total number of credit hours registered in by the student.
  • The GPA is calculated at the end of each semester and upon graduation as a result of dividing the sum of all the points of the courses that the student passed by the total credit hours of these courses.
  • The honors degree is awarded to the student who gets a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or more in every academic semester, on the condition that he has never failed any course during his study in the Institute.

    • We'll start calculating your GPA in three simple steps

  • We substitute the grade for its corresponding point values in each course.
  • We calculate the average points for each course according to the following formula:
    (Course points = grade points x number of credit hours)
  • We collect the average points of all courses and divide them by the total credit hours for the whole semester.


    • The result is your GPA for the current semester.

    In addition, the advising office also monitors student progress through a variety of reports pulled at or near the end of each semester. For example, advisors receive a query listing all students who have not yet enrolled in the coming semester. Advisors can then reach out to those specific students to ask what has prohibited them from registering, and offer support and resources. Advisors also reach out to students who have failed a course in the previous semester, and those who have had a change in academic standing. It is believed that reaching out to the students experiencing these academic issues provides earlier intervention and access to resources, and contributes to increasing retention and graduation rates. Grading System: The following letter grades and grade points are used at CEE in the following tables

    Grading System at CEE.
    Letter Grade Percentage Description Grade Points
    A+ 97 - 100 Excellent 4
    A 93 - 96 4
    A- 89 - 92 3.7
    B+ 84 - 88 Above Average 3.3
    B 80 - 83 3
    B- 76 - 79 2.7
    C+ 73 - 75 Average 2.3
    C 70 - 72 2
    C- 67 - 69 1.7
    D+ 64 - 66 Below Average 1.3
    D 60 - 63 1
    F Below 60 Failure 0
    Fr Below 60 Theoretical Failure 0
    W - With Drawl None
    E - Excused Postpone None
    Z - Deprived of Exam None
    P - Pass None
    NP - Not Pass None
    Sample Calculation of GPA
    Course Title Credit Hours (Cr.H.) Assigned Course Grade Grade points Per Credit Hour (G.P.) Total Grade Points (Cr.H. x G.P.)
    Course 1 3 D 1 3
    Course 2 3 C 2 6
    Course 3 3 B- 2.7 8.1
    Course 4 2 B 3 6
    Course 5 2 C+ 2.3 4.6
    Course 6 3 C 2 6
    Total 16 - 13 33.7
    Computed GPA = Total Grade Points / Total Credit Hours = 33.7/16 = 2.1

    Student's methods of Assessment

  • The grades of each course are distributed in percentages to semester works that include researches, reports, and sudden quizzes…etc. oral, practical examinations, the first-term exam, and the final written exam.
  • Each course has a midterm exam and a written exam at the end of the semester. The study list determines the results of these examinations, the grades of the year’s work, and any other tests, according to the nature of each course.
  • To be considered successful, the student is required to obtain at least 60% of his total grades in the course, and to get at least 30% of the marks of the final written examination.
  • The student must attend at least 75% of the total hours of contact for the course in order to be allowed to attend the final exam of the course.
  • The student fails in the course if he gets less than 60% of the course grades or is denied the final exam due to exceeding the absence or fraud rate... etc., or he did not attend the final exam without providing an excuse accepted by the faculty or the institute.
  • Some courses, such as practical training and seminars, can be evaluated on a pass / fail basis and are not included in the calculation of the GPA.

    • The Assessment Grades

    The student's performance is assessed in the courses according to the following table:

    The Percentage of grades obtained by the student Grade Point
    More than 97 % A+ 4.00
    97% to less than 93% A 4.00
    93% to less than 89% A- 3.70
    89% to less than 84% B+ 3.30
    84% to less than 80% B 3.00
    80% to less than 76% B- 2.70
    76% to less than 73% C+ 2.30
    73% to less than 70 % C 2.00
    70% to less than 67 % C- 1.70
    67% to less than 64 % D+ 1.30
    64% to less than 60% D 1.00
    Less than 60 % F 0.00

    Special Cases Assessment

    The following letters are used to indicate special cases concerning the student's performance, as shown in the following table:

    Case Description Grade Name Letter Grade
    Withdrawal for serious and compelling reasons, accepted by the Institute's Board of Directors Formal Withdrawal/ officially withdrawn W
    Successful completion of course requirements necessary for graduation and does not have an exam Passed P
    Unsuccessful Failure to complete course requirements necessary for graduation and does not have an exam Not Passed NP