Grading System in India: University Scale, Marks, Grades & Percentages

Previously, the CBSE grading table included marking of A1 fixed at 91-100 and specific grade points mapped to mark ranges, which no longer reflects how the board currently operates. Starting from the 2026 academic session, CBSE has changed its grading system and moved to a rank-based 9-point grading system. Passed students are divided into eight equal groups of 1/8th each, with the top group receiving A-1, then A-2, B-1, B-2, C-1, C-2, D-1, and D-2 in descending order. The ninth grade, E, denotes Essential Repeat, meaning the student has not met the minimum passing requirement.

This is a key change in the grading system in India for students, which must be noted, as your grade is no longer fixed to a percentage band. Read the complete blog to understand the grading system in India in 2026-27.

What is the Grading System in India?

The grading system is a method of assessing students’ performance by assigning a grade (A, B, C, etc) or grade points instead of raw marks. It helps in:

• Reducing exam pressure.
• Eliminating unhealthy competition
• Evaluation of overall development rather than just memorisation 
• Making results easy to understand for students, parents and institutions.

Different Grading Scales in India

There are different types of grading scales, including GPA, CGPA, percentage, and many more. Check the meaning for these below:

What is GPA?

GPA stands for the Grade Point Average. It is a standard method of calculating a student’s average score obtained over a stipulated period, i.e. a semester or a term. GPA is calculated by dividing the average points scored by a student by the total credit hours attended by the student.

Also Read: Class 12 CBSE Passing Marks 2024 Overview and Subject

What is CGPA?

CGPA stands for Cumulative Grade Point Average. An important grading system in India, CGPA is used to denote a student’s overall performance in an academic year. The mean GPA of the semesters is first calculated, and then it is divided by the total number of credits. Both CGPA and GPA are indicated by a numeric value as opposed to the percentages and different grades that are assigned under the Indian grading system.

Conversion of CGPA to Percentage

Many students need to convert their CGPA into a percentage for higher studies or job applications. The CBSE formula is:

Percentage (%) = CGPA × 9.5

For example, a student with a CGPA of 8.2 will have:
8.2 × 9.5 = 77.9%

Also Read: What is the Full Form of CGPA?

Why Was the Grading System in India Introduced?

The grading system in India was introduced not only to match the international range of grades but also to take the load off students. While the marks allotted in the age-old percentage system focused on the quantity, the scores obtained in the grading system are based on the student’s ability to understand the concepts. The following are the major reasons why a grading system became a necessity for formulating an effective education system in India.

1. Reducing Examination Stress: One of the primary reasons for implementing the grading system was to ease the examination pressure. The grading system evaluates students not just on academic performance but also on internal assignments, classroom projects, and participation, making learning more comprehensive and less monotonous.
2. Highlighting Strengths and Weaknesses: By categorising students into different grading scales, the system helps identify their strengths and areas for improvement. This enables teachers to provide targeted support to average and underperforming students, giving them a clear path to improvement.
3. Parental Insight: The grading system also offers parents a clear understanding of their child’s abilities. By assessing their child’s grades across various areas, parents can better support their child’s development and help them overcome weaknesses.
4. Ensuring Uniformity: The grading system promotes consistency across educational institutions, both within India and internationally, making it easier to assess students’ abilities on a global scale.
5. Moving Beyond Marks: Unlike the percentage system, the grading system eliminates the focus on marks alone. It takes a more holistic approach to evaluating a student’s overall development.
6. Encouraging Personal Growth: Ultimately, the grading system aims to empower students by providing them with a framework to assess and improve themselves, helping them grow both academically and personally.

Conversion of Percentage to GPA

The Indian school percentages, as per the grading system in India, and their US grade point equivalent scores are mentioned below.

Indian Percentage (%)	Approx. US Letter Grade	Approx. GPA (4.0 Scale)
90 – 100	A+ / A	4.0
85 – 89	A	3.7 – 4.0
80 – 84	A−	3.5 – 3.7
75 – 79	B+	3.3 – 3.5
70 – 74	B	3.0 – 3.3
65 – 69	B−	2.7 – 3.0
60 – 64	C+	2.3 – 2.7
55 – 59	C	2.0 – 2.3
50 – 54	C−	1.7 – 2.0
45 – 49	D+	1.3 – 1.7
40 – 44	D	1.0 – 1.3
Below 40	F	0.0

The formula for the conversion of percentage to GPA of 4.0, as well as a 10-point scale, is as follows:

• For U.S. 4.0 Scale, GPA = (Percentage/100)*4

• For 10-point scale, GPA = Percentage/9.5

Note: Universities and credential evaluators use different mappings, check the target university or WES for exact conversions.

Types of Grading Systems in India

In India, educational institutions generally follow different grading systems based on the level of education. The most common grading systems include:

• Percentage System
• CGPA-Based System (10-point scale, 7-point scale)
• Letter Grade System

These systems may vary across schools, colleges, and universities, depending on the curriculum and governing educational bodies. Here’s an overview of the commonly used grading systems.

The Percentage System

This is the traditional grading system where student performance is represented as a percentage based on marks obtained. The percentage system is commonly used in schools and some colleges. In this system, marks obtained by students in exams are converted into percentage scores, which are then categorised into four divisions:

• 75% and above – Distinction
• 60% to 75% – First Division
• 50% to 60% – Second Division
• 40% to 50% – Third Division

This system is straightforward and widely understood, but it doesn’t provide the detailed performance metrics that CGPA systems offer.

CGPA to Percentage Conversion

Most universities use this formula:

Percentage = CGPA × 9.5

Example: CGPA = 8.0

Percentage = 8 × 9.5 = 76%

(Note: Conversion formula may vary by university.)

Also Read: What is the importance of Class 12th marks in life?

CGPA-Based Grading Systems in India

There are two main CGPA-based grading systems in India: the 10-point grading system and the 7-point grading system. Both systems are widely used across universities and colleges, particularly for undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

10-Point Indian Grading System

The 10-point grading system is commonly used in Indian schools, colleges, and universities. Under this system, grades are assigned based on student performance, and each grade corresponds to a specific grade point on a scale of 10. Below is a typical example of the 10-point grading system:

Grade	Grade Point	Percentage Range (%)	Descriptor / Class
O	10	90 – 100	Outstanding
A+	9	80 – 89	Excellent
A	8	70 – 79	Very Good
B+	7	60 – 69	Good
B	6	55 – 59	Above Average
C	5	50 – 54	Average
P	4	40 – 49	Pass
F	0	Below 40	Fail
Ab	—	—	Absent (no grade)

• CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) is calculated based on the grade points obtained across all subjects. A higher CGPA reflects better academic performance.

7-Point Indian Grading System

The 7-point grading system is primarily used in certain universities and institutions in India, particularly under the guidelines set by the University Grants Commission (UGC). This system is common in postgraduate courses. Here’s an example of the 7-point grading system:

Grade	GPA	Percentage Range
O	9.0-10.0	80%-100%
A	8.0-8.9	70%-79%
B	7.0-7.9	60%-69%
C	6.0-6.9	50%-59%
P	5.0-5.9	40%-49%
F	Below 5.0	Below 40%

This system provides a simpler and more streamlined approach to grading, often used in higher education institutions.

The Letter Indian Grade System

In the letter grade system, students are awarded grades such as A, B, C, etc., which reflect their academic performance but do not directly correspond to numeric values. This system is less precise than the CGPA-based systems and is more commonly used in high school education or some specific courses.

The Letter Grade System generally follows a broad classification:

• A – Excellent
• B – Good
• C – Average
• D – Below Average
• F – Fail

CBSE Grading System in India 2026

CBSE has officially introduced a comprehensive revamp of its curriculum for the academic session 2026, replacing the traditional five-point scale with a detailed 9-point grading system for both Class 10 and Class 12.

Under the new grading system in India in 2026, every 1/8th of passed students is assigned a grade slot, beginning with the top 1/8th receiving A-1, followed by A-2, B-1, B-2, C-1, C-2, D-1, D-2, and E (Essential Repeat) as the ninth grade. This is a relative/rank-based model, not a fixed marks-to-grade model, which is a meaningful distinction. 

Also, Class 10 students now have a bi-annual board exam option, sitting for exams in both February and April, with the better score counting. Internal assessments now contribute 40% to the final score, with 60% based on the written exam, which is a significant structural change from the earlier 80+20 split.

The key difference from the older grading system in India is that your grade is no longer locked to a percentage band. It depends on where you stand relative to all other students who passed. So an A-1 in a year where the paper was harder might correspond to a lower raw score than an A-1 in an easier year. The system accounts for the variability of exam difficulty rather than treating every paper as equally hard. Here is the table to understand what the new grading system in India means: 

Grade	Who Gets It	What It Means
A-1	Top 1/8th of passed students	Outstanding
A-2	Next 1/8th	Excellent
B-1	Next 1/8th	Very Good
B-2	Next 1/8th	Good
C-1	Next 1/8th	Above Average
C-2	Next 1/8th	Average
D-1	Next 1/8th	Satisfactory
D-2	Next 1/8th	Pass
E	Remaining	Essential Repeat

A few other structural changes within the Indian grading system that came with this update:

• Class 10 students now have a bi-annual exam option, sitting in February and again in April if they wish to improve, with the better score counting
• Each subject now carries 80 marks for the written exam and 20 marks for internal assessment, and students need at least 33% in each subject to pass
• If a student fails in one core subject but passes a skill-based or optional language subject, the grade from the passed subject can substitute for the failed one
• CBSE has decided not to print an overall percentage on the Class 10 marksheet. Subject-wise grades are shown, but no aggregate total, intentionally, to reduce an unhealthy ranking culture

NEP 2020 Changes for the Indian Grading System

For decades, India measured learning through a single lens: how much you scored. The National Education Policy 2020 pushed back against that. It did not just tweak the curriculum; it rethought what evaluation is for.

Under NEP 2020, the emphasis has shifted from rote recall to demonstrated understanding. Grading now needs to reflect a student’s ability to apply knowledge, think critically, and work across disciplines, not just reproduce textbook answers under exam pressure. This is why you are seeing changes cascading through CBSE, UGC guidelines, and university frameworks simultaneously. They are all responding to the same policy direction. A few practical changes that flow directly from NEP 2020:

• Skill-based subjects now carry formal academic weight at the school level
• Internal assessments have been given a larger share of the final grade, reducing dependence on a single high-stakes exam
• The idea that a student can have multiple “attempts” at an exam within one academic year (as introduced for Class 10 in 2025-26) comes directly from NEP’s push to reduce the do-or-die nature of board exams

NEP 2020 also introduced the concept of multiple entry and exit points in undergraduate education, where a student who drops out after one year still receives formal recognition for credits earned. This is not a vague aspiration anymore. It is now backed by a real operational system.

Grading System in India for Four-Year Undergraduate Program

Across India, over 200 universities have now adopted the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) as recommended by NEP 2020. If you are starting college in 2025 or 2026, there is a reasonable chance your institution follows this structure, and it changes how your grades accumulate.

The first three semesters are broadly structured around foundational courses across natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and interdisciplinary areas. At the end of the third semester, students are required to choose a disciplinary or interdisciplinary major based on their preferences and their CGPA. This is significant: your CGPA in the early semesters actively determines which major stream you can enter. The four-year structure also creates multiple formal exit points:

Point of Exit	Years Completed	Qualification Received
Exit 1	1 year	Certificate
Exit 2	2 years	Diploma
Exit 3	3 years	Bachelor’s Degree
Exit 4	4 years	Bachelor’s (Hons) or Bachelor’s with Research

Grades earned at each stage are stored in the Academic Bank of Credits, so a student who exits after two years and returns three years later can pick up from where they left off without having to repeat coursework they already passed.

Students are also required to choose two minors in addition to their major, including at least one related to a vocational education programme, and to complete 12 credits of language education covering a Modern Indian Language and English. All of these components carry grades that feed into the cumulative CGPA.

Grading Scales in Universities in India

Universities are major contributors to higher education in India. The scale of universities in India is likely to vary across states. Private and public Indian universities also follow different grading patterns for evaluation. Here are some of the prominent institutes and their grading:

UGC Grade Scale

The UGC suggests that all Indian Colleges use a consistent 10-point grading system, with letter grades from O(Outstanding) to F(Fail) and the appropriate number of points. The goal is to make sure that all colleges use the same methods to grade students’ work and figure out their Grade Point Average (GPA). Even though there are some differences in how it is used, it has made it easier to compare and understand school results in India.

This grading system categorises students’ performance based on their percentage marks, as outlined below:

Marks (in %)	Grade Point	Grade
97.0-100	10	O
87.0-96.9	9.0-9.9	A+
77.0-86.9	8.0-8.9	A
67.0-76.9	7.0-7.9	B+
57.0-66.9	6.0-6.9	B
47.0-56.9	5.0-5.9	C
37.0-46.9	4.0-4.9	P
Below 37.0	0	F
Absent	0	Ab

Anna University Grade System

A 10-point CGPA system is used at Anna University. Letter grades like “A” (9.0) mean excellent results, and “D” (6.0) means passing grades. More points mean a better GPA; a 7-7.49 out of 10 is known as First Division.

Marks (in %)	Grade Point	Grade
90-100	10	O
80-90	9	A+
70-80	8	A
60-70	7	B+
50-60	6	B
Less than 50%	0	RA
Short of Attendance	0	SA
Withdrew from the exam	0	W

University of Madras Grade Scale

A 10-point system is used at the University of Madras as part of the Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS). Grades are given out with “O” (90-100) being the best, “A+” to “D” being next, and “F” being the worst. Also, both the end-of-semester exams and the highest marks for each exam have a passing grade of at least 40%. This method figures out both the general CGPA and the grades for each course that make up a degree.

Marks (in%)	Grade Point	Grade
90-100	9.0-10.0	O
80-90	8.0-8.9	D+
75-79	7.5-7.9	D
70-74	7.0-7.49	A+
60-69	6.0-6.9	A
50-59	5.0-5.9	B
40-49	4.0-4.9	C
Less than 40	0	U
Absent	0	AAA

Indraprastha University Grade Scale

The standard 10-point UGC grading method is used at Indraprastha University, with 10 being the best score and 4 being the passing mark. The Semester Grade Point Average (SGPA) shows how well a student did. A CGPA of 10 means that the student did exceptionally well, and other grades are divided into groups based on their CGPA levels: First: 6.5+, Second: 5-6.49, and Third: 4-4.99.

Marks (in %)	Grade Point	Grade
90–100	10	O
75–89	9	A+
65–74	8	A
55–64	7	B+
50–54	6	B
45–49	5	C
40–44	4	P
Less than 40 or absent	0	F

Gujrat University Grade Scale

Gujarat University uses the Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) to grade students. A score of 70-100 means that the student is “First Class with Distinction”, 60-69.99 means “First Division”, 50-59.99 means that the student is “Second Division”, and 40-49.99 means “Passing Marks”.

Marks (in %)	Grade Point	Grade
85-100	8.5 and above	O+
70-84.99	7.0 to 8.49	O
60-69.99	6.0 to 6.99	A
55-59.99	5.5 to 5.99	B+
48-54.99	4.8 to 5.49	B
36-47.99	3.6 to 4.79	C
35.99 and below	3.59 and below	D

Academic Bank of Credits: Grading System in India

This is one of the main changes introduced in the Indian grading system for students. The Academic Bank of Credits, or ABC, is a virtual digital storehouse that holds the academic credits earned by a student throughout their learning journey, enabling them to have multiple options for entering and leaving colleges or universities.

Think of it like a bank account, but instead of money, it stores the credits you earn from your courses. Whether you study at Delhi University, shift to a college in Pune, take an online course on a UGC-recognised platform, or pause your degree for two years for personal reasons, your credits remain valid and accessible.

Credits earned by a student in one institution can be transferred to another, and students can mix courses from various institutions, such as computer science with literature or engineering with music, to create a degree that matches their interests and career goals.

From 2023 onwards, having an ABC ID has been made mandatory for admission to universities across India. By July 2025, over 32 crore ABC IDs had been issued, reflecting the scale at which this system has been adopted.

• Credits stored in the ABC are valid for seven years, so time away from college does not mean starting from zero
• Students can exit a programme with a certificate (after one year), a diploma (after two years), or a full degree (after three or four years), and each exit carries formal academic recognition
• The system operates on the principle that learning happens both inside and outside the classroom, and all forms of recognised learning, including co-curricular activities and skill-based certificates, are valued

To create your ABC account, you need a DigiLocker account linked to your Aadhaar. The ABC ID is then submitted to your university during the admission process.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Grading System in India

The grading system in India has both benefits and limitations for students. While it helps reduce exam stress and promotes overall learning, it may also lack precise performance comparison in some cases.

Advantages of the Grading System	Disadvantages of the Grading System
Reduces academic pressure	Lack of precise differentiation
Fair evaluation of students	High-performing students may feel undervalued
Encourages conceptual learning	Grade inflation in some institutions
Improves confidence and motivation	Confusion during percentage conversion

Also Read: How Much Percentage Required For DU Admission?

The grading systems in India vary across different educational levels and institutions. While the percentage system is still widely used, the CGPA-based grading systems (10-point and 7-point) are becoming more common in schools, colleges, and universities. Each system has its own merits and is designed to cater to different educational needs.

Understanding these grading systems is crucial for students, parents, and educators to accurately assess academic performance and make informed decisions regarding future educational opportunities.

FAQs

Related Reads

Class 12 CBSE Passing Marks Overview and Subject	IGNOU Grading System: How to Calculate Your Overall
CBSE Guidelines for Board Exam: Check Details Here	Learn How to Convert Marks to CGPA
How do 12th Marks Matter in Life?	How Much Percentage Required For DU Admission?

Thus, continuous efforts are being made to revamp the educational system, which is also visible in the changes made to the grading system in India. Calculating and mentioning the CGPA forms an integral part of the admission process. If you are confused about the application process of a particular university, then you can feel free to contact Leverage Edu. The counsellors will help you complete the cumbersome process and help you get into your dream university.