Grading System in Canada

If you desire to study in Canada, you ought to know the country's grading system and its systematic approach in acknowledging the students' academic achievements. Canada is one of the top-tier countries with the best education system in place and is rightfully the most-sought country for higher education by international students.

To add to the feathers in its cap, Canada and its provinces follow a unique and personalised grading system, making its education system more intriguing and appreciative. The grading system includes not just the marks scored by the students but also their credit hours (which are nothing but the total number of hours a student present for the semester). In some instances, if a student doesn't meet the credit hours, then the faculty can fail the particular student with no explanations given.

Each province of Canada follows its own grading system, thus the grading system varies from one territory to another. For instance, some provinces follow a grading scale of 4.0 while other provinces follow a grading scale of 9.0. Also, the grading scale is a combination of alphabets, numerical scores and percentages. 

Scale 1 in Canada: GPA out of 4.0

The grading scale of 4.0 is the most standard among the grading scales, implying that 4.0 is the highest grade lettered as A, whereas 0 is the lowest grade lettered F. Almost all of the Canadian universities follow the triangle combination in the grading system, which starts with the letter grades, then the percentage and lastly the GPA, with some exceptions.

Note: Some universities also use 4.3 and 4.5 grading scales.

Scale 2 in Canada: GPA out of 9.0

Overview of the Canadian Grading System

As we have seen above, the grading scale followed by the Canadian universities is either 4.0 or 9.0. To represent these grades, alphabets A, B, C, D and F are used. A represents the highest grade, and F represents the lowest grade. But the universities in the provinces of Quebec and British Columbia do not include the alphabet D, hence using the alphabet F to represent the lowest grade.

Sometimes, the result comes along with the percentage, which are the numerical grades for the easy understanding of the students. These numerical grades range from 0-100, with 100 representing the highest grade and 0 representing failure in the exam.

Grading Scales used in Canada's Grading System

Let us see both the grading scales (4.0 and 9.0) in one table to understand the country's grading system in an easier way. 

Meaning of each Grading System in Canada

There is no underlying meaning behind the letter or numerical grades. Both grades reflect a direct meaning, which points out the marks scored by the students in a specific subject, including their credit hours per semester.

How to Calculate GPA using Canadian Educational Standards?

To calculate GPA using Canadian Educational Standards, all students need are their "Credit hours" and the "Letter Grade" value. Scoring enough Credit hours is necessary while studying in Canadian universities, as they largely determine your overall GPA. The value of the Letter Grades varies from one province of Canada to another, so it is necessary to know your university's grading system.

GPA = Total Grade Points(Value) earned * Credit hours earned for each course

Popular Grading System in the Provinces of Canada

1. Alberta

Universities in Alberta usually include the letter grades A to F. The grades are determined by the lecturers depending on the student's performance in each class and the number of hours they are present for each semester. The universities that fall in this grading system are University of Alberta, University of Calgary, MacEwan University, Concordia University of Edmonton, etc.

2. British Columbia

Universities in British Columbia often follow the percentage system, with no inclusion of the letter grade D. Instead, they use the letter grade F. Some of the universities that use this grading system are University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Northern British Columbia, University of Victoria and Thompson Rivers University. 

3. Ontario

Ontario province is the one that uses all three variations to indicate the marks, scored by the students - Letter Grade, Numerical Grade and Percentage. University of Toronto, Ontario Tech University, George Brown College, Western University, Centennial College and Cambrian College are some of the popular universities in Ontario utilising this grading system.

4. Quebec

Quebec is another province which uses the letter grade F instead of D. Like British Columbia, Quebec also uses the Percentage system to reflect students' academic scores. McGill University, University of Montreal, Laval University, Concordia University and University of Quebec are some of the well-known universities of Quebec, which follow this grading system. As this is also a French-speaking zone of Canada, you can find many universities with French names. 

5. Manitoba

Manitoba follows a very simple grading system that is easy to follow and memorise. Unlike other provinces, whose grading system is quite complicated, Manitoba province has a catchy grading system, which is quite easy to remember. University of Manitoba, The University of Winnipeg, Brandon University, RRC Polytech and Canadian Mennonite University have adopted the below tabulated grading system.

Feeling quite hard to get the hang of the Canadian Grading System? Do not worry. Once you adapt to university life, you will get used to your university's grading system. To help you start your education journey in Canada, we at AECC can provide 100% assistance and guidance to get admission to your preferred university. Our expert counsellors can get you through the complicated study-abroad processes and can make your abroad education dream a reality. Reach out to us now and kick-start your journey.

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