Grading Scale – How Academic Performance Is Measured

A grading scale defines the system an institution uses to convert raw marks into grade points, letter grades, or percentage bands. It sets the framework for how academic performance gets measured, compared, and reported.

Two types dominate. Absolute grading assigns fixed score ranges to each grade (e.g., 90-100 = A). Relative grading curves scores against class performance, where the top percentage earns the highest grade regardless of raw marks. Most Indian universities and CBSE follow absolute grading.

Common scales in India include the 10-point CGPA scale (CBSE, most state universities), the 7-point scale (older UGC guidelines), and percentage-based systems still active in several state university hubs. Each institution publishes its own grade-to-point mapping table.