Grades
At Cambrian, our letters go by numbers when determining your Grade Point Average (GPA).
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A letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F is assigned and for the purposes of calculating a student’s average, these are assigned a numeric point value of 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0 respectively.
Grade Point Description
| Grade | Point Description |
|---|---|
| A 80% to 100% | Course objectives are met in a consistently outstanding manner (4 pts.) |
| B 70% to 79% | Course objectives are met in a consistently thorough manner (3 pts.) |
| C 60% to 69% | Required course objectives have been met (2 pts.) |
| D 50% to 59% | Limited fulfillment of course objectives with weakness in some or all areas (1 pt.) |
| F Less than 50% | Course objectives have not been met, credit is not granted (0 pts.) |
| AU | Course has been audited, credit is not granted (0 pts.) |
How is GPA calculated?
The credit value of each course is multiplied by the points earned, thereby resulting in a grade point for every course. For example:
ENG 1500 – 3 credits grade of A = 3 credits x 4 points = 12 grade points
PSY 1100 – 3 credits grade of C = 3 credits x 2 points = 6 grade points
BIO 1200 – 4 credits grade of B = 4 credits x 3 points = 12 grade points
LAW 1100 – 3 credits grade of F = 3 credits x 0 points = 0 grade points
Total: 13 credits = 30 grade points
The grade point average (GPA) is calculated by dividing the total grade points by the total credits. In the case illustrated above, the GPA is 2.31.
Items not calculated into the GPA
Incomplete (I)
The “I” designation is used when the student has not completed the course requirements for extenuating circumstances, such as illness or bereavement, and has been granted an extension of time in which to do so. An “I” is not intended to give an extension to students who have failed to satisfactorily complete the course elements within the prescribed time.
Add/Drop and Withdrawal (W)
Students have 10 days from the start of the semester to change course status. Adding a course requires the permission of the instructor. The student who drops a course by the Add/Drop date will have no mention of it on the academic record. A course dropped after that date but before the deadline for withdrawal will obtain a “W” notation on the academic record. A student who drops a course after the deadline for withdrawal will obtain a grade of “F” on the academic record, which will be calculated into the student average. Students who fail to formally withdraw from the college will be assigned “F” grades.
The appropriate forms are available in the Office of the Registrar or from the departmental Dean/Director.
Transfer Credits (TC)
A “TC” is not calculated into the grade point average. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate the process, either through the Academic Department or the Office of the Registrar.
Pass/Fail
These designations for certain courses, such as placements in some programs, carry no grade points and are not calculated into a grade point average.
Pass – The requirements of the course were achieved.
Fail – The course requirements were not achieved. The student must repeat the course.
Audit (AU)
Students may want to register in a credit course for general knowledge and/or other personal reasons without the obligation of completing the evaluations, which culminates in the awarding of a final grade. As such, the College provides students the opportunity to register in credit courses as audit, eliminating the grading requirements.
Students registering in credit courses as audit will not be required to undertake course examinations or assignments nor will they receive a credit. The course will be recorded on the transcript and a grade of “AU” (audit) will be assigned. The course will not apply toward any Cambrian College diploma or certificate.
A student who is auditing a course may convert his/her audit status to “registered” before the deadline for registration. For full-time programs, the deadline is the tenth day of the beginning of the semester and for continuing education courses, the deadline is prior to the start of the second scheduled class.
A student may not challenge a course through the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition process after he/she has audited it. Courses taken as audit are not considered in determining a student’s full-time or part-time enrolment status nor are they used in determining a course load for the purpose of financial aid.
Audit fees will be set through the College’s tuition fee protocol and will be consistent with the Tuition Fee Policy as established by the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities. A student must declare his/her audit status through the Registrar’s Office at the time of registration and pay the appropriate course fees.
This policy applies only to credit courses delivered in a classroom setting. Because of the nature of certain courses, class size restrictions, space constraints, possible legal restrictions, and/or safety factors, permission of the appropriate program coordinator/officer is required for registration with audit status. A copy of the Auditing a Credit Course Policy may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar.