University of Cape Town GPA Calculator

University of Cape Town grading at a glance

Grading scale: 0-100 percentage GPA scale
Scale range: 0.0 to 100.0 — a higher number is a better grade
Grades that carry points: 104 grades count toward the GPA
Best possible grade: 100 (100.0 points)
Lowest passing grade: UP (50.0 points) — the weakest grade that still earns credit
Failing grades: 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, DPR, and AB — counted in the GPA but earning no credit
Semester GPA rounding: Rounded to the nearest 2 decimal places
Cumulative GPA rounding: Rounded to the nearest 2 decimal places
Credit hours per course: 0.0 to 240.0, in steps of 1.0
Pass/fail courses: Supported and counted in the GPA
Zero-credit courses: Allowed, but they do not move the GPA
Repeated courses: Needs manual review
Percentage bands published: Yes — 101 grades map to a mark range
Grading data last verified: 2026-07-21

University of Cape Town grading scale

Every grade University of Cape Town awards, the points it carries, and whether it counts toward the GPA or earns credit. This is the table the calculator above runs on.

University of Cape Town grade points, GPA inclusion and credit rules
Grade	Meaning	Mark range	Points	GPA counted	Credit earned
0	Fail	0–0%	0.0	Yes	No
1	Fail	1–1%	1.0	Yes	No
2	Fail	2–2%	2.0	Yes	No
3	Fail	3–3%	3.0	Yes	No
4	Fail	4–4%	4.0	Yes	No
5	Fail	5–5%	5.0	Yes	No
6	Fail	6–6%	6.0	Yes	No
7	Fail	7–7%	7.0	Yes	No
8	Fail	8–8%	8.0	Yes	No
9	Fail	9–9%	9.0	Yes	No
10	Fail	10–10%	10.0	Yes	No
11	Fail	11–11%	11.0	Yes	No
12	Fail	12–12%	12.0	Yes	No
13	Fail	13–13%	13.0	Yes	No
14	Fail	14–14%	14.0	Yes	No
15	Fail	15–15%	15.0	Yes	No
16	Fail	16–16%	16.0	Yes	No
17	Fail	17–17%	17.0	Yes	No
18	Fail	18–18%	18.0	Yes	No
19	Fail	19–19%	19.0	Yes	No
20	Fail	20–20%	20.0	Yes	No
21	Fail	21–21%	21.0	Yes	No
22	Fail	22–22%	22.0	Yes	No
23	Fail	23–23%	23.0	Yes	No
24	Fail	24–24%	24.0	Yes	No
25	Fail	25–25%	25.0	Yes	No
26	Fail	26–26%	26.0	Yes	No
27	Fail	27–27%	27.0	Yes	No
28	Fail	28–28%	28.0	Yes	No
29	Fail	29–29%	29.0	Yes	No
30	Fail	30–30%	30.0	Yes	No
31	Fail	31–31%	31.0	Yes	No
32	Fail	32–32%	32.0	Yes	No
33	Fail	33–33%	33.0	Yes	No
34	Fail	34–34%	34.0	Yes	No
35	Fail	35–35%	35.0	Yes	No
36	Fail	36–36%	36.0	Yes	No
37	Fail	37–37%	37.0	Yes	No
38	Fail	38–38%	38.0	Yes	No
39	Fail	39–39%	39.0	Yes	No
40	Fail	40–40%	40.0	Yes	No
41	Fail	41–41%	41.0	Yes	No
42	Fail	42–42%	42.0	Yes	No
43	Fail	43–43%	43.0	Yes	No
44	Fail	44–44%	44.0	Yes	No
45	Fail	45–45%	45.0	Yes	No
46	Fail	46–46%	46.0	Yes	No
47	Fail	47–47%	47.0	Yes	No
48	Fail	48–48%	48.0	Yes	No
49	Fail	49–49%	49.0	Yes	No
50	Third Class	50–50%	50.0	Yes	Yes
51	Third Class	51–51%	51.0	Yes	Yes
52	Third Class	52–52%	52.0	Yes	Yes
53	Third Class	53–53%	53.0	Yes	Yes
54	Third Class	54–54%	54.0	Yes	Yes
55	Third Class	55–55%	55.0	Yes	Yes
56	Third Class	56–56%	56.0	Yes	Yes
57	Third Class	57–57%	57.0	Yes	Yes
58	Third Class	58–58%	58.0	Yes	Yes
59	Third Class	59–59%	59.0	Yes	Yes
60	Second Class Division Two	60–60%	60.0	Yes	Yes
61	Second Class Division Two	61–61%	61.0	Yes	Yes
62	Second Class Division Two	62–62%	62.0	Yes	Yes
63	Second Class Division Two	63–63%	63.0	Yes	Yes
64	Second Class Division Two	64–64%	64.0	Yes	Yes
65	Second Class Division Two	65–65%	65.0	Yes	Yes
66	Second Class Division Two	66–66%	66.0	Yes	Yes
67	Second Class Division Two	67–67%	67.0	Yes	Yes
68	Second Class Division Two	68–68%	68.0	Yes	Yes
69	Second Class Division Two	69–69%	69.0	Yes	Yes
70	Second Class Division One	70–70%	70.0	Yes	Yes
71	Second Class Division One	71–71%	71.0	Yes	Yes
72	Second Class Division One	72–72%	72.0	Yes	Yes
73	Second Class Division One	73–73%	73.0	Yes	Yes
74	Second Class Division One	74–74%	74.0	Yes	Yes
75	First Class	75–75%	75.0	Yes	Yes
76	First Class	76–76%	76.0	Yes	Yes
77	First Class	77–77%	77.0	Yes	Yes
78	First Class	78–78%	78.0	Yes	Yes
79	First Class	79–79%	79.0	Yes	Yes
80	First Class	80–80%	80.0	Yes	Yes
81	First Class	81–81%	81.0	Yes	Yes
82	First Class	82–82%	82.0	Yes	Yes
83	First Class	83–83%	83.0	Yes	Yes
84	First Class	84–84%	84.0	Yes	Yes
85	First Class	85–85%	85.0	Yes	Yes
86	First Class	86–86%	86.0	Yes	Yes
87	First Class	87–87%	87.0	Yes	Yes
88	First Class	88–88%	88.0	Yes	Yes
89	First Class	89–89%	89.0	Yes	Yes
90	First Class	90–90%	90.0	Yes	Yes
91	First Class	91–91%	91.0	Yes	Yes
92	First Class	92–92%	92.0	Yes	Yes
93	First Class	93–93%	93.0	Yes	Yes
94	First Class	94–94%	94.0	Yes	Yes
95	First Class	95–95%	95.0	Yes	Yes
96	First Class	96–96%	96.0	Yes	Yes
97	First Class	97–97%	97.0	Yes	Yes
98	First Class	98–98%	98.0	Yes	Yes
99	First Class	99–99%	99.0	Yes	Yes
100	First Class	100–100%	100.0	Yes	Yes
UP	Unclassified Pass after Supplementary/Deferred Examination	—	50.0	Yes	Yes
DPR	Duly Performed Certificate Refused	—	0.0	Yes	No
AB	Absent from Examination	—	0.0	Yes	No

How the University of Cape Town GPA formula works

University of Cape Town converts every graded course into quality points by multiplying the grade's point value by the course's credit hours. Your semester GPA is the total quality points divided by the total credit hours that count toward the GPA, and the result is rounded to the nearest 2 decimal places. Points run from 0.0 up to 100.0, so a higher average is a better result. The scale has no plus/minus steps, so every grade in a band is worth exactly the same number of points.

What gets left out of the average

49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, DPR, and AB work the other way: they earn no credit but are still counted in the average at 49.0, 48.0, 47.0, 46.0, 45.0, 44.0, 43.0, 42.0, 41.0, 40.0, 39.0, 38.0, 37.0, 36.0, 35.0, 34.0, 33.0, 32.0, 31.0, 30.0, 29.0, 28.0, 27.0, 26.0, 25.0, 24.0, 23.0, 22.0, 21.0, 20.0, 19.0, 18.0, 17.0, 16.0, 15.0, 14.0, 13.0, 12.0, 11.0, 10.0, 9.0, 8.0, 7.0, 6.0, 5.0, 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, 1.0, and 0.0 points respectively, so a failed course pulls the average down while adding nothing to your progress.

How this semester rolls into your CGPA

UCT states GPA is the cumulative credit-weighted average of all courses taken towards the degree. In practice that means your existing CGPA is turned back into quality points by multiplying it by your completed credits, this semester's quality points are added on, and the total is divided by your new credit total. Both the semester and the cumulative figures are rounded to the nearest 2 decimal places. Repeat handling is not published as a rule this calculator can apply automatically, so retaken courses need to be checked against the current catalog.

How University of Cape Town compares with other South Africa universities

All 2 South Africa universities covered here — including University of Pretoria — publish the same 0-100 percentage GPA scale. On the published rules this calculator uses, University of Cape Town's grading is equivalent to theirs: the same point values, the same rounding, and the same repeat policy. Where they genuinely differ is in the source material behind each configuration and the caveats recorded with it, which are listed further down this page. The pass mark on this scale is UP.

A GPA only means something alongside the scale it was calculated on, which is why comparing raw numbers between institutions — even neighbouring ones — is unreliable. See the South Africa comparison table for every university covered there side by side.

Converting this GPA to a 4.0 scale

University of Cape Town does not grade on the US 4.0 scale. Its scale runs to 100.0 rather than 4.0, with 104 point values in use and UP as the lowest passing mark. There is no single correct formula for converting that into a 4.0 GPA, and GPAWorld deliberately does not publish one: every graduate school, employer and credential evaluator applies its own conversion table, and a number invented here could cost you an application. Calculate your GPA on this page using the real University of Cape Town scale, then let the institution you are applying to convert it with their table.

Worked examples

Each example below is run through the same engine the calculator uses, so the numbers show University of Cape Town's own rounding.

A typical graded semester

A student sitting at 72.00 after 60 completed credits takes 3 courses worth 3 credits each.

Core course3 credits × 100 (100.0 points)
Elective3 credits × 98 (98.0 points)
Lab or seminar3 credits × 96 (96.0 points)

Semester GPA 98.00 · Updated CGPA 75.39

The semester total is 882 quality points over 9 counted credits. Because the cumulative average now spans 69 credits, one semester moves it only a little — this is why a CGPA gets harder to shift the further into a degree you are.

What one 49 costs

The same semester again, but the last course comes back as 49 (Fail) instead.

Core course3 credits × 100 (100.0 points)
Elective3 credits × 98 (98.0 points)
Failed course3 credits × 49 (49.0 points)

Semester GPA 82.33 · Updated CGPA 73.35

The semester GPA slips from 98.00 to 82.33, and the cumulative average slips from 75.39 to 73.35. 49 is worth 49.0 points and earns no credit, so it weighs the average down while adding nothing to your degree progress.

What this semester does to your CGPA

A student with a 72.00 CGPA after 60 credits takes 4 courses worth 3 credits each (12 credits in total). Here is where that CGPA lands if every course comes back at the same grade — calculated with the University of Cape Town scale and rounding.

Projected University of Cape Town CGPA after a 12-credit semester
If every course is	Semester GPA	New CGPA	Movement
100 (100.0)	100.00	76.67	+4.67 (better)
80 (80.0)	80.00	73.33	+1.33 (better)
60 (60.0)	60.00	70.00	−2.00 (worse)
41 (41.0)	41.00	66.83	−5.17 (worse)
21 (21.0)	21.00	63.50	−8.50 (worse)

Your own starting CGPA and completed credits will differ — enter them in the calculator above for your real figure.

Common mistakes when calculating your University of Cape Town GPA

These are the places where the University of Cape Town rules differ from what most students assume, and where a hand calculation usually goes wrong.

Dropping a failed course from the calculation
49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, DPR, and AB earn no credit toward the degree, but they are still counted in the GPA at 49.0, 48.0, 47.0, 46.0, 45.0, 44.0, 43.0, 42.0, 41.0, 40.0, 39.0, 38.0, 37.0, 36.0, 35.0, 34.0, 33.0, 32.0, 31.0, 30.0, 29.0, 28.0, 27.0, 26.0, 25.0, 24.0, 23.0, 22.0, 21.0, 20.0, 19.0, 18.0, 17.0, 16.0, 15.0, 14.0, 13.0, 12.0, 11.0, 10.0, 9.0, 8.0, 7.0, 6.0, 5.0, 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, 1.0, and 0.0 points. Leaving a failure out flatters the result.
Borrowing plus/minus values from another university
The University of Cape Town table has no plus or minus steps — every grade in a band is worth the same points. Intermediate values like 3.3 or 3.7 do not exist on this scale.
Averaging the grades instead of weighting them
A course worth twice the credits moves your GPA twice as much. Adding up your grade points and dividing by the number of courses ignores that weighting and is almost always wrong.
Expecting a 0-credit course to move the number
University of Cape Town allows them, but with no credit hours they contribute nothing to either side of the division.
Handling a retake by guesswork
Repeat handling is not published as a rule this calculator can apply automatically, so retaken courses need to be checked against the current catalog. Check the current catalog before assuming an old grade has left your record.

University of Cape Town GPA — frequently asked questions

What is a passing grade at University of Cape Town?

UP (50.0 points) is the weakest grade in the University of Cape Town table that still earns credit. Anything below it — 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, DPR, and AB — is counted in your GPA but earns no credit toward the degree. Individual programmes can set a higher minimum for courses in your major, so check your programme handbook as well.

What is the best GPA you can get at University of Cape Town?

100.0 on the 0-100 percentage GPA scale, which you reach by earning 100 (100.0 points) in every course that counts toward the GPA.

Does University of Cape Town round GPA up?

The cumulative average is rounded to the nearest 2 decimal places, and the semester average is rounded to the nearest 2 decimal places. That is ordinary rounding, so a result sitting exactly half a step along goes up.

Is this a generic South Africa GPA formula?

No. This page is generated from the grading configuration for University of Cape Town alone — its 104 point values, its standard rounding, and its own rules for pass/fail and repeated courses. Other universities in South Africa routinely use different point values or a different scale entirely, so the same grades can produce a different GPA elsewhere.

What happens to my GPA if I repeat a course?

Repeat handling is not published as a rule this calculator can apply automatically, so retaken courses need to be checked against the current catalog.

How much does one semester change my cumulative GPA?

Your CGPA is weighted by every credit you have already completed, so a single semester moves it less the further along you are. Fifteen credits added to sixty already completed is a fifth of your record; the same fifteen added to a hundred and twenty is an eighth of it. Use the calculator at the top of this page with your real completed-credit total rather than estimating the movement.

What percentage is a 100 at University of Cape Town?

100 covers 100–100% and is worth 100.0 grade points. The full percentage-to-grade table for all 101 graded bands is published on this page.

Is this calculator official?

No. GPAWorld is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by University of Cape Town. The grading data on this page was taken from University of Cape Town International Hub - Student Exchange FAQ, University of Cape Town Semester Study Abroad - Exams at UCT, and University of Cape Town Exams Policy Manual and last verified on 2026-07-21; every source is linked on this page so you can check it yourself. Your registrar's record is always the authority.

Notes on this university's data

Judgement calls and caveats recorded when this grading configuration was built from the official sources. They are published so you can see exactly what the calculator assumes.

UCT has its own official GPA definition and is not treated as a generic South Africa formula.
UCT uses percentage marks; this config provides exact integer percentage grade entries from 0 to 100 so GPA is not estimated from broad class bands.
The official exchange FAQ defines GPA as a cumulative credit-weighted average of courses taken towards the degree.
The official examinations policy states that a passed supplementary/deferred examination published as UP uses 50% for GPA calculation.
Repeated-course handling is manual review because a clear public repeat replacement rule was not found.

University GPA Calculator

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