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A grade point average (GPA) is a number (%) that represents the average of a student’s grades during a study period. It is weighted by the number of credits allocated to the modules the student was enrolled for. From 2012 onwards only a GPA based on module credits will be used to calculate a student’s average.

The GPA calculation based on module credits is a better reflection/indication of a student’s academic performance since the module credits are based on among others, the duration and complexity of a module. It is internationally regarded as a best practice benchmark and is as such, embedded in the delivered functionality of the Campus module in the PeopleSoft Suite.

Students’ GPAs will be used to assist with the ranking of applications for access to limited resources such as:

• Financial aid (bursaries)
• Residence placement
• Access to postgraduate courses
• Determination of the eligibility for the candidature of student leadership positions.

A GPA based on module credits can be calculated by multiplying the final mark (FM) achieved in a module with the credit value (cv) of that module and then dividing the sum of these values ∑(fm. cv) by the total of the credit values (ct) of all the modules a student was enrolled for. See the following example and equation: