By North Essay Help Editorial Team ·
How to Convert Percentage Grades to a 4.0 GPA in Canada
Most Canadian universities report grades as percentages or letters, but many applications ask for a GPA on a 4.0 scale. That includes graduate schools, U.S. programs, scholarships and Ontario's medical school application service (OMSAS). The conversion is not as simple as dividing by 25, and an 85% does not mean the same thing at every school.
This guide uses the official Undergraduate Grade Conversion Table published by the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC), which is the most widely used Canadian reference for 4.0 conversions.
Percentage to 4.0 GPA chart
This is OUAC's Scale 3, the percentage scale used for universities such as Brock, Guelph, Lakehead, Trent, Saskatchewan and Regina, and for percentage grades at Toronto, Queen's, Waterloo and Victoria.
| Percentage | 4.0 GPA |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | 4.00 |
| 85–89% | 3.90 |
| 80–84% | 3.70 |
| 77–79% | 3.30 |
| 73–76% | 3.00 |
| 70–72% | 2.70 |
| 67–69% | 2.30 |
| 63–66% | 2.00 |
| 60–62% | 1.70 |
| 57–59% | 1.30 |
| 53–56% | 1.00 |
| 50–52% | 0.70 |
| 49% or below | 0.00 |
So an 85% converts to 3.90, an 80% to 3.70, and a 75% to 3.00.
Letter grade to 4.0 GPA chart
If your transcript shows letters, most Canadian universities fall under OUAC's Scale 7. This includes UBC, McMaster, Ottawa, Carleton, Calgary, Simon Fraser, Concordia, Toronto Metropolitan and Ontario Tech.
| Letter | 4.0 GPA |
|---|---|
| A+ | 4.00 |
| A | 3.90 |
| A- | 3.70 |
| B+ | 3.30 |
| B | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.70 |
| C+ | 2.30 |
| C | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.70 |
| D+ | 1.30 |
| D | 1.00 |
| D- | 0.70 |
| F | 0.00 |
Note that an A converts to 3.90, not 4.00, on this table. Only an A+ (or 90% and above) earns a full 4.00.
A few universities use different scales. McGill and Quest use Scale 8, where an A converts to 4.00. Manitoba uses Scale 9, and Memorial uses Scale 6. Check the OUAC conversion table for your school.
How to calculate your overall GPA
A GPA is a weighted average. Longer courses count more than shorter ones. OMSAS uses these weights:
| Course length | Weight |
|---|---|
| Full-year course | 2 |
| Three-quarter course | 1.5 |
| Half-year (one semester) course | 1 |
| Lab course | 0.5 |
Step 1. Convert each course grade to its 4.0 value using the chart.
Step 2. Multiply each value by the course weight.
Step 3. Add up the results.
Step 4. Divide by the total of the weights.
Worked example
| Course | Grade | 4.0 value | Weight | Value × weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intro Psychology (full year) | 91% | 4.00 | 2 | 8.00 |
| Statistics (semester) | 85% | 3.90 | 1 | 3.90 |
| Sociology (semester) | 78% | 3.30 | 1 | 3.30 |
| English Writing (semester) | 72% | 2.70 | 1 | 2.70 |
| Total | 5 | 17.90 |
GPA = 17.90 ÷ 5 = 3.58
Notice how much one weak course pulls the average down. Raising the 72% to a 73% would have moved that course from 2.70 to 3.00 and the overall GPA to 3.64.
Want to skip the arithmetic? Enter your courses in our free GPA calculator.
Why your GPA can differ between applications
You may see different GPAs for the same transcript. That is normal, for three reasons:
- Different scales. Your university may calculate GPA on its own scale (some use 4.3 or 9.0 scales), while an application service converts everything to 4.0.
- Different courses counted. OMSAS, for example, includes all undergraduate courses, including failed and repeated ones, and excludes pass/fail courses. Other programs may use only your last two years.
- Different conversion tables. U.S. graduate schools and credential services such as WES use their own conversions, which may not match OUAC's.
Always use the method the application itself asks for. If it gives no method, state which scale you used.
Frequently asked questions
What is 85% as a GPA in Canada?
On the OUAC 4.0 scale, 85% to 89% converts to 3.90.
What is 80% as a GPA?
80% to 84% converts to 3.70 on the OUAC scale.
What is 75% as a GPA?
73% to 76% converts to 3.00.
Is an A a 4.0 in Canada?
It depends on the scale. On OUAC's most common letter scale, an A is 3.90 and an A+ is 4.00. At McGill, an A converts to 4.00.
Should I use my university's GPA or a converted one?
Use whatever the application asks for. Many Canadian programs accept your university's own GPA, while U.S. programs and OMSAS convert to 4.0 themselves.
Related tools and guides
Source: Ontario Universities' Application Centre, Undergraduate Grade Conversion Table and OMSAS GPA Calculations (accessed October 2026). Always confirm the current table on the OUAC website before submitting an application.
