Queen's Engineering GPA Scale: Smith Engineering Grading Guide

Queen’s University Smith Engineering uses a 4.3 Grade Point Average (GPA) scale to evaluate undergraduate academic performance. Under this system, numeric percentages and letter grades map directly to point values from 4.3 for an A+ down to 0.7 for a D-, with failing marks earning 0.0 points.

Understanding the Queen’s Engineering 4.3 GPA Scale and Grade Point Conversions

At Queen’s University, academic evaluation across all undergraduate engineering disciplines in Smith Engineering relies on a standardized 4.3 scale. Every course grade submitted as a percentage or letter grade corresponds to a fixed grade point value used to calculate term and cumulative academic averages. Understanding this mapping is essential for tracking your progress toward degree requirements, academic standing evaluations, and graduation honors.

The standard grading legend for Smith Engineering maps letter grades, percentage equivalencies, and grade point values as follows:

• A+ (90–100%): 4.3 grade points — Represents exceptional performance in course learning objectives.
• A (85–89%): 4.0 grade points — Represents outstanding mastery of course material.
• A- (80–84%): 3.7 grade points — Demonstrates excellent command of subject matter.
• B+ (77–79%): 3.3 grade points — Represents very good work exceeding course standards.
• B (73–76%): 3.0 grade points — Represents good, solid academic performance.
• B- (70–72%): 2.7 grade points — Demonstrates satisfactory comprehension of concepts.
• C+ (67–69%): 2.3 grade points — Represents acceptable work meeting basic requirements.
• C (63–66%): 2.0 grade points — Satisfies essential course prerequisites and expectations.
• C- (60–62%): 1.7 grade points — Indicates marginal pass performance in foundational concepts.
• D+ (57–59%): 1.3 grade points — Represents below-average performance near passing thresholds.
• D (53–56%): 1.0 grade points — Represents minimal acceptable achievement.
• D- (50–52%): 0.7 grade points — Minimum passing grade required to earn course credit under Engineering Regulation 4.
• FR (40–49%): 0.0 grade points — Failure with review; indicates potential eligibility for a supplemental examination in upper-year courses under Regulation 14.
• F (0–39%): 0.0 grade points — Complete failure; course credit is not earned.

Smith Engineering tracks academic standing through specialized averages, primarily the Engineering Session Grade Point Average (ESGPA), which covers the fall and winter terms of a single academic session, and the Engineering Cumulative Grade Point Average (ECGPA), which encompasses all graded engineering coursework throughout a student’s degree. Notably, effective January 7, 2014, Queen’s University official transcripts no longer display cumulative GPA values directly, though the official legend printed on transcript documentation outlines this conversion scale.

Academic Standing, Honours, and Minimum Performance Thresholds in Smith Engineering

Faculty regulations at Smith Engineering establish strict performance thresholds based on your ECGPA and ESGPA. These standards govern degree qualification, academic probation, requirement to withdraw, and graduation honors:

• Minimum Course Pass Threshold: Under Regulation 4, an engineering student must earn a minimum grade of D- (0.70 grade points) to pass a course and earn degree credit. Any grade below 0.70 (such as FR or F) results in no credit earned.
• Degree Qualification Requirement: Under Regulation 7, students must achieve a final ECGPA of 1.60 or higher across all degree coursework to qualify for the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Engineering.
• Academic Probation: Under Regulation 10, a student is placed on Academic Probation if their ECGPA drops below 1.60 for the previous Engineering Session (evaluated across fall and winter terms) at the end of the winter term assessment period.
• Requirement to Withdraw: Under Regulation 10, if a student’s ESGPA falls below 0.70 at the time of the academic standing assessment, the student has failed the academic year and is required to withdraw from the engineering program.
• Graduation with First Class Honours: Under Regulation 9, a graduating student who attains an ECGPA of 3.50 or higher is granted First Class Honours status. For students graduating after June 2022, this cumulative average calculation includes all first-year courses alongside upper-year coursework.
• Graduation with Second Class Honours: Under Regulation 9, a graduating student who achieves an ECGPA of 2.20 or higher (and less than 3.50) is awarded Second Class Honours status. As with First Class Honours, for students graduating after June 2022, first-year course grades are included in the calculation.

How to Calculate Your Engineering Term and Cumulative GPA Step by Step

Calculating your Engineering GPA involves multiplying the credit weight of each graded course by the grade point value earned, summing these quality points, and dividing by the total number of graded units attempted. Non-graded designations, such as Pass/Fail courses or dropped classes, are omitted from both the quality point total and credit totals.

The mathematical formula for your session or cumulative grade point index is:

Quality Points = Course Credit Units x Grade Point Value GPA = Total Quality Points / Total Graded Credit Units

Consider a concrete scenario for an engineering student completing five courses in a single term:

• Course 1 (APSC 111): 3.5 credits, Letter Grade A- (3.7 grade points). Quality Points = 3.5 x 3.7 = 12.95
• Course 2 (APSC 171): 3.3 credits, Letter Grade B+ (3.3 grade points). Quality Points = 3.3 x 3.3 = 10.89
• Course 3 (APSC 131): 3.3 credits, Letter Grade A (4.0 grade points). Quality Points = 3.3 x 4.0 = 13.20
• Course 4 (APSC 151): 3.0 credits, Letter Grade C+ (2.3 grade points). Quality Points = 3.0 x 2.3 = 6.90
• Course 5 (APSC 100): 3.5 credits, Pass/Fail designation (P grade). Earns course credit but generates 0.0 quality points and 0.0 graded credits in GPA calculations.

To calculate the session GPA:

1. Calculate Total Graded Credits: 3.5 + 3.3 + 3.3 + 3.0 = 13.1 credits.
2. Calculate Total Quality Points: 12.95 + 10.89 + 13.20 + 6.90 = 43.94 quality points.
3. Divide Points by Credits: 43.94 / 13.1 = 3.3541…

Rounding to two decimal places gives a term GPA of 3.35. If you prefer not to perform these credit-weighted calculations manually, you can use a GPA Calculator to quickly compute your term or cumulative average.

Handling Special Designations, Failed Courses, and Supplemental Exams

Engineering transcripts feature several special administrative and non-numerical designations that reflect course standing or alternative evaluation methods without altering GPA calculations directly:

• Failure with Review (FR): Represents a numeric mark between 40% and 49% (0.0 grade points). Under Regulation 14, an upper-year engineering student who receives an FR in a failed upper-year course may be permitted to write a supplemental examination, provided they hold an ECGPA of 1.60 or higher and an ESGPA of 0.70 or higher. If the student satisfies supplemental requirements, the grade is updated according to faculty rules.
• Incomplete (IN): Under Regulation 3, IN is a temporary designation assigned when coursework remains unfinished due to extenuating circumstances. It automatically reverts to the default grade submitted by the instructor if work is not completed by the set deadline.
• Dropped Course (DR): Under Regulation 3, DR indicates that a student dropped a course after the official drop deadline without academic penalty. It does not carry grade points or impact GPA.
• Pass (P) and Credit (CR): Under Regulation 3, a P grade indicates success in an approved Pass/Fail course. Similarly, CR (Credit) was utilized during specific disruptions, such as the Winter 2025 term, where credit was granted without numerical assessment. Neither P nor CR carries grade points, and neither is included in GPA calculations.
• Not Graded (NG) and Transfer Credit (TR): NG denotes the first term of an ongoing multi-term course, while TR marks approved transfer credits from external studies. Both carry no grade points and are excluded from academic standing GPA averages.