Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) 2022/2023 Grading System | How to Calculate your Cumulative Weighted Average (C.W.A.)
This article contains information on the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) grading system and the Cumulative Weighted Average (C.W.A.). Grading in education is the method of implementing standardized measurements of varying levels of achievement in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (for example, A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a number out of a possible total (for example, out of 100).
In some countries, grades are averaged to create a grade point average (GPA). GPA is calculated by using the number of grade points a student earns in a given period. GPAs are often calculated for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, and can be used by potential employers or educational institutions to assess and compare applicants. A cumulative grade point average (CGPA), sometimes referred to as just GPA, is a measure of a student’s performance for all of his or her courses.
Most nations have their own grading system, and different institutions in a single nation can vary in their grading systems as well. However, several international standards for grading have arisen recently, such as the European Baccalaureate.
A university like Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology uses Weighted Averages Grading system.
Weighted Averages
The Weighted Average (WA) system uses the marks obtained in the assessment process usually marked out of 100% for the computation. Each course is weighted by credit hours as approved by the academic body of the university. The credit hours of each course is also used by the system in computing the average used in classifying the students’ performance. This will be understood better as you read this article.
Commonly used weighted average types:
- Sessional Weighted Average (S.W.A.) is calculated from courses taken in Fall and/or Winter terms (September to April).
- Annual Weighted Average is calculated from all courses taken in a year
- Cumulative Weighted Average (C.W.A.) is calculated from all courses taken at the University.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KUNST)
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology is a non-profit public higher education institution founded in the year 1951. It is located in the metropolis of Kumasi, Ashanti Ghana. There are also branches in various locations across Ghana. There are private hostels around the campus and in Kumasi for students who, as a result of the limited facilities/rooms, could not be admitted as resident students. Likewise, there are facilities on campus where non-resident students can rest between lectures and study before they leave for their homes and hostels.Enrollment of students ranges between 25,000-29,999. It offers courses and programmes that lead to recognized higher education degrees such as pre-bachelor degrees (i.e. certificates, diplomas, associate or foundation), bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. This 69 years old Ghanaian higher-education institution is remarkably scrupulous in her admission process, recognition is given to students with outstanding past academic records and excellent performance in the entrance examination. The admission range is stated to be between 30-40% which means over 60% of applicants will not make the list every admission year. About 60% of the student population is non-resident.
KNUST Grading System.
KNUST adopts a grading system termed as the Cumulative Weighted Average (CWA). Starting from the first semester every student has a CWA of 100.00. After being tested in a series of examination, mid-semester, workshops, report, quiz, assignment, project, field-work, the weighted average grading system is used to determine the cumulative grading average of each student at the end of the semester; as well the class of degree each student will graduate with at the end of their full course. In KNUST, the examination takes 70 per cent, and the remaining 30per cent is shared between practicals, assignments, group works, research, attendance, mid-semester examination, and other things which are literally based on the course and the lecturer’s discretion in the assessment.
Score Range
Many schools place their outstanding performance at 70 or 75 per cent at most, but KNUST outstanding performance starts at 80. The table below entails the score range and score summary of KNUST. Outstanding.
Table 1.1: Score Range and Comments
Grade Scale Range Comments
A 80.00 – 100.0 Outstanding
A- 75.00 – 79.99 Excellent
B 65.00 – 74.99 Very Good
C 60.00 – 64.99 Good
D 50.00 – 59.99 Credit
F 0.00 – 49.99 Fail
I Incomplete
How KNUST CWA Is Calculated
Every semester each student is required to take between 3 to 10 in some cases, it can extend to 11 or 13 courses. No matter the number of courses, the credit hour should be nothing less than 16 and nothing above 21 units.
Table 1. 2 Sample of course No and Credit Hours
Course No. Credit Marks (Hrs)
BT 151 3
BT 153 2
BT 155 2
BT 157 2
BT 159 2
BT 161 2
BT 163 2
CTM 151 3
CTM 157 2
Total Cumulative Credit 20
The steps below explain how CWA is being calculated.:
- Step 1: Multiply the percentage mark scored in each course by the course credit to obtain the Weighted Marks.
- Step 2: Add up all the Weighted Marks calculated up to the end of the semester in question to obtain the Cumulative Weighted Marks.
- Step 3: Add up all the corresponding Course Credits to the end of the semester in question to obtain the Cumulative Credits.
- Step 4: Divide the Cumulative Weighted Marks by the Cumulative Credits to obtain your Cumulative Weighted Average for the semester in question.
This approach is followed in calculating the CWA for students throughout their entire university degree at KNUST.
Table 1.3 : Sample calculations of Cumulative Weighted Marks
Course No. Credit Marks (Hrs) (A) Marks (100%) (B) Weighted Marks (A*B)
No Credit Hour Score Cumulative Weighted Mark
BT 151 3 74 222
BT 153 2 71 142
BT 155 2 67 134
BT 157 2 89 178
BT 159 2 55 110
BT 161 2 47 94
BT 163 2 67 134
CTM 151 3 70 210
CTM 157 2 34 68
Total: 20 1292
After the calculations been done, the student’s total would be divided by 20 (Total Credit Hour or Unit).
To get your CWA:
Cumulative Weighted Marks should be divided by the credit hour CWM/Credit Hour, Which is: 1292/20= 64.6
CWA= 64.6
An important point to note from table 1.3 is the last score. It can be deduced that the student failed course CTM 157 ( You can refer back to the score range). This implies that the student will have to re-sit that course the following academic year or until he attained a pass mark in the course.
A student who failed more than four courses in each semester will be asked to withdraw, and if a student completes his or her academic year and still has some courses to retake, the student will have to pass such courses before a certificate would be issued. This might mean having an extra semester or year as the case may be. Now you should know that the KNUT grading system is though for lazy students, one’s belt must be buckled well if one must excel in this well- sought after school. Excellence is the hallmark of KNUST.
And now that the student used for illustration has a CWA of 64.60 in year one semester one, if the students work hard the next semester being semester two and gets for instance 1576 with a total of 21 credit hour, gives the student an average of 75.04 for that semester, therefore the total KNUT grading system (CWA) for the student that year would be 1576 + 1292 which would give 2868 and this would be divided by the total year credit hours of 41 which gives 69.95. this continues till your days are over in the school.
Students are advised to focus more on higher credit hour. Higher credit hour has a positive impact on a student’s score.
Class Of Degree Requirements
The classes of degree are- First- Class, Second- Class Upper, Second -Class Lower, Third- Class.
- To make a First-Class, a CWA of 70.00 and above must be scored.
- Second-Class Upper scores range between a CWA of 60.00 to 69.99
- A CWA of 50.00 to 59.00 get you a Second- Class Lower.
- Anything below 50.00 CWA makes you a pass candidate.
Using the CWA from the table 1.3 example, where the student got a 64.6 CWA. This score means the student is currently a second- class upper student. However, if a student’s CWA is below the pass grade range, that leads to a spin which means there is no graduation for the student. When a student gets a CWA below 40.00 at the end of the first year, the student is automatically withdrawn from the school. However, if a student gets a CWA below 40 during the second and third year, the student gets repeated for that particular university level.
Weighted Averages Vs Grade Point Average (GPA)
The Grade Point Average (GPA) system comes in several forms. It assigns to ranges of percentage marks obtained or alphabetical grades a value called the grade point. These grade points are usually taken out of four (4). In some cases out of five (5), six (6), seven (7) out of ten (10) e.t.c. These points are used to calculate the CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) used in defining the graduation class of the students. Computation of CGPA The cumulative grade point average is calculated by dividing the grade point obtained, up to any specific time, by the total credit of all courses for which the student has registered up to that time. These steps outline the computation:
- Multiply the grade point corresponding to the percentage mark scored in each course by the credit hours of the course to obtain the Weighted Grade Point (WGP)
- Add up all the weighted marks calculated up to the end of the semester in question to obtain Cumulative Grade Point (CWP)
- Add up the credit hours of all corresponding courses up to the end of the semester in question to obtain the Cumulative Credits.
- Calculate the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) up to the end of the semester in question as follows CGPA = Cumulative Grade Point (WGP)
Differences Between CWA And CGPA Grading System
The Weighted Average system is more flexible in computation. It is very easy to get a better classification in Cumulative weighted Average system than in the Cumulative Grade Point Average system. Whiles the CWA system allows counterbalancing ones poor performance in one course with a good performance in another, the GPA system does not. The GPA system rather demands that a student is consistent in performance in all courses since a high mark in one course cannot compensate for a low mark in the other.
Conclusion
One of the problems graduates of KNUST face when applying to an oversea college for postgraduate study is converting their CWA to GPA. It has been discovered that a first-class graduate of KNUST might fall to a Second-Class upper candidate when his or her CWA is converted to GPA. and the fact that most overseas schools use GPA instead of CWA makes this a matter of concern to many KNUST graduates. Many KNUST graduates have been denied scholarship due to the low value that most of the CWA to GPA conversion methods that fly around presents.
This has become a hard nut to crack as the computation and conversion seem to be unfair to KNUST graduates. Graduates of KNUST have always made a call to KNUST to see to this disparity and provide a standard method of converting CWA to GPA since the school adopts the system. And hopefully, something will be done to solve this disparity soonest.
It is likewise advisable to check the grading system of the school before applying to an oversea graduate school.
Please how do I prepare a Grading Scale or Scheme for a university in the USA