How this calculator works — formula, examples & limitations
The OMSAS percentage scale
| Percent mark | OMSAS GPA |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | 4.0 |
| 85–89% | 3.9 |
| 80–84% | 3.7 |
| 77–79% | 3.3 |
| 73–76% | 3.0 |
| 70–72% | 2.7 |
| 67–69% | 2.3 |
| 63–66% | 2.0 |
| 60–62% | 1.7 |
| 57–59% | 1.3 |
| 53–56% | 1.0 |
| 50–52% | 0.7 |
| 0–49% | 0.0 |
OMSAS — the Ontario medical school application service — normalizes every applicant onto 0.0–4.0 using per-university conversion scales; the table above is the Ontario percentage scale (Scale 3) used for percentage transcripts from Western, Guelph and others, and it's the default here. Two things trip applicants up: the 3.9 step at 85–89% (no standard US scale has one), and the fact that the applies-to list is per university — McMaster, for instance, is a letter-scale (Scale 7) school, and RMC and Memorial have their own percentage tables with different bands. OMSAS updates the tables each application cycle.
Three letter scales, one transcript
| Letter | OMSAS | SFU (4.33) | Alberta (4.0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.00 | 4.33 | 4.00 |
| A | 3.90 | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.70 | 3.67 | 3.70 |
| B+ | 3.30 | 3.33 | 3.30 |
| B | 3.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.70 | 2.67 | 2.70 |
| C+ | 2.30 | 2.33 | 2.30 |
| C | 2.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.70 | 1.67 | 1.70 |
| D+ | 1.30 | — | 1.30 |
| D | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| D- | 0.70 | — | — |
| F | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Canada has no single GPA scale. This page compares only the named tables. Use the table assigned to your institution and application cycle. Saved Canadian worksheets remain separate from the US-scale GPA tools; equal numeric values on different scales are not necessarily comparable.
Why there's no R-score calculator here
Quebec's CEGEP cote R blends your z-score within each class group with indicators of the group's strength and spread — inputs derived from your classmates' records, which you don't have. This tool does not have those group inputs, so we do not pretend. For everything outside Quebec, this page plus thecumulative GPA calculator (for multi-term US-scale records) and the standard GPA calculator cover the conversions that can be done from a transcript. Your Canadian courses stay in their own saved slot here — deliberately separate from the US-scale terms those tools track, because the scales don't mix.
Frequently asked questions
How is the OMSAS GPA calculated?
OMSAS converts every undergraduate course to a 0.0–4.0 value using the conversion scale assigned to the school that issued the transcript, then credit-weights the results. On the Ontario percentage scale, 90–100% converts to 4.0, 85–89% to 3.9, 80–84% to 3.7, and so on — note the unusual 3.9 step, which doesn't exist on standard US scales.
What is a 4.33 GPA scale?
A scale where A+ carries more than A: at SFU, officially, A+ = 4.33, A = 4.00, A− = 3.67, descending by thirds. Compare Alberta's 4.0 scale, where A+ and A are both 4.0. The same transcript full of A+ grades reads differently on the two systems, which is why cross-scale comparisons need the actual tables, not a rule of thumb.
Does UBC use a 4.33 scale?
UBC records official grades as percentages, with published letter bands (A+ = 90–100%, A = 85–89%) but no official percentage-to-4.33 table — the 'UBC 4.33 GPA' charts on many calculator sites are third-party inventions. For medical school applications, OMSAS applies its own conversion to UBC transcripts; for everything else, quote the percentage.
Why isn't the Quebec R score supported?
Because it can't be honestly computed from your own marks. The cote R combines your z-score within each class group with group-strength and dispersion indicators derived from classmates' data — numbers students don't have. Your marks alone do not supply those group inputs, so this tool does not calculate an R score.