Unified grading across public and private universities

The government has again moved to introduce a single grading system for both public and private universities. The plan is outlined in the draft Education Act published on Monday, 2 February.

Under Chapter 9, Point 31, titled “Examination and Evaluation,” the draft law states that assessment at undergraduate and postgraduate levels will follow a unified grading system for all students.

In 2022, the University Grants Commission tried to implement a single grading system across universities, but it could not be enforced due to practical and policy hurdles. The Education Ministry now plans to bring the issue under a legal framework through the draft act to ease implementation.

The UGC grading scale provides A+ or CGPA 4.00 for 80 or above, A or CGPA 3.75 for 75 to 79, and A‑ or CGPA 3.50 for 70 to 74. It gives B+ or CGPA 3.25 for 65 to 69 and B or CGPA 3.00 for 60 to 64.

It also sets B‑ or CGPA 2.75 for 55 to 59, C+ or CGPA 2.50 for 50 to 54, C or CGPA 2.25 for 45 to 49, and D or CGPA 2.00 for 40 to 44. Below 40 is F, or fail.

Stakeholders note differences in current practice. At the University of Dhaka, 80 percent earns A+ or CGPA 4.00, while several large private universities award CGPA 4.00 only at 90 percent. In those institutions, marks below 60 percent are often treated as fail.

Asked about the matter, an Education Ministry official said a unified grading system was drafted in 2006 and sent to all universities, with public and most private institutions instructed to follow it. Some universities are not complying at present, and the draft law includes the provision to bring them under a single grading framework.