SGPA (Semester Grade Point Average) is the GPA computed for one semester rather than across the entire programme. Most Indian engineering and management universities, including VTU, Anna University, MAKAUT and Mumbai University, report SGPA each semester and a CGPA at the end of each academic year.
Unlike CBSE CGPA — which is an unweighted arithmetic mean of five subjects — SGPA is almost always credit-weighted. Each course carries a credit value (typically 2-5 credits depending on contact hours), and the SGPA formula is:
SGPA = Σ (Grade Point × Credit) / Σ Credits
Credit weighting matters because a 5-credit theory course should contribute more to the semester average than a 1-credit elective seminar.
CGPA across an entire programme is then the credit-weighted average of every semester's SGPA, or equivalently, the credit-weighted average of every course's grade point taken across all semesters — the two formulations are mathematically identical.
To convert SGPA to percentage at engineering universities, the conversion factor varies. VTU multiplies (SGPA − 0.75) by 10. Anna University uses (CGPA − 0.5) × 10. Always check the official conversion formula on the university's regulations page rather than assuming the CBSE × 9.5 rule applies.