How to calculate cpi in percentage?

First we need to know how much of each good were purchased each year and what the prices were:

Hamburger             Jeans                     Movie Ticket

1984 Price             $.80                       $24                       $5.00

1984 Quantity       40                         1                           4

Then find total expenditure by multiplying price times quantity and adding them:

Expenditure = (.80 x 40) + (24 x 1) + (4 x 5) = $75

$32 +  $24 + $20 = $75

Now, 20 years later, we have new prices:

2004:  Hamburger           Jeans            Movie Ticket

$1.20                     $30             $7.00

Assume that the market basket (the amount purchased) stays the same in 2004 as it was in 1984 and the only thing that’s changed are prices.  Now what does that market basket cost in 2004?   Use 1984 prices and 2004 quantities.

(The BLS assumes the same market basket each year)

($1.20 x 40) + ($30 x 1) + ($7 x 4) = $106

$48   +  $30        +  $28    =    $106

To find the CPI in any year, divide the cost of the market basket in year t by the cost of the same market basket in the base year.

The CPI in 1984 =  $75/$75 x 100  = 100  The CPI is just an index value and it is indexed to 100 in the base year, in this case 1984.

To find the CPI in 2004 take the cost of the market basket in 2004 and compare it to the same basket in 1984:

CPI in 2004 = $106/$75 x 100 = 128.0

Now we can calculate the inflation rate between 1984 and 2004:

(128 – 100) /100    = 28/100 = 28%

So prices have risen by 28% over that 20 year period.  If the period was 1984 to 1985 we would say that inflation was 28% in 1985.

Now suppose that we know that the CPI in 1972 was 37.5 (where 1982 = 100) and that gasoline costs 36 cents per gallon.  The CPI in 2004 is 188.9.  The 36 cents is a nominal figure.  In 2004 dollars, what did gasoline cost in 1972?

Price in dollars of the original year x (Price level in 2004/Price level in original year)

36 cents x (188.9/37.5) = .36 x 5.03 = $1.81

So 36 cents in 1972 is the same as $1.81 in 2004 dollars.  Gasoline is about $1.95 today so it is only a 14 cents more expensive than it was 34 years ago.

You can find a calculator that does this automatically at http://minneapolisfed.org/Research/data/us/calc/index.cfm

---Art Woolf

• Gather prices for common products or services in the past.
• Collect prices for current products or services.
• Add the product prices together.
• Divide the current product price total by the past price total.
• Multiply the total by 100.
• Convert this number into a percentage.

While calculating grades or percentage of a student, the university takes into account various factors such as the concerned discipline, the nature of the degree like master’s or PhD, the length of the course, practicals, credit structure, amongst others. Further, when it comes to the conversion of different grading systems into percentages, Engineering and Science-related universities or departments may implement slightly varying approaches than those employed elsewhere. Let’s take a look at the major factors that you need to keep in mind while converting CPI to percentage.

Though the semester-based system is universally applied, the annual-based system is still practised in more than a handful of universities, particularly in the distance and open courses. Before understanding how CPI to percentage conversion works, you should consider the evaluation system used by the institutions of the particular country. Generally, the semester system divides the academic year into six to eight equal parts of study sessions in a three to a four-year program. For example, in India, a three-year Bachelor of Management Studies or BBA in Airport Management program consists of 6 semesters while a four-year B.Tech in various engineering branches comprises of 8 semesters.

Bringing a much-needed alternative to approaches like CPI to percentage, the credit structure has been utilised by many academic institutions across the globe. Typically, the structure of the course involves scoring on the basis of credits for compulsory, core and elective courses. Moreover, credits also depend on the number of hours of instructional study per week. For a compulsory subject, higher credits might be required as compared to the credits needed for language or additional courses. The newly implemented choice-based credit system wherein students can pursue one or two subjects in any department of the university is a significant step to diversify the rigid structure usually implemented in India.

The currently heavily practiced 10-pointer scale is only one of the methods of grading system which has variants such as 8-pointer system, 9-pointer system and AP-pointer system amongst others. Further, universities in the USA practice the 4-point system and UK institutions implement the ‘2-point class honours’ system.

CPI full form is Cumulative Performance Index which is a measure of the candidate’s overall performance in all the subjects studied according to the number of credits each discipline entails. Usually, it is aggregated at the end of every semester and includes the grades obtained until the time of calculation. Further, you can convert CPI to percentage as well as grade points, whichever the institution you are applying to is asking for.

The formula for calculation of CPI is:

Note: This process of calculation shall concern ‘n’ subjects taken up to ‘r’ semesters. If the student fails in a subject, the ‘g’ will be taken as ‘0’.

Before elaborating the formula of CPI to percentage, let’s take a look at how the grade points can be calculated using credits with the help of the following table:

CPI= Sum of Grade*Credit/Total Credit = 130/18=7.55

Also Read: Convert Percentage to GPA Out of 10

There are two prevalent methods used for the conversion of CPI to Percentage which have been mentioned below.

The method of direct conversion of CPI to percentage is typically used by engineering institutes for facilitating the admission process of B.Tech/ B.Arch degrees.

Percentage= CPI*10

Example: If CPI is 7.55, the percentage is 75.5

Note: This technique of calculation is generally followed by IITs. Check out the CPI to percentage approach used by the IIT Bombay’s here.

Also Check How to Calculate SGPA

To obtain equivalence from CPI to percentage, the formula method requires you to calculate:

Percentage= (CPI – 0.5) * 10

If the CPI is 7.55, the percentage equals (7.55-0.5)*10 which in turn gives 70.5.

Note: In some cases, CPI to percentage is calculated only for two-year courses and CGPA is concerned with four-year courses.

Also Read: CGPA to Percentage

Indian universities consider the CGPA grading system to evaluate the academic performance of students, whereas American universities grade students on the basis of GPA. In such a scenario, candidates willing to study in the USA need to convert their CGPA or CPI or Percentage into GPA. If you also want to know how to calculate CPI to GPA then the table given below can help you out: