Glossary of School and University Terms – Oman

The terms used for school results, university admission and GPA in Oman, in plain words, each linked to the page that calculates it.

High-school percentage

The high-school percentage is the overall result on your secondary-school certificate. It is worked out from your marks using the weights the education ministry sets in Oman, and it is the school part of most university admission formulas. حساب المعدل العام للثاني عشر

University admission requirements (شروط القبول)

Admission requirements are the minimum marks a university or ministry sets for a programme: usually an overall average, and often minimums in particular subjects or tests. Meeting them makes you eligible; it does not guarantee a seat when places are limited. University Admission Requirements

Competitive average (المعدل التنافسي, al-mu'addal al-tanafusi)

The competitive average is the score Oman's Higher Education Admission Centre uses to rank applicants for a programme. Part of it comes from all your General Education Diploma subjects and part from the subjects that programme requires, so the same student has a different competitive average for each programme. Competitive Average Calculator

Admission cut-off (نسبة القبول / الحد الأدنى للقبول)

An admission cut-off is the lowest score that was accepted into a programme in a past admission round. It changes every year with the number of applicants and seats, so it is a guide to how competitive a programme is, not a promise for next year. معدلات القبول

Scholarship (بعثة / منحة)

A scholarship pays for study at home or abroad. Each programme sets its own minimum marks, eligible fields of study and application dates, published by the body that runs it. Scholarships

GPA (المعدل التراكمي, grade point average)

A grade point average is your result across courses on a points scale. Each course's grade points are multiplied by its credit hours, the results are added up, and the total is divided by the credit hours. The semester GPA covers one term; the cumulative GPA (CGPA) covers every term so far. Each university sets its own points scale and grade table; the calculator uses your university's. GPA Calculator (CGPA)

Target GPA (رفع المعدل)

A target GPA is the cumulative average you want to reach. This page works backwards from it: given your current GPA and the hours you have completed, it shows the semester GPA you need this term — and tells you when the target cannot be reached in one term. Target GPA Calculator

Being barred for absence (الحرمان, hirman)

Hirman means you are barred from a course's final exam because your absences passed the limit in your university's regulations. The limit is a percentage of the course's lectures; what happens to the course afterwards is set by those regulations. Absence and Attendance Calculator

Honours (مرتبة الشرف)

Honours are a distinction recorded at graduation for students whose cumulative GPA is above a set minimum and who meet the conditions in their university's regulations, such as never having failed a course. Grade and Honours Checker

GPA conversion (تحويل المعدل)

GPA conversion restates a result from one scale in another: 5-point to 4-point, or either to a percentage. There is no single official formula, so this page converts course by course from a published grade table and explains where the two scales treat a failed course differently. GPA to Percentage Converter (5.0 and 4.0)

Student stipend (المكافأة الجامعية, mukafaa)

The student stipend is a monthly allowance paid to eligible students at public universities. The amount, the pay day and the conditions for receiving it are set by the university or the state. المخصصات الشهرية للطلبة

School calendar (التقويم الدراسي)

The school calendar is the official schedule for the school year: when each term starts and ends, the holidays and the exam periods, as set by the education ministry. التقويم المدرسي

Results day (يوم النتائج)

Results day is when the official body in Oman publishes school or test results. This page explains where the official result appears, what to do when the official site is slow, and what to work out once you have your marks. Results Day Guide

School report (كشف الدرجات)

A school report lists a pupil's marks and descriptors for each subject. This page explains what the letters, levels and descriptors mean, using only what the official sources state. School Report Explainer

HEAC (مركز القبول الموحد)

The Higher Education Admission Centre is the body in Oman that receives applications and allocates seats in higher-education institutions through sorting rounds. Competitive Average Calculator Official source

First sort (الفرز الأول)

The first sort is the first round in which Oman's admission centre allocates seats, ranking applicants by competitive average for each programme they chose. مواعيد القبول الموحد والفرز Official source

Credit hours (الساعات المعتمدة)

Credit hours are the weight a university gives a course, roughly the hours it is taught each week. A course with more credit hours counts for more in your GPA. GPA Calculator (CGPA)

Cumulative GPA (المعدل التراكمي, CGPA)

The cumulative GPA is your grade point average across every term you have completed, as opposed to the semester GPA, which covers one term only. GPA Calculator (CGPA)

Academic warning (الإنذار الأكاديمي)

An academic warning is the notice a university gives a student whose cumulative GPA falls below the minimum in its regulations. Target GPA Calculator