Glossary of School and University Terms – Saudi Arabia

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

Weighted percentage (النسبة الموزونة, al-nisba al-mawzoona)

The weighted percentage is the single score Saudi universities use to rank applicants. It combines your high-school percentage, your Qudurat score and your Tahsili score, each multiplied by the weight the university publishes. The weights differ from one university to another, and sometimes between colleges of the same university. Weighted Percentage Calculator

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 Saudi Arabia, and it is the school part of most university admission formulas. High-School Percentage 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. Past Admission Cut-offs

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. الابتعاث والمنح الدراسية

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. Student Stipend Countdown

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. School Calendar and Holidays

Results day (يوم النتائج)

Results day is when the official body in Saudi Arabia 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

Central exams (الاختبارات المركزية)

Central exams are written by the education authority rather than by each school, for set grades and subjects, so that results can be compared across schools. Central Exams Explained

Qudurat (القدرات العامة, General Aptitude Test, GAT)

Qudurat is the General Aptitude Test run by Qiyas, part of Saudi Arabia's Education and Training Evaluation Commission. It measures verbal and quantitative reasoning rather than school subjects, and most Saudi universities count it in the weighted percentage. Weighted Percentage Calculator Official source

Tahsili (التحصيلي, Achievement Test)

Tahsili is the Achievement Test run by Qiyas. It covers what students studied in secondary school, and most Saudi universities count it in the weighted percentage. Weighted Percentage Calculator Official source

STEP (اختبار كفايات اللغة الإنجليزية)

STEP is the Standardised Test of English Proficiency run by Qiyas. Some universities set a minimum STEP score, and a few count it as part of the weighted percentage. Weighted Percentage Calculator Official source

Mufadala (المفاضلة)

Mufadala is the ranking of applicants for the seats available: applicants are ordered by their admission score and seats are offered from the top down. Past Admission Cut-offs

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