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R Score Calculator (Cote R)
Quebec universities rank CEGEP applicants by the R score (cote de rendement au collégial, CRC). It combines how far you are above or below your class average with indicators of how strong and how spread out your group was in high school. Every number you need is printed on your CEGEP transcript or bulletin: your grade, the group average and standard deviation, and the group’s IDGZ and ISGZ (IFGZ in French).
The formula from the Bureau de coopération interuniversitaire (BCI) is R = ((Z × IDGZ) + ISGZ + 5) × 5, where Z = (your grade − group average) ÷ group standard deviation. ISGZ is the indicator of the strength of the group and IDGZ the indicator of its dispersion, both based on the group’s Secondary 4 and 5 ministry-exam subjects. Your program average R score is the credit-weighted average of your course R scores. A failed course counts for only 25% of its credits in your first semester and 50% after that.
Check against the BCI’s own example: a Z of 1.16 with IDGZ 0.60 and ISGZ 1.12 gives (1.16 × 0.60 + 1.12 + 5) × 5 = 34.08. The default first row uses a grade of 78 in a group averaging 75 with a standard deviation of 2.58, which is close to that example (34.09).
Result and step-by-step working
4 courses · weighted by credits
| Course | Grade | Z score | R score | Credits used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus I | 78 | 1.163 | 34.09 | 2.33 |
| Chemistry | 85 | 1.444 | 33.36 | 2.33 |
| English | 81 | 0.429 | 27.39 | 2 |
| Physics | 74 | 0.471 | 28.65 | 2.33 |
- College Z scoreZ = (grade − group average) ÷ standard deviation. Calculus I: Z = 1.1628.
- R score per courseR = ((Z × IDGZ) + ISGZ + 5) × 5 = 34.088 for Calculus I. ISGZ is the group-strength indicator (IFGZ in French) and IDGZ the dispersion indicator, both from the group’s Secondary 4 and 5 results.
- AverageΣ(R × credits) ÷ Σ credits = 278.683 ÷ 8.99 = 30.999. A failed course counts for 25% of its credits in the first semester and 50% after that.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a good R score?
- The formula is built so that an average student in an average group gets about 25, so scores near 30 are well above average. Competitive programs such as medicine admit only students with much higher averages. Universities publish the R score of the last student admitted to each program.
- Where do I find IDGZ and ISGZ?
- On your CEGEP bulletin or student portal, next to each course’s group average and standard deviation. In French they are IDGZ and IFGZ.
- Do failed courses ruin the R score?
- They count less. A failed course counts for 25% of its credits in the first semester and 50% in later semesters, so a failure does less damage than its credits suggest.
- Can the R score go above 50?
- In principle the formula has no fixed ceiling, but scores above 40 are rare. A Z of 2 with typical indicators gives about 35–38.
Last reviewed: October 9, 2026. Calculations run in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.