Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) offers its students numerous courses depending on the programme of study. Grades are offered at the end of each semester for all courses a student registered for. KNUST grades are calculated as CWA per the KNUST Grading System.
A number of credits are prescribed for each course studied. No one course is studied more than once a semester, meaning you would not have to study any course you already studied after a semester. A brand new set of courses will be introduced each semester.
How does KNUST grade students?
KNUST grades it’s students with the CWA – KNUST Grading System (Cumulative Weighted Average System).
KNUST grades
First Class
First Class is awarded at the end of programme study and it falls within the CWA range of 70.00 – 100, scores regarded as an A when it comes to courses.
Second Class (Upper)
Second Class Upper is awarded at the end of programme study and it falls within the CWA range of 60.00 – 69.99, scores regarded as an A when it comes to courses.
Second Class (Lower)
Second Class Lower is awarded at the end of programme study and it falls within the CWA range of 50.00 – 59.99, scores regarded as an A when it comes to courses.
Pass
First Class is awarded at the end of programme study and it falls within the CWA range of 45.00 – 49.99, scores regarded as an A when it comes to courses.
| Grade | Score | Grade Description |
| A | 70.00 – 100 | Excellent |
| B | 60.00 – 69.99 | Very Good |
| C | 50.00 – 59.99 | Good |
| D | 45.00 – 49.99 | Credit |
| F | 0 – 44.99 | Fail |
NB: Any score below CWA below 45 at the end of the final year is regarded as a fail and no certificate will be awarded. Students from Medicine, Dental Surgery, Veterinary Medicine, Optometry and Pharmacy shall all be awarded a “Pass” regardless of their CWA.
How to Calculate KNUST CWA
The weighted average is calculated by multiplying each course score out of 100 by the number of credit hours for that particular course. The sum of the individual calculations is then divided by the total number of credit hours for all the courses in that semester to produce the weighted average for the semester.
A cumulative weighted average is the final weighted average obtained after all previous semesters is added to the current semester.
Below are steps on how to calculate KNUST CWA.
Steps to calculate KNUST CWA
Step 1: To get the Weighted Marks, multiply the percentage mark earned in each course by the course credit.
Step 2: Add all of the credit hours up to the end of the semester in question.
Step 3: Divide the Weighted marks by the total number of credit hours for that semester.
Step 4: To get your Cumulative Weighted Average for the semester, simply divide the Cumulative Weighted Marks by the Cumulative Credits.
Calculating KNUST CWA
Assuming a student is to study at KNUST for only 1 year, there are 2 semesters in each year. The scores and grades awarded to the student in Semester 1 and Semester 2 are listed below.
KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, KUMASI
RESULTS FOR SEMESTER 1, 2021/2022 ACADEMIC YEAR
| Name: | Kwame Tech | Year: | 1 |
| Index No: | 0101010 | Programme: | BSC. NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT |
| Student ID: | 02020202 | Date: | 1/9/2022 2:38:20 PM |
| Email: | okrrr@st.knust.edu.gh | Option: | Wood Science and Technology |
| Course Code | Course Name | Credits | Total Mark | Grade |
| FRM 355 | FOREST MEASUREMENTS | 2 | 66 | B |
| FSA 359 | WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AND HYDROLOGY | 3 | 51 | C |
| FSA 361 | NATURAL RESOURCE ECONOMICS | 2 | 69 | B |
| WST 353 | WOOD ANATOMY QUALITY AND IDENTIFICATION | 3 | 57 | C |
| WST 355 | WOOD PATHOLOGY | 2 | 74 | A |
| WST 357 | TIMBER MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING | 3 | 64 | B |
| WST 359 | WOOD PHYSICS AND DRYING | 3 | 74 | A |
KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, KUMASI
RESULTS FOR SEMESTER 2, 2021/2022 ACADEMIC YEAR
| Name: | Kwame Tech | Year: | 1 |
| Index No: | 0101010 | Programme: | BSC. NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT |
| Student ID: | 02020202 | Date: | 1/9/2022 2:43:11 PM |
| Email: | okrrr@st.knust.edu.gh | Option: | Wood Science and Technology |
| Course Code | Course Name | Credits | Total Mark | Grade |
| FRM 356 | EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND ANALYSIS | 3 | 60 | B |
| FRM 362 | NATURAL RESOURCES POLICY AND LEGISLATION | 3 | 67 | B |
| FRM 364 | FOREST ROADS AND RESOURCE MACHINERY | 2 | 42 | D |
| WRM 362 | APPLIED REMOTE SENSING AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS | 3 | 66 | B |
| WST 352 | PRIMARY PROCESSING OF WOOD | 3 | 58 | C |
| WST 356 | WOOD CHEMISTRY AND PRESERVATION | 3 | 65 | B |
| WST 358 | WOOD ENERGY | 3 | 74 | A |
Now let us go through how to calculate the KNUST CWA and WA using the steps provided in this article.
For Semester 1
Step 1:
2×66 + 3×51 + 2×69 + 3×57 + 2×74 + 3×64 + 3×74
= 132+153+138+171+148+192+222
= 1156
Step 2:
2+3+2+3+2+3+3
= 18
Step 3:
1156/18
= 64.22
Therefore Kwame Tech had a WA of 64.22 for the first semester.
For Semester 2
Step 1:
3×60 + 3×67 + 2×42 + 3×66 + 3×58 + 3×65 + 3×74
= 180+201+84+198+174+195+222
= 1254
Step 2:
3+3+2+3+3+3+3
= 20
Step 3:
1254/20
= 62.70
Therefore Kwame Tech had a WA of 62.70 for the second semester.
For the CWA
Cumulative Weighted Average = Sum of all Weighted Averages/Sum of all Credit Hours
Step 4:
(1156+1254)/(18+20)
= 63.42
Therefore Kwame Tech had a CWA of 63.42 at the end of the year.
NB: the answer step 4 was called CWA instead of WA because it is cumulative of semesters 1 and 2. In the case of 4 years, all Weighted Averages will have to be added and divided by the total number of credit hours for the duration of the course.
Credit Hours
The total number of credit hours required by a student to qualify for a diploma or degree shall be determined by the Department/Faculty/College/Academic Boards within the following ranges.
The total number of credit hours listed in the table below include lecture time, practical work, thesis, project, seminars, workshops etc.
| Programme | Minimum | Maximum |
| 1-year certificate | 30 | 42 |
| 2-year certificate | 60 | 84 |
| 2-year Diploma | 60 | 84 |
| 2-year (Top-up)degree | 60 | 84 |
| 2-and-half year (Bridging) degree | 75 | 105 |
| 4-year degree | 120 | 168 |
NB: KNUST states that 2 – 4 hours of practical laboratory work are equivalent to 1credit hour.
FAQs
When does KNUST repeat students?
KNUST offers students numerous chances to transition to the next level however if a student fails to re-write trailed courses, he/she might be repeated.
How many As do I need to get First Class?
You do not need only As to get a first class, however, the higher the number of As you get in courses per semester, the higher your chances of getting a first class at KNUST.
Does KNUST Award the best’s students?
The overall best student at the end of each academic year is offered a valedictorian award for being an outstanding student.
What is the KNUST pass mark?
The KNUST pass mark is 45. Any score below 45 is regarded as a fail.
Conclusion
Calculating KNUST CWA is very important to help access a student’s current performance and even future performance. All calculations of the KNUST CWA was done by TA Precious (2021/2022 academic year) from the Wood Science department of KNUST.
