The below was prepared and published by the Bureau de coopération interuniversitaire (BCI).
The document describes and provides an example of how the R score is calculated and how it affects candidates’ ranking. It is an abridged version of the first document and is written for a general public not familiar with the
concepts inherent in the R score.
Although the R score is the instrument of choice for analysis of all applications to university programs, it is used mainly in the selection process for admission to programs with limited enrollment. A limited enrollment program is one for which the applications received outnumber the places available. Students who plan to apply to such programs should therefore expect that their academic records will play an important role in the selection process.
No. In some limited enrollment programs, other criteria may replace or supplement the R score in the selection of candidates. For certain programs, candidates may, for example, be required to sit for a particular exam, take an entrance test, attend an interview, submit a portfolio, etc. This kind of information is compiled by the BCI and is available in the “Tableau comparatif des critères de sélection des candidatures évaluées sur la base du DEC aux programmes contingentés de baccalauréat”. This information is also available on the university web sites, as well as in their admission guides and university calendars.
No. Only extremely competitive programs (such as Medicine, Dentistry, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Law) generally require a very high R score. The various university Web sites will show the lowest R score for students admitted to each limited enrollment program in the previous year.
Yes. As of Winter 2005 admissions, failed courses have less importance in the calculation of the average R score. In fact, courses failed in the first semester count for only 25% of the credits allocated to them while courses failed in subsequent semesters count for 50% of the allocated credits. This measure was adopted in order to restore the confidence of students who encounter orientation problems in CEGEP.
The course grades for the program not completed are only considered if they meet the objectives and standards for the program used for admission purposes or if the courses are relevant prerequisites for admission. Note that grades for general education courses contribute to the average R score calculation for all DCS programs and are always taken into account when the student’s record is analyzed.
Yes. Since university programs do not all require the same prerequisite courses, the average R score value used for analysis of a candidate’s record may vary depending on the university program applied for. For the same reason, the average R score value used may vary according to the university to which a candidate applies.
Yes. However these grades are weighted for calculation of the average R score, depending on the semester.
The ISGZ and IDGZ are corrections applied to the college Z score. The ISGZ takes into account the strength of the students in a college group and the IDGZ considers the dispersion of the students in the same group. The ISGZ is based on the average secondary Z scores and the IDGZ is based on the standard deviation of the secondary Z scores. Both factors use the final grades in Secondary 4 and 5 subjects for which uniform examinations are imposed by the MEES. For each subject, the student’s final grade includes the student’s result on the ministerial examination and the grade obtained during the school year.
No. The R score considers the relative strength and dispersion of the group each student is in. There is therefore no advantage or disadvantage to being in one group rather than another. Studies of CEGEP students show that the combined effects of the three R score components (the college Z score, the ISGZ and the IDGZ) offset each other. Also, if a student transfers to another college, program or group, the Z score obtained for each course is corrected by the indicator of the strength of the group and the indicator of the dispersion of the group in which the student was graded.
No. Because the R score takes into account group strength and dispersion, all students start off with the same opportunity in all colleges. In fact, it is pointless to choose a CEGEP solely because you believe it will give you a competitive advantage for admission to university. In the past, certain advantages may have existed when only the Z score was used but this is no longer true. Students should consider other factors when selecting a CEGEP such as, for example, course type and diversity, programs and activities, how well they are received, the quality of the teaching, student services, proximity of the CEGEP, etc.
No. No CEGEP ranking is used when calculating the R score.
Yes. A student’s secondary school grades are only used to calculate the group strength indicator (ISGZ), while the group dispersion indicator (IDGZ) uses the Secondary 4 and 5 grades of all the students in the college group. The impact on the R score of an individual student’s secondary school grades is therefore fairly limited. For example, if there are 35 students in the college group, the secondary school grades of a single student will only count for about 3% towards calculation of the ISGZ and IDGZ. Students are not adversely affected by their secondary school grades when applying to university.
Yes. A value of 99.999 indicates that the R score could not be calculated. This value is not part of the R score.
The group average calculated by a CEGEP for a course is not the same as the group average used to calculate the R score. The group average used for the R score may be higher because all the grades below 50 in the group are excluded from the R score calculation. This is not the case for the group average on the student’s CEGEP transcript.
The average R score considers the credits for every course taken. For example, the addition of an R score for a two-credit course to a student’s record that includes more than 40 courses will have little impact on the average.
According to the Access to Information Policy adopted by the Comité de gestion des bulletins d’études collégiales (CGBEC), composed of representatives of the colleges, universities, and the MEES, a student who wants to know his or her R score must contact the college attended or the university to which an official application for admission was submitted. In addition, for any general information about the use of the R score in the admissions process, the student should contact the university to which an application for admission was either made or will be made.
