The R score calendar
The four calculations of the year
Your CEGEP does not calculate your R score: the ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur does, and it does so at four fixed points in the year.
| When | What is added | What it is used for |
|---|---|---|
| Early October | Courses from the summer semester | Applications for the following winter semester |
| Mid-January | Courses from the fall semester, provisionally | Applications for the following fall |
| Early February | Courses from the fall semester | The review of applications for the following fall |
| Mid-June | Courses from the winter semester | Final admissions for the fall |
The R score of a fall course therefore appears in mid-January or early February, and that of a winter course in mid-June: about a month after the semester ends. This calendar comes from the Bureau de coopération interuniversitaire (BCI).
During the semester
Your grades and your class average appear on your student portal, such as Omnivox or Colnet, as evaluations come in. Your R score, however, does not exist yet, since no calculation takes place before the semester ends.
This is therefore when an estimate is most useful. The myRScore calculator estimates the R score of each course from what you already know, and shows the grade to aim for to reach the R score of your choice.
After the semester, an R score that can still change
Each calculation covers the last six semesters, summer included, that is about two years. The R score of a course can therefore change slightly from one calculation to the next, for example when another student's grade in the class is corrected, or when a student is added to or removed from the class. Beyond these six semesters, it no longer changes.
The R score universities look at
The R score used for admission is usually the one for your program. It brings together the courses of that program and those of general education, and must be based on at least 16 courses. Otherwise, the university uses the R score of all your CEGEP courses. If you changed programs, the courses of the previous one only count under certain conditions. McGill University, for its part, usually uses the R score of all your CEGEP courses.
What universities see depending on when you apply
For fall admission, your application is reviewed with the R score that includes your fall semester, calculated in mid-January and then early February. The grades of your last winter semester are only calculated in mid-June, for final admissions. Most decisions are therefore made before then.
For winter admission, the early October calculation adds the courses taken during the summer.
Application deadlines vary by university and by program. Check them on each university's website, and see the admission R scores of the last admitted students to set your goal.
Where to see your official R score
Your official R score appears on your student portal, for each course and for your whole record, some time after each calculation. Your CEGEP, or the university you applied to, can also give it to you. Then enter it in the calculator: myRScore uses it to correct the estimate for your other semesters.