IITM BS Terms Explained: CCC, OPPE, RKA, CGPA and More
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The IIT Madras BS handbooks use many short forms. The ones you will see most are CCC, RKA, OPPE, ET and the grades U, I, WA and WQ. CCC is how many courses you can take in a term. RKA is the fee that keeps your registration alive when you skip a term. OPPE is the programming exam in some courses, and ET is the end term exam. This page explains each term in one or two plain lines. It only covers terms the handbooks actually use.
Levels and programmes
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| DS | The BS in Data Science and Applications programme |
| ES | The BS in Electronic Systems programme |
| Credit | About 14 hours of learner work (UGC system). One credit here equals 3 credits in the IIT Madras campus system |
| Foundation level | The first level. DS: 8 courses, 32 credits. ES: 43 credits |
| Diploma level | The second level. DS has two diplomas, ES has one |
| DP and DS diplomas | In DS, DP is the Diploma in Programming and DS is the Diploma in Data Science |
| BSc level | DS only. Leaving here gives a BSc in Programming and Data Science at 114 credits |
| BS level | The last level. The full BS needs 142 credits in both programmes |
| FL certified | Status of a student who finished the Foundation level and quit |
Registration and status
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| CCC | Credit Clearing Capability. The most courses you can register for in a term: 2, 3 or 4, based on your average marks in passed courses |
| RKA | Registration Keep Alive fee. Rs 1,000 per term when you skip a term. Unpaid RKA adds 10% when you return |
| On the rolls | Active status. You registered and paid for at least one course this term |
| On Academic Probation | You registered for no course this term. Allowed for up to 2 terms in a row |
| Struck off the rolls | Status after 2 probation terms in a row plus no registration in the next term. Your official email is suspended |
| Readmission fee | Rs 2,500 to come back after being struck off, or Rs 5,800 if RKA was not paid |
| Alumnus | Status after you finish the BSc or BS level (only BS in ES) and leave |
For CCC, an average under 50 gives 2 courses, 50 to under 70 gives 3, and 70 or more gives 4. CCC is 4 by default at the Diploma and degree levels. It is also 4 for JEE entrants in their first term, and for anyone who registers in the same term as their qualifier. More in the CCC guide and the student status guide.
Assessments and marks
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| GA | Short form used in the grade tables for your weekly graded assignment marks |
| Quiz 1, Quiz 2 | In-person quizzes after week 4 and week 8. A missed quiz counts as 0 |
| ET | End term exam. 1.5 hours per course, in person, worth 50% of your total |
| E | End Semester Score, the handbook's name for your end term marks |
| T | Total Course Score out of 100. You pass a course if T is 40 or more |
| OPPE | The programming exam in some courses. The grade tables call its two sittings OPPE1 and OPPE2, or OPE1 and OPE2 |
| Hall ticket | Your entry pass for the exam. You get one for the end term only if you meet the eligibility rules |
| Make-up exam | For an I grade, you rewrite only the end term in the next term. Rs 1,000 per Foundation course, Rs 2,000 per Diploma or degree course |
| Repeat for improvement | Retaking a passed course to raise the grade. Costs twice the normal fee |
The handbooks never spell out what the letters OPPE stand for. They just use it as the name of the programming exam. See the OPPE guide.
Grades
| Grade | Meaning | Grade point |
|---|---|---|
| S | T is 90 or more | 10 |
| A | T is 80 to under 90 | 9 |
| B | T is 70 to under 80 | 8 |
| C | T is 60 to under 70 | 7 |
| D | T is 50 to under 60 | 6 |
| E | T is 40 to under 50 | 4 |
| U | Fail, T under 40 | 0 |
| WA or WQ | Fail, not allowed to write the end term: assignment average under 40 or no quiz attended | 0 |
| I | Incomplete. You missed only the end term | none |
| I_BOTH | Incomplete. You missed both the end term and the OPPE | none |
| I_OP | Incomplete. You missed or failed the OPPE | none |
GPA is your grade point average for one term. CGPA covers all unique courses you have finished, with your best grade used when you repeat a course. The handbooks say the CGPA is frozen once you move to a new level, which is why grade improvement is allowed only within your current level. The grading system guide has worked details.
Other terms you will meet
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| NPTEL credit transfer | Getting BS credits for an NPTEL course. A 4, 8 or 12 week course gives 1, 2 or 3 credits, at Rs 1,000 per credit. It is pass or fail and not in your CGPA |
| Comprehensive exam | 2-credit level 4 electives you can claim if you are in the top 1% of a GATE paper (DS: GATE-DA or GATE-CS. ES: GATE-EC, GATE-EI or GATE-EE) |
| Apprenticeship | Optional work placement at the BS level. In DS it is a 4-credit course for 4 months, plus an 8-credit course if you continue for months 5 to 8 |
| Senate | The IIT Madras body that must approve before an original certificate is made. It meets 3 to 4 times a year |
| Exit form | The form you fill to leave with a certificate, diploma or degree |
| Credit completion letter | A letter from the programme when you finish a level's credits, from the January 2026 term |
| Bonafide certificate | An official document you can apply for. Issued every Thursday |
| LoS | Letters of Support from the programme office |
| Medical certificate | Compulsory form in a set format since the September 2025 term. Without it, you cannot get LoS, placement support or a bonafide certificate |
| POSH | The compulsory "POSH: Becoming Gender Sensitive" training. If you skip it, you cannot register for courses in the next term |
| ITR and Form 26AS | Income documents you may need to submit for an income-based fee waiver at the Diploma and degree levels |
Common questions
What is the difference between an I grade and a U grade?
U means your total course score was under 40, so you failed and must repeat the whole course. I means you were absent for the end term only. With an I, you can take a make-up exam in the next term instead of repeating the full course.
Is CCC a limit on credits or on courses?
On courses. It is the number of courses (2, 3 or 4) you can register for in a term. The DS handbook calls it a suggestion in one line, but the registration steps treat it as a hard limit.
Does academic probation mean my marks are too low?
No. In the IITM BS handbooks, academic probation only means you did not register for any course that term. It has nothing to do with your grades.
Does a make-up exam count towards my CCC?
No. A make-up exam does not use up a CCC slot. But you can write at most 4 final exams in a term, so if you already have 4 courses, there is no room for a make-up.
Official sources
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