Comparison · Graduate learning outcomes
Calculating CPL in Excel or in software? The answer is in the number of cells.
Excel is enough to calculate CPL attainment for one class. For a whole study program, every assessment score must be mapped to its course outcome (CPMK) and CPL, for every student, every semester. A program with 480 active students, 8 courses a semester and 4 assessments per course already produces 15,360 scores to map in a single semester.
Written by the Sikoola Indonesia team · Based on Permendiktisaintek 39/2025
The short answer
The formula is the same. What differs is who runs it.
In Excel, people run the formula, file by file. In software, the formula is set once and runs by itself for every student.
- Excel is still enough
One lecturer calculates CPMK for their own class, or the program is designing its CPL map and testing the weights.
- Software starts to be needed
CPL is calculated for every student each semester, and assessors must be able to trace it back to the score sheet.
- What software cannot replace
Clear CPL statements, a sensible CPMK map, and lecturers who grade with care.
One formula, two ways
A quiz of 80 and a final exam of 70 give a CPMK of 74, in Excel and in software alike.
The difference shows when row 481 is added, a column shifts by one, or the final exam weight changes from 60% to 50%.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NIM | Kuis | UAS | CPMK-1 |
| 2 | 2101001 | 80 | 70 | 74 |
| 3 | 2101002 | 65 | 78 | 72,8 |
| 4 | 2101003 | 91 | 84 | 69 |
| 5 | 2101004 | 60 | 75 | 69 |
In Sikoola CPL
- The map is set onceCPMK-1 is measured by the quiz at 40% and the final exam at 60%, and feeds CPL-02.
- Lecturers enter scores as usualNo formula needs to be copied into new rows.
- Change a weight, and everything followsEvery student is recalculated, and the weight change is recorded.
Comparison
Eight things that differ when CPL is calculated for a study program.
The last two rows favour Excel. We say so plainly.
| Aspect | ExcelOne file per course or per study program | CPL softwareSuch as Sikoola CPL |
|---|---|---|
| Formula | ExcelWritten and copied by hand in every file. | SoftwareSet once in the program's CPL map. |
| Source of scores | ExcelCopied from the academic system or lecturers' score sheets. | SoftwareTaken from the scores lecturers enter, including from the LMS and final projects. |
| When a weight changes | ExcelEach file is updated one by one. | SoftwareEvery student is recalculated automatically. |
| Tracing by assessors | ExcelHard to trace from CPL back to the score sheet. | SoftwareTraceable from CPL to CPMK, then to each assessment score. |
| Risk of error | ExcelShifted formulas, deleted rows, and different versions of the file. | SoftwareOne formula for every student, and its changes are recorded. |
| Summary per cohort | ExcelRebuilt every semester. | SoftwareAvailable at any time, per student and per cohort. |
| Upfront cost | ExcelAlready installed on almost every campus computer. | SoftwareThere is a licence or subscription fee, plus implementation. |
| Time to start | ExcelYou can start today. | SoftwareThe curriculum must be mapped and a short training given first. |
Work it out yourself
How many scores does your study program map each semester?
Use your own program numbers. Every score must reach the right CPMK and CPL.
480 × 8 × 4 = 15.360
If one score in a thousand is copied to the wrong place, there are 15 wrong student results every semester, and nobody knows which ones.
A worked example from your inputs, not data from any campus. Each square is 100 scores.
What the regulation asks
Since 2025, graduation requires CPL outcomes actually met.
Three articles of Permendiktisaintek 39/2025 mean CPL measurement can no longer wait until just before the site visit.
- Article 30(1)
Diploma and bachelor's students graduate after completing the full study load and meeting the graduate learning outcomes.
In practice, every diploma you issue needs proof that its CPL were met.
Permendiktisaintek No. 39 of 2025, Article 30(1) - Article 27(3)
Summative assessment is the basis for passing courses and programs, “with reference to the fulfilment of graduate learning outcomes.”
In practice, assignment and final exam grades must be traceable to the CPL they measure.
Permendiktisaintek No. 39 of 2025, Article 27(3) - Article 28(7)
“Results of summative assessment are reported by the institution to PD Dikti.”
In practice, your assessment data is read from outside the campus. Whether it is tidy or not will show.
Permendiktisaintek No. 39 of 2025, Article 28(7)
Sources: Permendiktisaintek No. 39 of 2025 on Higher Education Quality Assurance, JDIH peraturan.go.id. Text outside quotation marks is our summary.
When to switch
Signs that the program's Excel file has grown too big.
If two or more signs in the right-hand column feel familiar, your CPL calculation has outgrown the file that holds it.
Excel still makes sense when
- The program is designing its CPL and CPMK map and wants to test the weights first.
- Only one or two classes are calculated, by their own lecturers.
- No cohort is about to graduate under an OBE curriculum yet.
It is time to switch when
- Only one person in the program understands the formulas in that file.
- Assessment weights change, and dozens of files must be opened one by one.
- Leadership or assessors ask for the percentage of graduates who reached CPL, per cohort.
- The first cohort on an OBE curriculum will graduate soon.
Want to see the calculation run? Open the Sikoola CPL page and move one student's scores.
Is Excel enough to calculate CPL?
For one or two classes, yes. Problems start with hundreds of students, dozens of courses and several semesters: formulas shift, files change hands, and nobody can tell who changed what. Assessors also need to trace from a CPL back to the score sheet. Sikoola CPL calculates it automatically from the scores lecturers enter and keeps the trail of every calculation.
How do you calculate CPL attainment?
Map CPL to courses and CPMK, weight each assessment, then compute each student's CPMK as the sum of assessment scores times their weights. CPL attainment is the weighted average of the CPMK that feed it, compared with the program's target. Sikoola CPL does this automatically for every student.
How much data is processed to calculate CPL for one study program?
Multiply active students by courses per semester and assessments per course. A program with 480 students, 8 courses and 4 assessments processes 15,360 scores every semester, and each score must be mapped to the right CPMK and CPL.
Do the rules require software to calculate CPL?
No. Permendiktisaintek No. 39 of 2025 requires graduates to meet their CPL and assessment to refer to CPL attainment, but does not regulate the calculation tool. What matters is that the attainment figures are correct and traceable back to the original scores.
What should be prepared before using CPL software?
The program's CPL statements, the map from CPL to courses and CPMK, the weight of each assessment, and student and class data from the academic system. If the map is not finished yet, it can be built alongside the installation.
Your CPL formula is right. Now make sure it runs for every student.
Every diploma you issue needs proof that its CPL was reached.
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