The R Score (R-Score, CRC Score) is a number that serves as a benchmark for college students in Quebec. Quebec universities primarily refer to a student's R Score during the selection process. There is widespread misconception about R Scores and many students leaving high school are unaware of its function or how it's calculated. The R Score is calculated by using the following formula: $$R\hspace{0.05in}Score = (Z\hspace{0.05in}Score + GS + 5) \times 5$$ Where $$GS$$ is group strength, which will is described later in this page. The Z Score is the most important part of the R Score and is calculated in the following way: $$Z\hspace{0.05in}Score = \frac{X - \mu}{\sigma}$$ Where $$X$$ is your grade, $$\mu$$ is the class average, and $$\sigma$$ is the standard deviation.
The last aspect of the R Score is Group Strength. It is designed to boost a student's R Score if they are competing against strong students, and to lower the R Score of a student who is competing against a weaker group. It has been controversial as some people do not believe that it accurately penalizes students in weak groups. The Group Strength is calculated in the following way: $$GS = \frac{High\hspace{0.05in}School\hspace{0.05in}Average\hspace{0.05in}of\hspace{0.05in}your\hspace{0.05in}CEGEP\hspace{0.05in}class - 75}{14}$$ This part is confusing and many people do not understand it. It is the average of all the high school averages of the students in a given class. Since there is no way to know this, we usually guess around 75 (a 75 average gives no boost or penalty). If you are a student at Marianopolis or Brebeuf, or if you study in an academically challenging program, try using between 80 and 85 for more accuracy.