PE, OE & CGPA — in simple human terms.

Q. What are PE and OE (practically)?

OE (Open Electives) are the chill ones. OEs don't contribute to GPA (just like UHV/HRC from 1st year), so just pick something you'll enjoy and can easily pass. Popular picks are Film Studies, Report Writing, French, etc.

PE (Program Electives), on the other hand, do contribute to your CGPA. These matter more academically and for your resume, especially if you're aiming for higher studies or tech roles.

Q. Why does everyone keep recommending Coursera?

Almost every senior I talked to suggested Coursera-based electives for PEs. The biggest reason is simple: no physical classes required.

• You usually don't need to attend offline lectures.
• Midsems are often just MCQs for ~15 marks.
• With minimal effort, people easily get 45+ internals.
• The time saved can be used for placements or other core subjects.

From what seniors say, Coursera PEs are generally very scoring and stress-free compared to offline electives.

Q. Which PE is the most suggested Coursera course?

From what I've heard specifically from CCE seniors, the Big Data Coursera PE is by far the most commonly suggested option.

It's considered easy, scoring, and also useful for tech resumes and higher studies profiles — which is why so many people end up taking it.

Q. Which PEs are usually Coursera-based?

There's no official list floating around clearly, but most seniors say that course codes starting with CRA are generally Coursera-backed. Still, this isn't 100% confirmed — always double-check the course code details before locking.

Popular Coursera-backed PEs people talk about:
Digital Marketing, Big Data Modelling & related analytics courses.

Q. What about CGPA cutoffs?

There is no fixed universal cutoff. Different people told different things, but the rough consensus is:

• 7 – 7.5 CGPA is good enough for most cases.
• 8.5+ is considered very safe.

This obviously depends on the company, role and competition in that year, but this is the general range most seniors agree on (for placements). It is quite similar for course cut offs too.

Q. Taking a minor vs not taking a minor — what’s the real difference?

Taking a minor means you have to do a few extra related PEs and an additional project / report / paper. That extra work lets you officially show the minor on your transcript.

The upside: you can potentially get a research paper out of it, which really helps for an academic or higher-studies focused resume.

The constraint: with a minor, you usually can’t freely mix unrelated PEs. Your electives have to stay within that minor's domain.

Q. What about the Minor Specialization Project (8 credits)? Does it count for CGPA?

Yes — the minor specialization project is graded and counted towards your CGPA. It is not Satisfactory / Non-Satisfactory like UHV/CPI.

There is still a bit of uncertainty about whether the grade is multiplied by the full 8 credits or calculated differently for GPA. Different people seem to have different information on this, so it’s best to double-check with your dept once officially notified.

Q. How do I choose between Marketing vs Tech PEs?

This is honestly very personal. Some seniors prefer Digital Marketing because it's lighter and more interest-based. Others suggest Big Data because:

• It's considered relatively easy.
• It looks good for tech resumes.
• It helps if you're aiming for higher studies.

If you're more comfortable with humanities, Marketing might feel more natural. If you prefer tech, Big Data is a safe bet.

Q. What did one senior personally choose?

One senior I spoke to took Digital Marketing simply because they were curious to see what a marketing course feels like. They also mentioned that Big Data is similarly easy from what they've heard.

Their final advice was: unless you're genuinely passionate about an offline PE, take a Coursera one and save your energy.

Q. How should I actually use this site?

• Use the filters to separate OE, PE with minor, and PE without minor.
• Shortlist based on your comfort: chill vs grind, tech vs humanities.
• Then verify with at least 2–3 seniors before locking.
• Don't blindly follow just one person's opinion.

Q. Will this page stay updated?

I'll keep updating this page as more people DM me doubts and new info. If something feels missing or outdated, just ping me and I'll fix it for future batches.

Want to help future batches?

If you've taken any of these electives and want to save someone else from elective anxiety, fill up the short form with your experience. I'll anonymise + summarise and put it here.