Create a list that contains three columns. The first column will contain a list of classes that you are figuring into your overall GPA. In the second column, you will write the grade that you received for each individual course. The third column is the number of credit hours that each course was worth.
Write down the values for each grade that you received. In order to get the values for each grade, you will multiply the value for the individual grade by the number of credit hours that course was worth. Check with your school regarding grade values, as some assign values for whole grades, such as an A equals four points, a B is three points and so on. Other schools may give point values for plus and minus grades, for example an A- would be 3.7 points. Make sure that you are assigning the correct values before multiplying by the credit hours. For instance, if you took a two-credit hour class and received an A and a three-credit course and earned a B, the calculation would look like this:
4 x 2 = 8
3 x 3 = 9
Add all of the values that you received together. Now that you have assigned values to all of the individual grades, add them all together to get the total grade points that you earned.
Divide the total value of your grades by your total credit hours. This is where you figure out the average in a GPA. Add up the total number of credit hours that you have attempted, including any class that you failed. Check your institution's policy on including incomplete classes in a GPA. Take the total that you received for the individual grades and divide it by the number of credit hours you attempted. For the previous example, the final step will look like this:
8 + 9 = 17 total grade points
17 ÷ 5 credit hours attempted = 3.4 GPA for the semester
Use this same method for figuring out your GPA for a semester, an academic school year or for all courses you have taken.