How Is GPA calculated?

Grades and Grade Points

• Most high schools and universities determine student achievement by assigning a letter grade for each course at the end of the term. Each letter is then associated with a grade point.
  A= Excellent, 4.0
  B= Good, 3.0
  C= Average, 2.0
  D= Poor, or below average, 1.0
  F= Failing, 0
  Depending on the institution, plus and minus grades are also assessed, and grade point values can vary.

Calculating Term GPA

• First, multiply a course's grade by the number of credits the course is worth. This will give you the total grade points for the course. Calculate this for each course taken during that term.
  To determine term GPA, add these results together and divide by the total credit hours attempted.
  For example:
  Music Literature, 1 hour, B (1 x 3 = 3)
  Art History, 3 hours, C (3 x 2 = 6)
  French, 5 hours, A (5 x 4 = 20)
  Organic Chemistry, 3 hours, F (3 x 0 = 0)
  To calculate the semester GPA, total the grade points, which in this case equals 29, and divide by 12, the number of credit hours attempted. For this example, the term GPA equals 2.42 (rounding up).

Atypical Grades

• Additional grades can factor into your GPA. Incomplete grades are given by a professor when a students fails to finish coursework for a class. Initially, a grade of an "I" is assigned with the understanding that the student is to complete the coursework within a set period of time after the course has ended. This "I" grade does not factor into a student's term or cumulative GPA. If a student does not finish his work within that period, his "I" grade is factored into GPA, holding the same weight as a failing grade.
  Some institutions give grades on a pass/fail option, and these typically do not factor into the GPA, though course credit is awarded upon passing.

Calculating Cumulative GPA

• To calculate a recent term GPA in an overall, or cumulative GPA, add the recent term grade points to the grade points earned for all semesters. Then add the number of hours attempted in the most recent semester to the overall number of hours attempted at the institution. Divide the total grade points by the total number of hours attempted.

Is GPA an Accurate Measure?

• Unlike a test score, GPA is a more wide-ranging measure of a student's ability during her time in school. But not all courses (or professors) are created equally, so comparing GPAs does not necessarily provide a complete picture.