How to calculate gpa score

How to Calculate GPA

This article was co-authored by Rachel Scoggins, PhD. Rachel Scoggins is a Visiting Assistant Professor of English at Lander University. Rachel’s work has been presented at the South Atlantic Modern Language Association and the Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy. She received her PhD in Literary Studies from Georgia State University in 2016.

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Grade point average (GPA) is a raw score average based on the letter grades you make each semester. Each letter grade is assigned a numerical value from 0-4 or 5 points, depending on your institution’s scale. Schools also look at cumulative GPAs, which show your average GPA over several years of schooling, when you graduate or apply to an institution of higher education. Unfortunately, there is no universal way to calculate GPA since methods vary by country and by institution, and some schools give extra points for honors classes or weigh scores by units. However, to calculate GPA, you’ll basically need to find your grading scale, translate each letter grade to a corresponding numerical value within the scale, then average those values to find your current GPA. Note that you’ll need to do a little extra math beyond that if any of your scores are weighted.

Calculate GPA

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How to calculate GPA by yourself?

GPA (Grade Point Average) is an average score of all grades in the general certificate of secondary education or diploma during the entire period of study. Each university has its own entry requirements for GPA and establishes a certain threshold for an average score, adherence to which is a necessary requirement for the university admission. Before applying to the university, an entrant should check whether his/her average score of the general certificate of secondary education or diploma meets the university requirements.

The admissions committee will most likely pay attention to the performance in the main subjects and recalculate GPA for verification. Therefore, only true information should be provided, otherwise the committee will not consider an applicant. You should understand that if your average score is significantly lower than an entry one at the chosen university, the chances of admission are quite small.

You can also find out the exact GPA by consulting a company that is engaged in diplomas translation. If an entrant does the translation by him/herself, it is better to clarify the method of GPA calculation at the chosen university. A number of universities request GPA for the last 3–4 years of studying, some schools consider GPA only in certain subjects. Therefore, the below mentioned formula cannot be applied in all cases. This method is quite suitable if you try to assess your chances of admission and determine the list of universities you can apply to.

The methods of the average score calculation at educational institutions of different countries have some distinctions, since each country has its own scale of knowledge assessment. For example, in the USA GPA is calculated on the basis of a 4-point scale, in Germany the average score is based on the Bavarian Formula and the highest score is ‘1’. There is an entirely different assessment scale in the UK — a verbal one.

An example of the average score calculation for admission to the USA universities

To calculate the average score we will take 4 subjects as an example. As a rule, there is the number of hours indicated in parentheses opposite each subject devoted to its study in the general certificate of secondary education or diploma.

To begin with, it is necessary to establish a correlation, for example, between the UK and USA grading scales, which is quite simple.

To calculate the average score, the number of hours each subject counts for are multiplied by the points earned from the class.

1. Multiply the point by the number of hours for each subject

75 х 3 + 110 х 4 + 148 х 4 + 120 х 2 = 1497

2. Find the number of hours spent on all subjects

75 + 110 + 148 + 120 = 453

3. Divide the result of calculations of the 1st step by the result of calculations of the 2nd step

1497 / 453 = 3.304.

In this case the GPA is 3.3.

An example of the average score calculation for admission to the German universities

In German educational institutions, the Bavarian Formula is used to calculate the average score of the diploma or general certificate of secondary education, which is the following:

1 + 3(Nmax — Nd) / (Nmax — Nmin)

When using the Modified Bavarian Formula to convert American grades, it would look like this:

We calculate the average score for 5 subjects:

1. Let us find Nd:

Nd = (3 * 3 + 2 + 4) / 5 = 3

2. To calculate the average score, we put all the figures into the required formula:

GPA = 1 + 3 (4 — 3) / (4 — 2) = 1 + 3 * 0.5 = 2.5

GPA for admission to the UK universities

The British system of knowledge assessment is very different from the American or European one. GPA should meet the following requirements:

‘Credits’ consideration for GPA calculation

University entrants who apply for further education after the bachelor’s program completion mostly likely will have a ‘credit’ in some subjects in their diplomas. Accordingly, some questions concerning the influence of credits on the GPA total score arise. As a rule, subjects without grades are not taken into account during GPA calculation, but this point should be clarified directly at the admissions office of the chosen institution of higher education.

For example, an applicant needs to calculate GPA for 4 subjects with grades and two credits:

Usually the credit is regarded as ‘excellent’. Thus, the GPA calculation will be the following:

(75 х 3 + 110 х 4 + 148 х 4 + 120 х 2 + 100 х 4 + 200 х 4) / (75 + 110 + 148 + 120 + 100 + 200) = 2697 / 753 = 3.58

Obviously, applying this method an entrant will receive a much higher GPA index. To avoid any confusions, it is necessary to clarify the information on GPA counting by asking a contact person at the chosen university. In any case, universities request copies of documents, including a diploma with grades of all years of studying, so the admissions committee can recalculate the GPA index on its own. If the applicant’s result is higher, the committee will regard it as a bungling or fraud, which will significantly reduce the chances of admission.

What should GPA for admission to the university be?

Even entrants with not very high average score have an opportunity to enter the university. The question is how prestigious this educational institution will be. Certainly, to become a student of the best universities abroad or in your own country, it is necessary to have a high GPA.

What you can expect with the following GPA scores:

How to indicate the GPA result in the application?

You should not only inform the admissions office of the average score of your diploma or general certificate of secondary education, but also indicate what a maximum possible score for this academic program is. It is very important because different countries can have different maximum scores — 4, 5 or 10. For example, if at the educational institution where an applicant studied a 5-point grading system is adopted and the applicant’s average score is 4.2, the following should be indicated in the application form: GPA 4.2 out of 5. Examples of certificates with the GPA indication in English for admission to the university can be found here.

If GPA is low

Not every entrant can boast about getting a high GPA score of the diploma or general certificate of secondary education, but this does not mean that the chance of entering a prestigious university is irrevocably lost. Of course, the GPA indicator can not be called a strong point of such an application, therefore the emphasis should be placed on other documents that are submitted by an entrant to the admissions office. GPA is only part of the application, which is considered together with other documents submitted.

You should make the committee pay attention to the essay and motivation letter in which you can explain the controversial points of the academic past and try to reveal your strong points. A low average score should be tempered with your past achievements: wins in sports competitions, participation in volunteer and other projects, excellent writing of a term paper. In the USA, undergraduate students may have similar types of compulsory assignments, participation in which brings entrants some advantages.

To calculate GPA, you can use special sites on the Internet that provide this service on a paid or free basis. As a rule, such calculators almost do not differ from one another, since GPA calculation uses a simple method that does not take credits into account. Many universities also have calculators on their official websites, which should be used by applicants. You can find more detailed information on this topic in the FAQ section of the chosen university.

Contemporary grading system

Common mistakes in the average score calculation

Is GPA important for enrolling on MBA programs?

As a rule, during years of study few people think about the importance of grades, the understanding of their significance comes only if a graduate has a desire to continue his/her education at a foreign university. The bad news is that GPA can not be changed, except that you retake the whole previous education course. On the other hand, talented applicants are rarely refused to be admitted to the university because of the average score. The applicant’s analytical and mathematical abilities that can be demonstrated with the help of GRE and GMAT tests are much more important for the admissions committee.

In addition, very often applicants who enroll on MBA programs already have some working experience, which means that at least 3 or 5 years have passed since the graduation from the university, and the admissions committee members are interested in the current level of applicant knowledge, his/her potential and achievements. If the applicant’s work experience is measured not in years but in months, the GPA index will play a decisive role in course admission.

You can become a student of a business school even having a low average score, but only if the reason for your poor performance is the early career start. If you have a low GPA and necessary certificates with good points (GRE and GMAT), the admissions committee will most likely decide to consider your application in more detail. If the low applicant’s average score suffered from humanities results (history or philosophy), but the scores in mathematics are quite high, it is possible that such applicants will be admitted to join the ranks of business school students.

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This article takes into account only the main points of the application writing procedure. In order to take all details into consideration, you can contact us for professional help with the motivation and recommendation letters writing. We also offer our help with completing an electronic university application. With reference to many years of our professional experience, we can prepare your documents needed for the university application quickly and guarantee 100% admission to the foreign university.

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How Do You Calculate Your GPA? Step-by-Step Instructions

How exactly do you take a document that’s as complicated as your transcript and shrink it all down to a single number? If you’re wondering how to use the final grades you’ve gotten in high school to determine your GPA, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will show you how to make this calculation, step by step. But first, what exactly is a GPA?

What Is a GPA?

Most likely, in your high school classes, your final grades are awarded either as letters (A-, B+, etc.) or percents (92%, 85%, etc. out of 100%).

A GPA, or grade point average, converts those letters or percents into numbers and then averages these numbers together. Because it’s made up of all your grades, your GPA is one of the most important factors for college admission. It’s a good indicator of your intelligence, work ethic, perseverance, and willingness to push yourself.

GPAs are useful for colleges to easily compare you with other students who graduated from your school and with all the other applicants. But why?

Imagine you’re an admissions officer who has to look at thousands of college applications. Would you rather go through each transcript individually, add up all the As and all the Bs, and then compare that to the next person, and so on? Or, would you rather have an easy summary number that could be used for a quick comparison across the board?

Your GPA is that quick summary number.

Turn the hard to eat ingredients of your transcript into the gooey s’more deliciousness of a GPA. Probably not with an open flame, though.

The Difference Between Weighted and Unweighted GPA

There are two main types of GPAs: weighted and unweighted.

An unweighted GPA is when a school uses a scale that goes from 0.0 to 4.0 and does not take into account the difficulty level of classes.

By contrast, a weighted GPA is when a school uses a scale that goes from 0.0 all the way up to 5.0 (or sometimes 6.0) and does take into account class difficulty. In this model, the school gives higher numerical values to grades earned in honors, AP, and/or IB classes.

Here’s an example to help clarify the differences here. Say Jeremy gets an A in a standard-level US History class, whereas Lakshmi gets an A in AP US History. In the unweighted GPA model, both As are treated the same way, with each translating to a 4.0.

But in the weighted GPA model, Jeremy’s A would convert to a 4.0 and Lakshmi’s A would convert to a 5.0 to show that her class took a lot more effort to ace.

See the difference?

Before we continue, it’s important to understand that this article focuses mainly on explaining and calculating unweighted GPAs. (For more information on weighted GPAs, check out our other guide.)

Sure, you can pick them up, but doesn’t it help to know how much each weighs?

How Do You Calculate Your Unweighted GPA?

The first thing to do in order to calculate a grade point average is to convert each of the final class grades you’ve gotten so far in high school into the correct decimal.

Here is the standard unweighted scale for doing this:

Next, perform the following calculation:

In the following section, we’ll go through an example calculation of an unweighted GPA.

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Step-by-Step Example of an Unweighted GPA Calculation

Let me show you an example of how to calculate an unweighted GPA so you can see how this will look in practice. (To see how to calculate a weighted GPA, check out our other article.) We’ll use a sample transcript for incognito CIA operative John Doe.

Be aware that for this example, we are assuming that all classes are worth the same number of credits (in other words, you can ignore the credit column in the transcript below).

Step 1: Convert Grades Into Decimals

In order to learn how to calculate a GPA, let’s first convert John’s letter grades into numbers:

Let’s also count how many classes he took each of those school years:

Step 2: Calculate Individual Year GPAs

To get each individual year’s GPA, all we need to do is divide the sum by the number of classes. If this division ends up with a long decimal, simply round to the nearest hundredth:

Step 3: Calculate Cumulative High School GPA

To get a cumulative GPA for John’s entire high school career, we simply add up the sums for all the years and divide by the number of classes he took over all those years:

35 + 35.7 + 27.7 + 19.7 = 118.1 (sum of all final grades)

10 + 10 + 8 + 6 = 34 (total number of classes taken)

118.1 / 34 = 3.47 (GPA)

So, his GPA for all of high school is 3.47.

Pro tip: The cumulative GPA is not an average of each year because the number of classes taken each year is different.

Step 4: Calculate GPA Submitted to Colleges (Optional)

Finally, if we wanted to figure out the GPA that John would send out on his college applications, we would do the same process, but leave off senior year. Since applications go out in the beginning of 12th grade, those final grades won’t make it into the application GPA:

35 + 35.7 + 27.7 = 98.4 (sum of final grades from 9th to 11th grade)

10 + 10 + 8 = 28 (number of classes taken from 9th to 11th grade)

98.4 / 28 = 3.51 (college application GPA)

As you can see, John’s college application GPA would be 3.51.

Is nicely done, John!

What If My Classes Are Worth Different Amounts of Credits?

In the example above, we calculated John’s GPA with the assumption that every took was worth the same amount of credits. If this isn’t the case for you, you’ll need to add in an extra step.

To calculate your GPA when your classes are worth different amounts of credits, you’ll need to multiply your grade for each class by the number of credits it was worth and sum those together (instead of just summing all your grades together) and divide that sum by the total number of credits you took (rather than just the total number of classes you took).

As a quick example, let’s take another look at John’s junior year grades, this time with the number of credits each class was worth.

Here we can see that the last two classes John took were each only worth half a credit. In the table, the third column, «Quality Points,» shows the product of John’s GPA in each class with the number of credits that class was worth.

To find John’s GPA (based solely on these eight classes), all you need to do now is sum the number of quality points and divide them by the number of credits John took:

GPA = (4.0+2.7+3.7+3.0+3.3+4.0+2.0+1.5) / (1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 0.5 + 0.5)

GPA = 24.2/7 = 3.46.

What’s Next?

Interested in diving even deeper into the differences between weighted and unweighted GPA? Then check out our guide to the benefits and drawbacks of both.

Want to see step-by-step weighted GPA calculation? Let us show you how it’s done.

Curious how your GPA compares? Learn what a good or bad GPA is and then see how you stack up against the average high school student.

Does your school report your GPA as weighted or unweighted? What would your GPA be, considered on a 4.0, 5.0, or 6.0 scale? Use our tool to calculate your unweighted and weighted GPA to figure out how you stack up against other college applicants. You’ll also get our proprietary college core GPA calculation and advice on where to improve to be a better college applicant.

Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article!

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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How to calculate GPA? | The 4.0 GPA for universities abroad!

The GPA or the Grade Point Average is an international grading system accepted by most universities worldwide. The GPA scale ranges from 0.0 to 4.0 and indicates how well you have done in your studies. Know how to calculate GPA scores and more in this blog!

Table of Contents

Are you confused about what is the GPA scale? I was too. Until I did some really extensive research and wrote this blog for you all! The scoring system for students is different from country to country. Some get their scores in percentages, others in points or grades. But, if you’re thinking of applying to any university abroad, it is important to have your score converted to a GPA. Even if the university you’re applying to asks for your marks in a different format, a GPA score is a great comparative measure. So, to help all of you who want to know about the GPA scale and how to calculate GPA, we came up with this informative blog. Stick around and make sure you download the study abroad checklist, which will help you plan your education abroad!

What is the GPA, and why do you need it?

If you’re thinking of applying to universities abroad, then you must have heard this term GPA many times. The Grade Point Average or GPA is a measure of your academic achievement over a specific duration, i.e., a year or a semester. It is accepted by most countries around the world and is a primary measuring system for universities in North America(the USA and Canada), Australia, and most European countries.

How to calculate GPA? | The 4.0 GPA scale

The 4.0 GPA scale, also known as the Unweighted GPA scale, is the most commonly-used GPA measurement scale in universities around the world. While some high schools also use a 5.0 GPA scale(weighted GPA scale), it is not as widely used as the 4.0 GPA scale (Unweighted) because it considers the difficulty of your coursework.

How to calculate GPA? | GPA Calculator

The concept behind the GPA calculation is pretty simple. Every course or subject you study is assigned a specific number of ‘credits’ or, in some other cases, ‘units.’ If you don’t know the credits allotted to each subject, you can get this list of credits assigned from your respective institutions where you got your previous degree. These credits, along with the grade/percentage you receive, are calculated into your GPA.

What is the formula for GPA calculation?

Now, this may seem confusing, but the best formula to calculate your GPA is to divide the total number of grade points in a program by the total number of credits attempted. The result of that calculation is your GPA. The formula goes as follows:

Total grade points earned ÷ Total credits (based on your courses) = GPA

How do you convert letter grades to GPA?

The GPA scale directly compares to a grading system of A, B, C, D, and F. In simple terms, each grade is assigned a point. That means A=4, B=3, a C=2, a D=1, and an F=0. Easy so far? Okay.

So, here’s an example to help you understand better:

How do you convert your percentage to GPA?

In countries like India, the most commonly used scoring system is a percentage(%). Therefore, students need to convert the range of percentage, which is quite obviously out of 100, to a GPA scale of 4.0. The math for that is pretty simple, actually.

How to calculate GPA? | Why is your GPA important?

Now that you know how to calculate GPA, let’s find out how big a role it plays in your university applications. The first thing you need to understand is this- GPA isn’t everything, but it certainly is very important. Admissions officers are more likely to consider your profile more seriously if you have a good GPA. Not only that, but having a good GPA can also make you eligible for a lot of scholarships offered by universities, the government, and even private organizations.

In fact, it’s not just colleges that look at a student’s GPA. Companies that recruit students right after college consider GPA as the initial deciding factor. It is, after all, one of the biggest signs of your merit and skill. So, make sure that you try your level best to maintain a good GPA.

Is your GPA enough to get into your dream university?

Whether your GPA is high or low, when you apply to universities, there are a lot more factors that they are looking for. Some of the other factors that universities consider among their applicants are:

So, if your GPA is high, you’re already off to a great start! However, even if you have a low GPA, remember, you can always boost your chances of getting into your dream university by acing these other aspects of your student profile!

Make sure you check our iSchoolConnect’s SOP-writing tool by registering here.

Question 1: What is GPA?

Answer: The GPA or the Grade Point Average is an international grading system that is accepted by most universities globally.

Question 2: How to calculate GPA for studying abroad?

Answer: Calculating GPA is pretty simple. You have to divide the total number of grade points in a program by the total number of credits attempted; the result is your GPA.

Question 3: What are the other factors universities look for along with GPA?

Answer: Along with your GPA, universities look for factors like the SOP, LOR, work experience, social profiles, and so on.

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How To Calculate Your GPA

Grade Point Average (GPA), we haveve all had to deal with them, and you probably have questions like:

Well, that is why this article, and our expertise, is here to help. We are here to break down nonsense, and help you crunch the numbers so you know where you stand academically.

GPA Formula

How GPA was calculated?

We all roll our eyes when our parents, or grandparents use the phrase, “When I was a kid, things were simpler…”. In a lot of cases, things weren’t simpler or better, just different. In the case of education, tests, and GPAs, it turns out they are right. Way back in the day, GPA’s were calculated on a simple scale with A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1 and F=0. Anyone with a positive number for an IQ could calculate their GPA quickly in their head.

Those days are gone.

We can’t complain too much though, because remember grandpa walked two miles up hill both ways in the snow just to get to school!

No need to freak out, however, as we are about to show you what it all means, and how to get the number you need. So you can figure out if you will be filling out college or Burger King Applications.

Simple GPA

Besides 8-track tapes, the other archaic thing your parents used when they were young was the good old fashioned letter grade system, also known as a simple GPA. In its easiest form, an A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0. For each class you have, you assign the correct number to the letter grade, add all of your grades together and divide by the number of classes you have taken.

Slightly Less Simple GPA

For schools that want to make it only slightly more annoying, they sometimes expand on the simple GPA by throwing a + or – by your letter. This means, you might need to whip out a calculator. It’s a cruel system, I know.

If you assume that A is a perfect grade, and some schools do, then the new scale will be:

Using this scale, a perfect GPA would equal 4.0. If you assume that an A+ is better than the perfect A, and some schools do, the scale you use will be as follows:

Using this scale, a perfect GPA would equal 4.33.

Weighted GPA

Some schools choose to really amp things up with a weighted GPA. Hey, they have to make it difficult, or you didn’t really earn it. The next curve ball in the GPA game is the idea that the number of credits each course is worth, will determine how heavily it affects your GPA. Many schools factor in the number of credits each course is worth, meaning a 4-credit class more value than a 2-credit class.

Suppose your schedule looked something like this during your junior year:

Looking at the above we can see a three things.

To find your GPA weighted by credit hours, follow these steps:

In comparison, if you weighted these grades using the Simple GPA method above, your GPA would be 3.29.

Weighting Your GPA With AP/IB/Honor Classes

For those among you that are overachievers, and will be adding AP, Honors, or IB classes to your schedule, first off bravo on the ambition. Secondly, you will need to do some extra calculation, but you’re probably OK with that, being the kid who takes AP classes. Stand tall overachiever, geeky is the new sexy!

It is important to check with your school though, to find out exact rules (some students must take and score a 4 or 5 on an Advanced Placement exam before their grade will be weighted in their GPA) for your school.

A Typical scale may look like this:

Let’s look at a report card to see how it works (the math is the same as in the first example) weighting ONLY the AP classes, NOT the credits:

Let’s look at a report card to see how it works (the math is the same as in the first example). Using the Simple GPA method from above, your GPA Weighted by Your AP Classes is:

In comparison, using the Simple GPA scale and method above would give you a GPA of:

Weighting Your GPA with Credit Hours AND AP/IB/Honors

Finally, let’s use the same report card as in the above example, only this time we will bring the whole thing together, and factor in credit hours AND credit for AP classes:

This may all seem extremely boring, and we get it. Learning what GPA stands for might seem like a waste of time, let alone calculating it, but you’ll find out quickly how helpful it is.

Your GPA makes a statement about not only your work ethic, but your dedication to learning. Of course this doesn’t mean that you must have a 4.0 to go to college, admissions takes a lot of variables into account, but it does matter. After all, if you don’t take your education seriously, why would anyone else?