How to use the GPA Calculator
- Add each course with its letter grade and its credit hours.
- Mark honours, AP or IB courses if your school adds a weighting bonus.
- Read the GPA, along with the total credits and quality points.
- Check the point values against your school's published scale before quoting the figure.
How the calculation works
Each grade converts to points — typically A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0, with plus and minus variants at ±0.3 where a school uses them. Each grade's points are multiplied by the course's credit hours to give quality points, all quality points are summed, and the total is divided by total credits attempted. This is why credits, not course count, determine influence.
Weighted scales add a bonus for advanced work, commonly +0.5 for honours and +1.0 for AP or IB, which is how averages above 4.0 arise. Institutions differ on whether pass/fail courses, repeated courses and transfer credits enter the calculation, so a GPA is only comparable within the same scale — always state which scale a figure is on.
GPA = Σ(grade points × credit hours) / Σ(credit hours)Source: Standard 4.0 grade point conversion as published by US institutions; weighting conventions per College Board AP practice. VERIFY your institution's own scale.
Worked example
A term of four courses: A− in 4-credit Biology, B+ in 3-credit History, A in 3-credit AP Calculus (weighted +1.0), C+ in 2-credit Art.
- Biology: 3.7 × 4 = 14.8 quality points.
- History: 3.3 × 3 = 9.9.
- AP Calculus: (4.0 + 1.0) × 3 = 15.0.
- Art: 2.3 × 2 = 4.6. Total = 44.3 over 12 credits.
Weighted GPA = 44.3 / 12 = 3.69. Without the AP bonus it would be 3.44.
Frequently asked questions
How much can one term move my cumulative GPA?+
Less the further you are into a program, because the cumulative figure averages every credit ever taken. Thirty credits of prior work heavily dampen the effect of a strong or weak fifteen-credit term.
Do failed courses stay in my GPA after I retake them?+
It depends on the institution's repeat policy. Some replace the original grade, some average both attempts, and some keep both on the transcript while counting only the higher one.
Is a weighted or unweighted GPA used for admissions?+
Many universities recalculate GPA on their own scale from your transcript, so the school-reported weighting matters less than the rigour of the courses. Report both figures if your school publishes both.
Do plus and minus grades count?+
Only where the institution assigns them point values, usually ±0.3. Some schools ignore them entirely, in which case a B+ and a B are worth the same 3.0.
Last reviewed August 31, 2026. We review this page whenever the underlying formula, tax year, published rate or standard changes.