How to Calculate Weighted & Unweighted Grade Point Average

Calculating your GPA allows you to track your grade through a semester.

Calculating your grade point average, unweighted, means that all your classes are worth the standard amounts in terms of the grading scale. If you are calculating a grade point average that is weighted, some classes are worth more than other classes due to their grading scale. In high school, it is common for schools to have advanced placement classes with a different weight than regular classes. This allows the students to take harder classes without any detrimental effect on their grade point average. It is important to calculate your grade point average to see how you are performing in school.

Instructions

1. Exchange your letter grade for a numeric grade. For example, an "A" is a 4, "B" is a 3, "C" is a 2, a "D" is a 1 and an "F" is a 0. For pluses and minuses, add or subtract 0.5. If the grade is weighted, add your weighted grade amount. For example, a weighted course may add 0.5 to the class. If you had an "A," you get a 4.5 instead of a 4.

2. Multiply your numeric grade amount by the number of credit hours the course is worth. Do this for each class. Add together the result for each class to calculate your total grade points.

3. Add together the total number of credit hours you attempted during the year.

4. Divide your total grade points by your total number of credit hours. This is your GPA for the semester.

References

• Back 2 College: GPA