How to Score a GPA

Your report card provides some basic GPA information.

Your high school or college Grade Point Average (GPA) is a measure of overall academic achievement. Individual scores for each course are tabulated into the cumulative GPA score. Most schools tabulate overall GPA scores for you, but an employee or transfer institution may need a GPA score for specific courses. For example, if you are applying for a job as a teacher, your employer may ask what your GPA was for all educational courses combined. To score your cumulative GPA in a single subject or group of subjects, you need to use some basic mathematics principles.

Things You'll Need

• Calculator or scratch paper

Instructions

1. Determine your individual GPA for each course. A 4.0 GPA grading system is used at most institutions, where an 'A' is 4.0, while an 'A-' is 3.75; 'B+' is 3.25; 'B' is 3.0; and a 'B-' is 2.75. This pattern continues until reaching a grade of 'F,' which counts as 0.0 grade points.

2. Multiply the course GPA by the number of credits in the course. For example, if you scored a 'B'

   in a three-credit course, you would multiply 3.00 by 3, resulting in 9.00.

3. Add up all the credits you are using in calculating the GPA.

4. Add all the course grade point totals together and divide this number by the total number of credits. The end result of this calculation is your overall GPA for these courses.

References

• "Practicing College Learning Strategies"; Carolyn H. Hopper; 2009
• "Getting Into American Universities"; James Burnett; 2004