How To Get Your GPA Score

Your grade point average (GPA), is a weighted average of your grades. Courses that are worth more credits count more towards your GPA, and those that are worth fewer credits count less. The GPA is usually computed on a four point scale, with A being 4 and F being zero. Although the GPA is a good way of summarizing your grades, it does not include extracurricular activities, so it does not present a comprehensive picture of your college career.

Step 1

Write down each course, the number of credits and your grade. For example, you might write:

English 101, 3 credits, B+ Survey of American History, 4 credits, A Swimming, 1 credit, A Philosophy of the Middle Ages, 4 credits, B

Step 2

Convert the grades to numbers. A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0. A "+" adds 0.3 and a "-" subtracts 0.3, so a B+ = 3 + 0.3 = 3.3. In our example:

English 101 = 3.3 Survey of American History = 4 Swimming = 4 Philosophy of the Middle Ages = 3

Step 3

Multiply the credits by the numerical grade. In our example:

3 x 3.3 = 9.9 4 x 4 = 16 1 x 4 = 4 4 x 3 = 12

Step 4

Add up the results in step 3. In our example 9.9 + 16 + 4 + 12 = 41.9

Step 5

Add up the number of credits. In our example: 3 + 4 + 1 + 4 = 13.

Step 6

Divide the result in step 4 by the result in step 5. This is your GPA. In our example: 41.9/13 = 3.22.