Plug your grades and credits into our free gpa calculator and get your weighted GPA in minutes. We’ll show you exactly how the figure is calculated so you can verify it yourself or walk someone else through it step by step.
What your GPA really is
Your GPA is a single score that reflects your overall performance across every course, with each grade weighted by its credit value. Universities, employers and scholarship panels rely on it to compare students on one consistent scale. Think of it as an average, but with a key difference: a two-credit course carries twice the influence of a one-credit course.
The process starts with your raw marks. They are converted to grade points—A is 4.0, B+ is 3.3, and so on. Each grade point is then multiplied by the course’s credit hours. The results are summed and divided by the total credits taken to produce your GPA, usually on a 4.0 scale.
Take three courses as an example: Maths (4 credits, A), History (3 credits, B+) and English (2 credits, A-). Convert the grades: A=4.0, B+=3.3, A-=3.7. Multiply each by its credits: 4×4=16, 3×3.3=9.9, 2×3.7=7.4. Add the products: 16+9.9+7.4=33.3. Total credits are 4+3+2=9. Divide 33.3 by 9 to get 3.70, your weighted GPA.
Some schools run a 5.0 scale or award extra points for honours courses, while others cap the maximum at 4.3 or 4.5. A few programmes disregard grades below a C or treat credits as unweighted. Check your institution’s rules before you assume your GPA matches someone else’s.
How to work it out by hand
- Pick each course’s letter grade.
- Enter its credit hours.
- Your weighted GPA updates as you go — leave unused rows blank.
GPA = Σ(grade points × credit hours) ÷ Σ(credit hours)GPA Systems Compared
| System | Scale | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| United States (4.0) | A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, D=1.0, F=0.0 | 4.0 |
| United Kingdom (4.0) | First=4.0, Upper Second=3.0, Lower Second=2.0, Third=1.0, Fail=0.0 | 4.0 |
| Australia (7.0) | High Distinction=7.0, Distinction=6.0, Credit=5.0, Pass=4.0, Fail=0.0 | 7.0 |
| India (10.0) | A+=10, A=9, B+=8, B=7, C+=6, C=5, D=4, F=0 | 10.0 |
Why this number matters in real life
A weak GPA can shut you out of internships, scholarships or graduate programmes before you even get a look in. Employers often use it as a quick gatekeeper when sifting through hundreds of applications, particularly for entry-level roles. Even if your grades don’t tell the whole story, a poor GPA can force extra hurdles or delay the start of your career.
Once you have your GPA, you can spot which courses are dragging it down. You might decide to retake them or shift your focus elsewhere. It also shows how close you are to honours thresholds or scholarship cut-offs, letting you adjust your workload or, if you’re on the edge, even negotiate with tutors.
Three worked cases you can follow
Straightforward weighted GPA
You’ve taken two courses: Physics (5 credits, A grade) and Chemistry (4 credits, B grade). A is 4.0 points, B is 3.0 points. Multiply each grade by its credits: 5×4=20, 4×3=12. Add the results: 20+12=32. Total credits are 5+4=9. Divide 32 by 9 to get 3.56, your GPA.
Odd credits and rounding trap
You’ve got a 1.5-credit course with a B- grade (2.7 points) and a 3-credit course with an A (4.0 points). Multiply: 1.5×2.7=4.05, 3×4=12. Add: 4.05+12=16.05. Total credits: 1.5+3=4.5. Divide 16.05 by 4.5 to get 3.5666… Schools round this to 3.57, not 3.6.
Common traps that give wrong answers
| Common mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Counting all grades the same, ignoring credits | Always multiply each grade by its credit hours before adding them up; otherwise you treat a two-credit course the same as a six-credit course. |
| Using raw marks instead of grade points | Convert A, B+, C- etc. to 4.0, 3.3, 2.0 etc. first; raw percentages don’t plug straight into the GPA formula. |
| Rounding too early in the steps | Keep at least two decimal places until the final division, then round only once at the end to avoid a 0.02 error that can matter for honours thresholds. |
Free calculator to do the sums for you
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| GPA Calculator | Work out your weighted GPA from each course grade and its credit hours. |
| Grade Calculator | Combine your scores by weight to see your current overall grade. |
| Final Grade Calculator | Find the exact score you need on your final exam to hit your target grade. |
Try the GPA Calculator
Skip the manual maths — enter your numbers and get the answer instantly.
Open the GPA Calculator →One last check before you’re done
Always double-check your inputs and units before trusting any result — a calculator is only as accurate as the numbers you give it. Writing out the formula once yourself also makes the method stick for next time.
Quick rules to remember
- Multiply grade points by credits before you add anything up.
- Round only once, at the very end of the calculation.
- Check your school’s scale—some use 5.0 or cap the max GPA.
常见问题
How is a weighted GPA different from a simple average of my grades?
A simple average treats every course equally. A weighted GPA multiplies each course’s grade points by its credit hours before averaging, so a 4-credit course counts four times as much as a 1-credit one. That weighted total divided by the total credit hours is your GPA.
What grade points does this use for each letter?
The common US 4.0 scale: A and A+ are 4.0, A− is 3.7, B+ 3.3, B 3.0, B− 2.7, C+ 2.3, C 2.0, C− 1.7, D+ 1.3, D 1.0 and F 0.0.
Does it handle AP or honours courses on a 5.0 scale?
No. It uses the unweighted 4.0 scale, where an A is 4.0 in every course. Schools that boost AP or honours grades to 5.0 use their own method, so your official transcript may differ.
How many courses can I include?
Up to eight. Fill in as many as you have and leave the rest blank — empty rows, and rows without credit hours, are ignored.
Why does my school’s GPA not match this one?
Grading policies vary. Different scale caps, plus/minus rules, weighted honours grades and rounding all change the result. Treat this as an estimate and check your institution’s official calculation.
