I'm a bit confused about how GPA works—what number corresponds to an A and what corresponds to a B? Is it on a universal scale or does it vary from school to school? Thanks in advance for helping me understand it better!
GPA (Grade Point Average) is calculated on a 4.0 scale, where different letter grades correspond to specific numerical values. Generally, the numeric values for letter grades are as follows:
- A+ and A: 4.0
- A-: 3.7
- B+: 3.3
- B: 3.0
- B-: 2.7
- C+, C, and C-: 2.0 to 1.7
- D: 1.0
- F: 0.0
However, this scale can vary slightly from school to school, so it's essential to check your specific school's grading policies. Additionally, some schools use a weighted GPA system, which means that more advanced or rigorous courses (such as AP or honors classes) are given extra weight. In these cases, earning an A in an advanced course may be worth more than a 4.0 in calculating your GPA (e.g., 5.0 for an A in an AP class).
To calculate your GPA, you need to multiply each course's credit hours by the corresponding numeric value of the final grade, sum them up, and divide the total by the total credit hours. For example, if you have an A (4.0) in a 4-credit class and a B (3.0) in a 3-credit class, your GPA would be:
(4.0 x 4) + (3.0 x 3) = 16 + 9 = 25
Total credit hours: 4 + 3 = 7
GPA: 25 / 7 = 3.57
Please keep in mind that colleges use various methods to evaluate your academic performance, and different schools may consider different scales or use different calculations for GPA. It's crucial to research each college's specific requirements to best understand how your GPA fits within their expectations.
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