Hey guys, I'm a bit lost here. My cousin's school just shifted to a 5.0 GPA scale, and I'm puzzled. What does this mean exactly? How is a student's GPA evaluated on a 5.0 scale?
A shift to a 5.0 GPA scale generally means that the school is incorporating weight for advanced or rigorous coursework, such as Honors, AP, or IB classes, into the GPA calculation. On a 5.0 scale, a typical 'A' in a regular level class is worth 4.0 points, but an 'A' in an honors level class might be worth 4.5 points, and an 'A' in an AP or IB class would be worth 5.0 points.
So, for instance, if a student earns an 'A' in regular English, an 'A' in honors history, and an 'A' in AP Biology, their GPA would be calculated like this: (4.0 English + 4.5 History + 5.0 Biology)/3 = 4.5 GPA.
However, you should note that each high school may use a different scale, and the weight assigned to honors, AP, and IB courses can vary. The school's counselor office or website should provide more specific details about the 5.0 grading scale.
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