Why use this calculator
A GPA decides scholarships, honours and graduate entry, academic probation and, for some employers, whether an application is read at all. Working it out by hand is easy to get wrong, because it is weighted by credit: a four-credit course moves the average more than a three-credit one, and a double-weighted unit counts twice.
The bigger trap is the scale. A 3.5 is excellent in the United States and a fail-level average on the Australian 7-point scale, and some Australian universities use a 4-point scale instead. Grade values differ between institutions too, such as whether an A+ is worth 4.0 or 4.3.
This calculator makes you pick the scale, shows the arithmetic per course and combines a term with your earlier record.
How to use it
- Pick the grading scale your university uses from its handbook or academic transcript; changing it resets the grade menus to that scale.
- For each course, choose the grade from your transcript or the grade you expect.
- Enter each course's credit hours or credit points from the handbook, and set a row to 0 to leave it out.
- If you want a cumulative figure, enter your earlier cumulative GPA from your transcript.
- Then enter the graded credits already behind that GPA, which the transcript also lists, or leave both at 0 for this term only.
What each result means
- Term GPA
- The credit-weighted average of the courses entered, on the scale shown. This is the semester or trimester GPA on a transcript.
- Cumulative GPA
- This term combined with your earlier GPA and credits, weighted by credit. It is the running figure most scholarships and graduate programs ask for.
- Gap to the next standing line
- How far the GPA sits below the next common threshold on your scale, such as the Dean's List or a credit average, in grade points, or how much room you have above the top one.
- Credits counted
- The total credit hours or credit points behind the term GPA. Rows with a weight of zero are left out.
- Grade points earned
- Each grade's point value multiplied by its credits, then added up. Dividing this by credits counted gives the GPA.
- Nearest grade on this scale
- The single grade whose point value is closest to your average, a quick way to describe it as roughly a B+ or a Credit average.
- Share of the scale maximum
- Your GPA as a percentage of the top of the scale. It helps compare scales loosely, but admissions offices use their own conversions.
- Standing guide
- Where the average usually sits against common thresholds such as Dean's List, good standing or honours entry. Your institution sets the actual rules.
The formula
GPA = the sum over courses of (grade points x credits) divided by the sum of credits
Grade points depend on the scale:
- US 4.0 scale A+ and A = 4.0, A- = 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, D- = 0.7, F = 0
- The US 4.3 scale is the same except A+ = 4.3
- The Australian 7-point scale HD = 7, D = 6, C = 5, P = 4, fail = 0
- The Australian 4-point scale HD = 4, D = 3, C = 2, P = 1, fail = 0
Cumulative GPA = (this term's grade points + earlier GPA x earlier credits) divided by (this term's credits + earlier credits)
How this number is used in practice
In the United States most colleges report a 4.0 scale, but some give an A+ 4.3, some high schools weight honours and AP classes to 5.0, and plus and minus values vary slightly. A 3.5 is a common Dean's List line and 2.0 the usual minimum for good academic standing.
Graduate schools and employers generally read the GPA exactly as printed on the transcript, so quote the scale alongside the number.
Australian universities mostly report a GPA on a 7-point scale, where High Distinction is 7, Distinction 6, Credit 5 and Pass 4, while some use a 4-point scale. The handling of fails differs, with some counting a fail as 0 and others as 1 to 3, and many also publish a weighted average mark (WAM) based on percentage marks, which is often what honours and scholarships use. The United Kingdom mostly uses degree classifications, such as first class and upper second, rather than a GPA.
Converting a GPA between countries is not a straight percentage. Credential evaluators such as WES for North America compare the grade distribution and institution, and a 5.5 on the Australian 7-point scale does not simply become 3.1 on a US scale. When an application asks for a converted GPA, follow that organisation's own method or have your transcript evaluated.
Worked examples
US 4.0 scale: A (3 credits), B+ (4), A- (3), B (3) and A (3)
57.3 grade points over 16 credits gives a GPA of 3.58, above the common 3.5 Dean's List line
Australian 7-point scale: HD, D, C and D, each worth 6 credit points
144 grade points over 24 credit points gives a GPA of 6.00, a Distinction average
US 4.0 scale: B, C+, B-, C and B+ this term, on top of a 3.20 GPA from 45 earlier credits
This term alone is 2.66 over 16 credits, pulling the cumulative GPA down to 3.06
When people use it
- Working out a semester or trimester GPA before official results are released
- Checking whether a term keeps you above a scholarship or Dean's List threshold
- Projecting how expected grades will move your cumulative GPA
- Checking an Australian 7-point GPA for honours or postgraduate entry
- Seeing which course the average is most sensitive to before choosing where to spend study time
Tips
- Confirm the scale in your university's handbook before you trust any GPA figure, including this one.
- Weight by credit. A 4-credit course moves the average a third more than a 3-credit course.
- Leave pass or fail, withdrawn and transfer courses out unless your institution says they count.
- Quote the scale with the number on applications, for example 6.2 out of 7, so it is not misread.
- To see what grades you need for a target, try different grades in the upcoming courses and watch the cumulative GPA.
- For honours in Australia, check whether the rule uses the GPA or the weighted average mark.
What it assumes, and where it stops being accurate
- Grade point values follow the common version of each scale. Your institution may use slightly different values for plus and minus grades or for fails.
- Every course is weighted by the credits you enter. Pass or fail, withdrawn, audited and transfer courses usually do not count and should be left out.
- Repeated courses are counted as entered. Institutions differ on whether a retake replaces or averages with the earlier grade.
- The cumulative figure assumes your earlier GPA was calculated on the same scale and credit basis as this term.
- The standing guide uses typical thresholds only and is not a ruling on honours, scholarships or academic progress.
Terms used on this page
- GPA
- Grade point average: the credit-weighted mean of the point values of your grades.
- Credit hours or credit points
- The weight a course carries toward a degree, which is also its weight in the GPA.
- Cumulative GPA
- The GPA across every graded course in a program so far, not just one term.
- WAM
- Weighted average mark, the credit-weighted mean of percentage marks used by many Australian universities.
- Dean's List
- A US honour for students above a set term GPA, commonly 3.5, with a minimum course load.
Questions people ask
- Which GPA scale should I choose?
- The one printed on your transcript or in your university handbook. Most US colleges use the 4.0 scale, a few give A+ 4.3. Most Australian universities use the 7-point scale, while some use a 4-point scale. If you are unsure, the transcript legend or the student records office will tell you.
- What is the difference between term and cumulative GPA?
- Term GPA covers only the courses from one semester or trimester. Cumulative GPA covers every graded course in the program so far, weighted by credit. To get it here, enter your earlier cumulative GPA and the graded credits behind it, and the calculator combines them with this term.
- Does an A+ count for more than an A?
- On the standard US 4.0 scale, no: both are 4.0, so the scale tops out at 4.0. Some colleges use a 4.3 scale where an A+ is worth 4.3, which you can choose above. Australian scales have no plus grades, and a High Distinction is the top grade.
- How is a fail counted in an Australian GPA?
- It varies. Many universities count a fail as 0 on the 7-point scale, while others give a fail 1, 2 or 3 depending on the mark. This calculator uses 0, so if your university scores fails higher, your official GPA may be a little higher than the figure shown.
- Can I convert my Australian GPA to a US GPA?
- Not reliably with a formula. Dividing a 7-point GPA by 7 and multiplying by 4 ignores how grades are distributed, and admissions offices use their own conversions or a credential evaluation service such as WES. Report your GPA on its original scale and follow the conversion method the institution asks for.
- Why is my official GPA different from this result?
- Usually because of rules this calculator cannot see: courses excluded from the GPA, repeated courses replacing earlier grades, transfer credit, different values for plus and minus grades, or a fail scored above 0. Check your transcript legend and adjust the courses you enter to match.
Use this with
GPA Calculator answers one part of the question. These pick up where it stops: Final Grade Calculator, Percentage Calculator, Mean, Median, Mode Calculator and HECS-HELP Repayment Calculator.
Where these figures come from
This calculation is jurisdiction-neutral arithmetic. No country-specific rules are applied.
- World Education Services. How international grades and GPAs are evaluated and compared
- Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. Regulator of Australian universities and their academic standards
- National Center for Education Statistics. US data and definitions for grade point averages
- UCAS. UK degree classifications used in place of a GPA
GPA Calculator produces an estimate for general information. It is not financial, tax, medical, legal or engineering advice. read the full disclaimer. Spotted a wrong number? Report it and it gets fixed. The form picks up this calculator and the inputs you used.