Start with your actual grade scale
Use the grading policy for your school, academic level, and period. A plus or minus is not worth the same amount in every scale. Our generic tool uses a clearly labeled example scale.
Count credits, not just courses
A course with four GPA credits has twice the weight of one with two. Averaging the letter-grade values without accounting for credits works only when all included courses have equal credits.
A zero is not an exclusion
If your selected policy counts a failing grade as zero points, its credits remain in the denominator. An excluded grade contributes neither quality points nor GPA credits. Check your policy instead of assuming pass/fail outcomes are identical.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
Put the numbers together
Illustrative example: A/3 = 12 points, B/4 = 12 points, C/2 = 4 points. Total: 28 points ÷ 9 credits = 3.1111…, displayed as 3.11 on a round-to-two-decimals policy.
Method and limits
These examples use stated mathematical assumptions, not a claim that every institution uses the same policy. Read our methodology or check the available institution-specific profiles. Your transcript is the official record.