A Method to Calculate GPA
In this article, I will explain how to calculate GPA with an example.
What is GPA?
GPA stands for Grade Point Average. Many universities use GPAs to evaluate their grades.
GPA is a grading system that expresses a numerical average of the grades of the courses taken.
GPA values not only the amount of credit acquisition but also the quality of the learning.
A GPA that is also involved in university grades or job hunting. Many people are curious about how many GPA points they are getting.
How to calculate GPA
Before calculating your GPA, you must check your grades as determined by the university you are attending.
Each school has different grades; some are in alphabetical order like "A to E," some are in numerical order, and some with 5 or 6 points.
After examining your grades and the GPA standards set by your school, you can check how many points you will receive for each evaluation stage.
For example, if the highest GPA point value is 4 points and the lowest is 0 points, the points are set for your grade in the following way:
- A: Excellent, 4 points
- B: Very good, 3 points
- C: Good, 2 points
- D: Acceptable, 1 point
- E: Fail, 0 points
Some universities give 5 points for the top grade, while others give 4 points for the topmost and 0 points for the bottommost failing grade, as shown above.
Your GPA is the sum of the points determined by the university's GPA criteria for each grade and divided by the total number of credits.
GPA calculation example
Suppose that A university has a GPA as follows:
A: 4 points
B: 3 points
C: 2 points
D: 1 point
E: 0 points
Suppose Mr. James, who attends A university, earned the following credits during one year:
Grade A subjects: 3 credits
Grade B subjects: 5 credits
Grade C subjects: 4 credits
Grade D subjects: 8 credits
In this case, the number of credits that Mr. James acquired during one year is a total of 20 credits. When converted to GPA, we use the following formula:
= [(number of A credits × 4 points) + (number of B credits × 3 points) + (number of C credits × 2 points) + (number of D credits × 1 points)] ÷ Total credits
= (3 x 4) + (5 x 3) + (4 x 2) + (8 x 1) ÷ 20
= 2.15
According to the above calculation method, Mr. James, who attends University A, has earned 20 credits in one year and has a GPA of 2.15.
Summary
In this article, I have explained how to calculate GPA and what it is.
GPA is a numerical value of university grades based on a specific calculation method.