New semester, fresh start. If you've never fully understood how your GPA is calculated — or you want to double-check your school's math — this guide breaks it down completely. No guesswork, no confusion.
What Is a GPA?
GPA stands for Grade Point Average. It's a single number that summarizes your academic performance across all your classes. Most high schools use a 4.0 scale, where an A equals 4.0, a B equals 3.0, and so on. Your cumulative GPA is the average of all your courses, weighted by how many credits each class carries.
The Standard Grade Point Scale
| Letter Grade | Grade Points (Unweighted) |
|---|---|
| A / A+ | 4.0 |
| A− | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B− | 2.7 |
| C+ | 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 |
| D | 1.0 |
| F | 0.0 |
Step-by-Step: How to Calculate Your GPA
Let's say you're taking four classes this semester:
- English — A (4.0) — 1 credit
- Math — B+ (3.3) — 1 credit
- Biology — B (3.0) — 1 credit
- History — A− (3.7) — 1 credit
Step 1: Multiply each grade point by its credit value: 4.0 × 1 = 4.0, 3.3 × 1 = 3.3, 3.0 × 1 = 3.0, 3.7 × 1 = 3.7.
Step 2: Add all the products: 4.0 + 3.3 + 3.0 + 3.7 = 14.0
Step 3: Divide by total credits: 14.0 ÷ 4 = 3.5 GPA
What About Weighted GPA?
If you're taking honors, AP, or IB classes, your school may use a weighted GPA scale that goes up to 5.0. These courses add extra grade points to reward the increased difficulty. An A in an AP class might be worth 5.0 instead of 4.0, and a B might be 4.0 instead of 3.0.
Not all colleges recalculate weighted GPAs the same way — many colleges recalculate your GPA on their own scale when reviewing applications. Still, weighted GPA signals course rigor and matters for class rank at most high schools.
Semester GPA vs. Cumulative GPA
Your semester GPA covers only the current term. Your cumulative GPA averages every course you've taken across all semesters. Colleges care most about your cumulative GPA, but a strong upward trend — even with a rough start — is noticed and valued.
How Often Should You Check Your GPA?
At the start of each semester (like right now in August), it's worth calculating what GPA you're entering the term with — and what grades you'd need to hit your target. This gives you a concrete goal for each class before midterms creep up.
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