How to Calculate Your GPA and Plan the Grades You Need

Many students only find out their GPA when the results are printed. By then it is too late to change anything. If you know how GPA works, you can check it yourself at any time, and you can plan the grades you need before the semester ends instead of hoping for the best.

What GPA means

GPA stands for grade point average. Each course you take has credit hours, and each grade you earn is worth grade points. On the common 4.0 scale, an A is worth 4, a B is worth 3, a C is worth 2, a D is worth 1 and an F is worth 0. Some schools also use plus and minus grades, such as A- or B+, which sit between the whole letters.

Your school may use a different scale, so always check its handbook. The method below stays the same either way.

How to work out your semester GPA

Multiply the credit hours of each course by the grade points you earned. Add up those results. Then divide by the total credit hours.

Here is an example. Maths is 3 credits and you got an A, so 3 x 4 = 12. English is 3 credits with a B, so 3 x 3 = 9. Biology is 4 credits with a C, so 4 x 2 = 8. Computer Studies is 2 credits with an A, so 2 x 4 = 8. Together that is 37 grade points over 12 credits, and 37 divided by 12 gives a GPA of about 3.08.

Notice that a 4-credit course counts more than a 2-credit one. A weak grade in a big course pulls your GPA down further than the same grade in a small course.

How to check it in under a minute

1. Open the GPA calculator.

2. Choose a grading scale: letters only, or letters with plus and minus.

3. Add each course with its credit hours and your grade.

4. Read your semester GPA on the right.

Your courses are saved in your own browser so you can come back to them. Nothing is uploaded.

Your cumulative GPA

Your cumulative GPA covers everything you have completed so far. In the calculator, enter your current GPA and the credits you have already completed, and it combines them with this semester's courses. This is the number that usually matters for scholarships, graduation honours and applications.

How to plan the grades you need

This is the most useful part. Suppose you have a GPA of 2.8 after 45 credits, and you want to reach 3.0 after the next 15 credits. Your total credits will be 60, so you need 3.0 x 60 = 180 grade points in all. You already have 2.8 x 45 = 126. The remaining 54 points must come from 15 credits, which means you need an average of 3.6 this semester.

That is a mixed result of mainly A and B grades, which is hard but possible. Knowing it now means you can decide where to put your effort. The earlier you do this sum, the more room you have. A student with 100 credits finished moves their GPA very slowly, while a student in the first year can change it quickly.

Simple habits that raise grades

Put the courses with the most credit hours first when you plan your study time. Study a little every day instead of cramming. Use short, focused sessions with breaks; the Pomodoro study timer is built for this. Ask your lecturer for help early, not after the exam. And if your school allows you to repeat a course, find out how the new grade replaces the old one.

A few things to remember

A GPA is a number that describes your past. It does not describe your ability. If you had a bad semester, a strong run afterwards will lift your cumulative GPA steadily. Keep a copy of your results, check them against your transcript, and speak to your registrar straight away if something looks wrong.

You can find more free tools for students on the tools page.