How GPA Is Calculated

Understand grade points, credits and quality points on a common 4.0 GPA scale.

Grade points

A GPA scale converts letter grades into numbers. A common unweighted scale uses A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, D=1.0 and F=0, with intermediate values for plus and minus grades.

Credits matter

A 4-credit course influences GPA more than a 1-credit course because grade points are multiplied by credits.

Quality points

An A in a 3-credit class contributes 4.0 × 3 = 12 quality points. A B in a 3-credit class contributes 3.0 × 3 = 9 quality points.

Final formula

Add all quality points, then divide by the total credits included in the calculation.

Why official GPAs differ

Schools can use different plus/minus values and different rules for repeated courses, transfer credit, pass/fail classes and advanced-course weighting.

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Reviewed for CurioLift v0.2 • October 2026