How to Calculate GPA (Semester, Cumulative and Weighted)

7 min read · Updated September 26, 2026 · by the SolveCalcPro editorial team

Your grade point average is a credit-weighted average of grade points, and once you know the three formulas — semester, cumulative and “needed next term” — you can plan a whole degree. This guide explains the 4.0 scale, shows each calculation with real numbers and links to the separate guide on weighted course grades and final exams.

The 4.0 grade-point scale

Letter	Points	Letter	Points
A / A+	4.0	C+	2.3
A−	3.7	C	2.0
B+	3.3	C−	1.7
B	3.0	D	1.0
B−	2.7	F	0.0

Some schools use a straight A = 4 / B = 3 scale without plus and minus grades, or give A+ a 4.3. Check your own registrar’s table before you calculate.

Semester GPA

Multiply each course’s grade points by its credit hours to get quality points, add them up, then divide by the total credits: GPA = total quality points ÷ total credits. An A in a 3-credit course is 12 points, a B+ in a 4-credit course is 13.2 and an A− in a 3-credit course is 11.1. Total: 36.3 quality points over 10 credits = 3.63. Courses with more credits move your GPA more, which is why a 4-credit lab matters more than a 1-credit seminar.

Cumulative GPA

Your cumulative GPA combines every term. Cumulative GPA = (prior GPA × prior credits + new quality points) ÷ (prior credits + new credits). With a prior GPA of 3.20 over 45 credits (144 quality points) and the 36.3 points above, the cumulative GPA becomes (144 + 36.3) ÷ 55 = 3.28. The more credits you have already completed, the less any single term moves the average.

The GPA you need next term

To plan a target, rearrange the same formula: needed term GPA = (target × total credits − prior quality points) ÷ new credits. To reach a 3.50 cumulative GPA after taking 15 more credits on top of 45 prior credits at 3.20 you would need (3.50 × 60 − 144) ÷ 15 = 4.40 — above a 4.0, so the target is not reachable in one term; it would take several strong terms. Test scenarios in the GPA calculator.

Weighted GPA (honours, AP and IB)

Many US high schools add a point (or half a point) for honours, AP or IB courses, so a B in an AP class counts as 4.0 and the weighted GPA can exceed 4.0. Colleges often recalculate GPA on their own unweighted scale, so keep both numbers. Weighted GPA is a different thing from the weighted course grade, where homework, quizzes and exams count for different percentages inside one class — that is covered in how to calculate a weighted grade, along with the score you need on a final exam.

Common mistakes

Averaging letter grades instead of weighting by credits.
Forgetting that retaken courses may replace or average with the original grade, depending on school policy.
Counting pass/fail or transfer credits that are excluded from GPA.
Mixing a weighted high-school GPA with a college application’s unweighted scale.

Practice questions

Test yourself, then tap to check. Answers are calculated by the tools linked below.

Find the GPA for A 4, A- 3, B 3 and B+ 2.
Show answer
GPA (4.0 scale): 3.558
Homework 88% (weight 25), a project 92/100 (weight 25) and a midterm 75% (weight 30). What is the current grade, and what average is needed on the remaining 20% to finish at 85%?
Show answer
Current grade (on work graded so far): 84.38% · Letter grade: B · Average needed on the remaining 20 to finish at 85%: 87.5%
Find the mean of 72, 88, 91, 65 and 84.
Show answer
Mean (average): 80