GPA calculations are not difficult. If you can add, subtract, multiply, and divide, you can calculate a GPA! We recommend that you ask someone else to verify your GPA calculations because it is easy to make a mistake.
To calculate a yearly GPA, first convert the final letter grade for each course in a given year into letter points as follows:
| A = 4 points |
| B = 3 points |
| C = 2 points |
| D = 1 point |
| F = 0 points |
| Pass/fail = 0 points |
After converting final letter grades to points, multiply each course’s letter points by the credit the course earned. This results in quality points, as you can see in the example below.
How to Calculate Quality Points
| Course title | Final grade | Letter points | Credit earned | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | A | 4 | 1.0 | 4 × 1.0 = 4 |
| Algebra 1 | B | 3 | 1.0 | 3 × 1.0 = 3 |
| Spanish 1 | C | 2 | 1.0 | 2 × 1.0 = 2 |
| Geography | A | 4 | 1.0 | 4 × 1.0 = 4 |
| Physical science | B | 3 | 1.0 | 3 × 1.0 = 3 |
| Physical education | Pass | 0 | 0.5 | 0 × 0.5 = 0 |
| Fine arts | A | 4 | 0.5 | 4 × 0.5 = 2 |
| Total quality points | 18 | |||
If you grade using pluses and minuses, a “+” increases the grade letter points by 0.3, while a “-” decreases the grade letter points by 0.3. You may also refer to these charts to determine quality points for one-credit courses and half-credit courses.
| Quality points for one-credit courses | ||
|---|---|---|
| A+ = 4.3 | A = 4.0 | A- = 3.7 |
| B+ = 3.3 | B = 3.0 | B- = 2.7 |
| C+ = 2.3 | C = 2.0 | C- = 1.7 |
| D+ = 1.3 | D = 1.0 | D- = 0.7 |
| F = 0 | ||
| Quality points for half-credit courses | ||
|---|---|---|
| A+ = 2.15 | A = 2.0 | A- = 1.85 |
| B+ = 1.65 | B = 1.5 | B- = 1.35 |
| C+ = 1.15 | C = 1.0 | C- = 0.85 |
| D+ = 0.65 | D = 0.5 | D- = 0.35 |
| F = 0 | ||
Next, divide total quality points for a given year by the total number of credits earned in that year (minus any credits that earned a “pass” grade). In the above example, the student earned 6 credits, but half a credit was from a pass/fail course, so we must subtract 0.5 from 6 before calculating the GPA. However, if your teen fails a pass/fail course, you must include the credit for the failed course in the GPA calculations even though the failed course earns zero quality points.
The GPA for the example is calculated as follows:
18 quality points ÷ 5.5 credits = 3.27 (rounded to two decimal figures)
You should calculate a yearly GPA for each completed year shown on the transcript.
How to calculate cumulative GPAs
A cumulative GPA is the most important assessment of your teen’s current academic ability. You calculate it by accumulating quality points in the numerator and then dividing by accumulated credits in the denominator. It is not simply an average of the yearly GPAs.
In 9th grade, the yearly and cumulative GPAs are the same. Use the following chart to calculate the cumulative GPA at the end of each high school year.
| Cumulative GPA | equals | Accumulated quality points | divided by | Accumulated credits minus accumulated pass credits |
| 9th-grade cumulative GPA | = | 9th-grade quality points | ÷ | 9th-grade credits – 9th-grade pass credits |
| 10th-grade cumulative GPA | = | 9th + 10th-grade quality points | ÷ | (9th + 10th grade credits) – (9th + 10th grade pass credits) |
| 11th-grade cumulative GPA | = | 9th + 10th + 11th grade quality points | ÷ | (9th + 10th + 11th grade credits) – (9th + 10th + 11th grade pass credits) |
| 12th-grade cumulative GPA | = | 9th + 10th + 11th + 12th grade quality points | ÷ | (9th + 10th + 11th+ 12th grade credits) – (9th + 10th + 11th + 12th grade pass credits) |
The chart below pulls all this information together to calculate both yearly and cumulative GPAs for a hypothetical transcript.
Calculation of Yearly and Cumulative GPAs (Example)
| Year | Quality points | Credits | Yearly GPA | Cumulative GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9th grade | 27 | 7.0 | 27 ÷ 7.0 = 3.86 | 27 ÷ 7.0 = 3.86 |
| 10th grade | 25.65 | 7.0 | 25.65 ÷ 7.0 = 3.66 | (27 + 25.65) ÷ (7.0 + 7.0) = 3.76 |
| 11th grade | 21.8 | 5.5 | 21.8 ÷ 5.5 = 3.96 | (27 + 25.65 + 21.8) ÷ (7.0 + 7.0 + 5.5) = 3.82 |
| 12th grade | 24.35 | 6.5 | 24.35 ÷ 6.5 = 3.75 | (27 + 25.65 + 21.9 + 24.35) ÷ (7.0 + 7.0 + 5.5 + 6.5) = 3.80 |
Honors, dual enrollment, and Advanced Placement
There is a GPA benefit for students who take honors courses because these courses receive more quality points than standard courses do.
| Quality points for one-credit honors (H) courses | ||
|---|---|---|
| A = 4.5 | A- = 4.2 | |
| B+ = 3.8 | B = 3.5 | B- = 3.2 |
| C+ = 2.8 | C = 2.5 | C- = 2.2 |
| D+ = 1.8 | D = 1.5 | D- = 1.2 |
| F = 0 | ||
Dual enrollment is referred to in some states as postsecondary enrollment options (PSEO) or concurrent enrollment. These courses typically do not receive higher quality points for grades when you calculate the GPA. As the homeschooling parent, you make the final decision about whether you will give a weight to dual-enrollment grades when calculating GPAs.
| Quality points for 3–5-credit dual-enrollment courses | ||
|---|---|---|
| A = 4.0 | A- = 3.7 | |
| B+ = 3.3 | B = 3.0 | B- = 2.7 |
| C+ = 2.3 | C = 2.0 | C- = 1.7 |
| D+ = 1.3 | D = 1.0 | D- = 0.7 |
| F = 0 | ||
| Quality points for 2-credit dual-enrollment courses | ||
|---|---|---|
| A = 2.0 | A- = 1.85 | |
| B+ = 1.65 | B = 1.5 | B- = 1.35 |
| C+ = 1.15 | C = 1.0 | C- = 0.85 |
| D+ = 0.65 | D = 0.5 | D- = 0.35 |
| F = 0 | ||
Similarly to honors courses, AP courses receive additional quality points when you calculate the GPA.
| Quality points for one-credit AP courses | ||
|---|---|---|
| A = 5.0 | A- = 4.7 | |
| B+ = 4.3 | B = 4.0 | B- = 3.7 |
| C+ = 3.3 | C = 3.0 | C- = 2.7 |
| D+ = 2.3 | D = 2.0 | D- = 1.7 |
| F = 0 | ||
| Quality points for half-credit AP courses | ||
|---|---|---|
| A = 2.5 | A- = 2.35 | |
| B+ = 2.15 | B = 2.0 | B- = 1.85 |
| C+ = 1.65 | C = 1.5 | C- = 1.35 |
| D+ = 1.15 | D = 1.0 | D- = 0.85 |
| F = 0 | ||