Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
- Unweighted GPA
- 3.50
- on a 4.0 scale
- Weighted GPA
- 3.88
At a glance
- Unweighted scale
- A 4.0, B 3.0, C 2.0, D 1.0, F 0
- Common honors bonus
- +0.5
- Common AP/IB bonus
- +1.0
- Who sets the rules
- Each high school
Grade points used by the calculator
The common 4.0 scale with plus and minus grades. If your school's transcript uses different values, it wins.
| Letter | Points | Letter | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ or A | 4.0 | C+ | 2.3 |
| A- | 3.7 | C | 2.0 |
| B+ | 3.3 | C- | 1.7 |
| B | 3.0 | D+ | 1.3 |
| B- | 2.7 | D | 1.0 |
| F | 0.0 |
Some schools give A+ a 4.3 or do not use minus grades. College Board's BigFuture guide shows the whole-letter version of this scale.
The method, with an example
For each course, multiply the grade points by the course credits. Add those up and divide by the total credits: that is the unweighted GPA. For the weighted GPA, add the honors or AP/IB bonus to each course's points before multiplying. A failing grade gets no bonus.
Example, four one-credit courses: an A in AP Biology, a B+ in Honors English, an A- in Algebra 2 and a B in History. Unweighted: (4.0 + 3.3 + 3.7 + 3.0) / 4 = 3.50. Weighted with +1.0 for AP and +0.5 for honors: (5.0 + 3.8 + 3.7 + 3.0) / 4 = 3.88.
Caveats
- Weighting rules differ: some schools give the bonus only for a C or better, some cap the weighted GPA at 5.0, and some do not weight at all.
- US colleges often recalculate GPAs, removing weighting or non-academic courses, so they can compare students from different schools.
- A Gulf school's American transcript may show percentages rather than letters. Use the school's own conversion, which is printed on its school profile.
- Cumulative GPA usually covers grades 9 to 12. Calculate each semester separately, then combine them by credits.
Where lessons make a difference
Every course counts towards the GPA, so the subject that drags it down matters as much as the one a student loves. A one-to-one tutor can take the weakest course, often a math or science class, and work on what the teacher actually grades: homework accuracy, quiz preparation and the unit tests that carry most of the semester grade. For AP courses the same lessons build towards the May exam, where a 3 or above can earn college credit at many US colleges.
Common questions
What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?
Unweighted GPA treats every course the same on a 4.0 scale. Weighted GPA adds a bonus for honors, AP or IB courses, so it can go above 4.0.
Is a 3.5 GPA good?
On an unweighted 4.0 scale, 3.5 is a B+ average and is generally solid. Selective US colleges mostly admit students near the top of the scale, and they read the GPA alongside course difficulty.
Do colleges use my weighted or unweighted GPA?
Both appear on many transcripts. Many colleges recalculate GPA their own way, so what matters most is strong grades in demanding courses.
Does an IB course count like AP?
Some schools weight IB Diploma courses like AP, with a +1.0 bonus, and others treat them differently. The school decides, so check its school profile and set the bonus in the calculator to match.
What do LiveTutor lessons for American curriculum subjects cost?
Lessons are one to one, online and 60 minutes at $15 a lesson, for every subject and grade. Plans run from 1 to 5 lessons a week, billed monthly; three lessons a week is $180 a month. The first lesson is a free trial.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.