What is GPA ? And How to calculate yours ?

 

What is GPA ?

The grade point average is abbreviated as GPA. In the United States, it is a common method of assessing academic achievement. It basically goes like this: Depending on the course content, each course is assigned a set number of "units" or "credits." Most courses in high school have the same amount of units, however this is not the case in college. Most college courses have a three-unit load (about three hours of lecture per week and six hours of homework per semester), however the number can range from fractions of one to more than five. GPA is calculated using an A, B, C, D, and F grading scale. A number of grade points is allocated to each grade.

An A receives four points, a B three, a C two, a D one, and a F zero. Whether you're working on secondary or college grades, the method is the same.

If you receive an A in a three-unit class, you will receive 3 units times 4 points (for the A), for a total of 12 grade points for the course. Let's imagine you also get a C in a four-unit subject (common in Mathematics, for example). 4 units times 2 points equals 8 points. So you've earned 20 grade points for the 7 units in your two classes. The GPA is calculated by dividing the total grade points by the number of units. (20/7=2.86) , So your grade point average is 2.86, which is slightly below a B.

You may be able to determine your grade point average if your grading system is A-F on a four-point scale. However, outside of the United States, most systems do not use that scale. Even some systems that utilize a comparable scale have different meanings for grades (for example, "A" grades are fairly uncommon in the United States, but they are nearly never issued in some systems), therefore the GPA is not representational of what it is in this country. As a result, colleges in this country frequently have people who have been professionally trained in evaluating credentials from other nations.

How to calculate it ?