What is the GPA and why do you need it?
The 4.0 GPA scale
GPA Calculator
Why is your GPA important?
Is your GPA enough to get into your dream university?

Are you confused about what is the GPA scale? I was too. Until I did some really extensive research and wrote this blog for you all! The scoring system for students is different from country to country. Some get their scores in percentages, others in points or grades. But, if you’re thinking of applying to any university abroad, it is important to have your score converted to a GPA. Even if the university you’re applying to asks for your marks in a different format, a GPA score is a great comparative measure. So, to help all of you who want to know about the GPA scale and how to calculate GPA, we came up with this informative blog. Stick around and make sure you download the study abroad checklist which will help you plan your education abroad!

What is the GPA and why do you need it?

If you’re thinking of applying to universities abroad, then you must have heard this term GPA many times. The Grade Point Average or GPA is a measure of your academic achievement over a specific duration i.e a year or a semester. It is accepted by most countries around the world and is a primary measuring system for universities in North America(the USA and Canada), Australia, and most European countries.

The 4.0 GPA scale

The 4.0 GPA scale, also known as the Unweighted GPA scale is the most commonly-used GPA measurement scale in universities around the world. While there are some high schools that also use a 5.0 GPA scale(weighted GPA scale), it is not as widely used as the 4.0 GPA scale (Unweighted) because it considers the difficulty of your coursework.

GPA Calculator

The concept behind the GPA calculation is pretty simple. Every course or subject you study is assigned a specific number of ‘credits’ or in some other cases, ‘units’. If you don’t know the credits allotted to each subject, you can get this list of credits assigned from your respective institutions where you got your previous degree. These credits along with your the grade/percentage you receive is calculated into your GPA.

What is the formula for GPA calculation?

Now, this may seem confusing, but the best formula to calculate your GPA is to divide the total number of grade points in a program by the total number of credits attempted. The result of that calculation is your GPA. The formula goes as follows:

Total grade points earned ÷ Total credits (based on your courses) = GPA

How do you convert letter grades to GPA?

The GPA scale directly compares to a grading system of A, B, C, D, and F. In simple terms, each grade is assigned a point. That means A=4, B=3, a C=2, a D=1, and an F=0. Easy so far? Okay.

So, here’s an example to help you understand better:

Suppose you’re pursuing a program and have a course with 4 units (Credits=4). Suppose you score a grade ‘B’ (remember, B=3). Therefore, total grade points = 4Ô3=12.
Let’s assume you have another course with 3 units (Credits=3) and scored another ‘B’ grade in it (again, B=3). Your total grade points = 3Ô3=9.
So now, your Total grade points are 21(12+9) and your total credits are 7. Using the formula mentioned above, 21÷7 gives you 3-grade points which equal to a GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 for that specific program.

How do you convert your percentage to GPA?

In countries like India, the most commonly used scoring system is percentage(%). Therefore, students need to convert the range of percentage which is quite obviously out of 100, to a GPA scale of 4.0. The math for that is pretty simple actually.

There are 4 points in the GPA scale and you need to set a value to each point.
Therefore, if you divide 100 by 4, you get 25(100÷4=25). This means that you have assigned 25 points to 1 GPA point.
The final step is to divide your received percentage by hundred and multiply it by 4.

GPA = (Total percentage ÷ 100) Ô 4

Why is your GPA important?

Now that you know how to calculate GPA, let’s find out how big a role it plays in your university applications. The first thing you need to understand is this- GPA isn’t everything but it certainly is very important. Admissions officers are more likely to consider your profile more seriously if you have a good GPA. Not only that, but having a good GPA can also make your eligible for a lot of scholarships offered by universities, the government, and even private organizations.

In fact, it’s not just colleges that look at a student’s GPA. Companies that recruit students right after college consider GPA as the initial deciding factor. It is, after all, one of the biggest signs of your merit and skill. So, make sure that you try your level best to maintain a good GPA.

Is your GPA enough to get into your dream university?

Whether your GPA is high or low, when you apply to universities, there are a lot more factors that they are looking for. Some of the other factors that universities consider among their applicants are:

Statement of purpose(SOP)
Work experience
Letters of recommendation(LORs)
Social profile
Extracurricular activities, etc.

So, if your GPA is high, you’re already off to a great start! However, even if you have a low GPA, remember, you can always boost your chances of getting into your dream university by acing these other aspects of your student profile!

Make sure you check our iSchoolConnect’s SOP-writing tool by registering here.