How to Calculate Grades: Easy & Fast Approach

GPA: Definition and What You Should Know About It

If you wonder how to get good grades in college, you should figure out what the GPA is. A GPA, also known as a Grade Point Average, is the arithmetic average of all the grades obtained for all courses accomplished, taking into account the time spent on them, including the final grade for the exam work. According to the European scales, the final grade can vary from 0.0 to 5.0, while the American performance grading system presupposes the final grade varying from 0.0 to 4.0. When filling out an application for preparatory programs, a GPA is needed to be provided to many universities. Based on it, the admissions committee decides whether to accept your application or reject it.

Want to know how to calculate your grades and understand how close you are to complying with all the requirements of your chosen university? Here are several nuances for you to know how to calculate your final grade. First of all, do not forget about the importance of specialized subjects - they are sometimes crucial for the admission committee. Secondly, it may be so that low grades or the final grade can be compensated with work experience, extracurricular achievements, or external assignments being successfully accomplished. Of course, this option will work in all universities since the grade requirements might be very stringent in some high-rated educational establishments. Sounds a bit difficult? Seek our college admission essay help to make things simple.  

How to Calculate Your Final Grade Yourself?

If you have ever googled “calculate my grade”, you are in the right place. In this article, we will show you how to do it in a few minutes. Grade percentage is a prerequisite for admission to most universities. Calculating the final grade using a simple formula will be useful when choosing an educational institution. First of all, the grade reflects your average performance for all subjects, and not certain hobbies and interests. The admission committee will most likely pay attention to your final grades in specialized subjects, whose weight is of more importance, and may recount the final grade for verification. But you need to understand that if your average grade is much less than the required rate set for this university, your chances of being accepted are far from being high.

The means of how to calculate grade percentage in a particular university is different and may vary. A number of universities request a grade of the last 3 years of study. Others may ask you to calculate final grade in specific subjects. Therefore, the following formula is not applicable in all cases and for all grades. But if you want to assess your chances of admission and determine the list of universities to apply to, then this method of grade calculation will suit you perfectly.

To write down the final average grade, you need to multiply the number of hours spent on a course by its rating. As a rule, the final grade is considered based on a 4-point grading system, which is used in the United States and other countries. Therefore, in this case, the average score or grade is calculated as follows:  

• Convert the grades into the numerical grading system (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0);
• Multiply the grade by the number of hours for each course;
• Find the amount of hours spent on all classes;
• Divide the calculation result obtained from the 1 step by the calculation result obtained from the 2 step.

So, the formula for GPA will look like this:

GPA = (grades*hours)/hours

Thus, you will get any type of final grade that might be requested by the admission committee. Now let’s look at the example of how to calculate your grade.

Let’s suggest that you got such grades for classes:  

Biology (100 hours) - A;

Mathematics (200 hours) - B;

Physics (70 hours) - A;

Computer science (80 hours) - C;

Chemistry (50 hours) - B.  

First, translate the grades into the numerical grading system according to the following logic:

A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0.  

Biology (100 h.) - 4

Mathematics (200 h.) - 3

Physics (70 hours) - 4

Computer Science (80 hours) - 2

Chemistry (50 hours) - 4  

Then, multiply the numerical grades by the number of hours for each course and totalize them:

4 * 100 + 3 * 200 + 4 * 70 + 2 * 80 + 4 * 50 = 1,644  

After that, put together the total number of hours for all academic disciplines taken:

100 + 200 + 70 + 80 + 50 = 500  

And finally, divide the grade total (1,644) by the total number of hours (500):

1644/500 = 3.3

Your GPA = 3.3  

Also, we suggest you to try a grade calculator by StudyCrumb to estimate your results quickly. 

How to Calculate Your Grade if a Study Is Not Completed?

Sometimes you need to know how to calculate what you need on a final. But, as a rule, admission to some universities begins in an academic year or a half. If you are still studying at the time, you can independently assess the average grade based on intermediate current grades in order to assess your chances of entering the university of your dream. In this case, the basis to get the GPA can take estimates for:

• Only completed courses with final grades being already set;
• All completed and most recent grades given to the courses being attended.

When sending the official application to the university (if the certificate has not yet been received), the applicant must provide a transcript - a letter with grades, with the average grade being indicated. In addition, you should inform the university when the final grades will be ready to be shared. You can obtain the information from a teacher.

Offsets in Calculating Grades

You already know how to average grades, but there are likely courses in your diploma with offsets instead of grades assigned to them. The way it affects the average grade depends on the particular university and its rules. In most cases, classes without a grade are not taken into account at all in the calculation, but it’s better to check it with the contact person from the university. In any case, you will send a copy of your diploma with grades. And if this calculation is not applicable at the university, an overestimated grade can be considered as hackwork, which can significantly reduce the chances of admission. That’s why it is so important to clarify everything in advance and calculate a grade accurately! Ask us to write my college application essay for me if you want to get admitted 100%.

How to Specify Your Final Grade in an Application for Admission

You already know the answer to the question of how to calculate final grade. Now let’s discuss how to specify it in your application. The rule of specifying the GPA in the application is simple: you just need to indicate not only the average grade but also inform the admissions committee the maximum possible grade on your program (in case you are applying to a foreign university). For example, if you are following a 5-score grading system in your university/ school and your average grade is 4.1, then in the application to be sent to admission, you need to write “the GPA 4.1 out of 5.”

If the Final Grade Is Low

If you calculated grades and understand that your final grade, even with weighted scores, is not a strong point in your application, then it is better to focus on other documents that you submit at admission rather than trying to raise the average grade by artificial methods. The admissions committee will see all your grades anyway. No need to panic since the final grade is only part of your application. In addition to your current performance and grades, other indicators are considered as well.

It is better to pay more attention to a motivation letter, where you can explain the controversial moments of the academic past, reveal your strengths and high grades. Cover your low final grade with your past achievements. For example, successful participation in some projects gives an advantage to the future applicant and will increase your final grade.

If the percentage of the total points is less than 2.5, you can no longer expect to enter the top universities in the United States. But there are universities that will accept you even with low grades on the condition that you accomplish an additional preparatory program. The duration of the training program is determined by your average grade and can be from 3 to 9 months.

Do not panic! There is still a great chance to enter a good university. Start with calculating grades with the help of our guide, prepare all documents, and solve problems if there are any.  

How to Calculate Final Grades: Final Thoughts

It is not always easy to enter a university or to land the job of your dream. However, how to calculate grades with weighted percentages and accurately assess the GPA may considerably increase your chances of being accepted. So it is never a good idea to neglect this task. We do hope this post was useful to you and that now you know how to calculate your final grade! When in doubt, the scholarship essay help is what you need. Trust us, it has helped thousands of students to get funding and sponsorship already already.