GPA basics in plain words
How GPA works: what the number means
GPA means your grade average. It blends all your course grades into one number. Credits set how much each course counts.
What GPA means
Each grade stands for points. On a US 4.0 scale, an A is 4.0, a B is 3.0, a C is 2.0, a D is 1.0, and an F is 0. You times the points by the course credits. That gives grade points. You add all grade points, then split by all credits. The answer is the GPA.
Say you earn an A in a 4 credit lab and a C in a 2 credit class. The A gives 16 points. The C gives 4 points. That is 20 points for 6 credits. The GPA is 3.33. The lab counts twice as much since it holds twice the credits.
How credits set the weight
Think of credits as votes. A 4 credit course casts four votes. A 1 credit course casts one vote. A low grade in a big course hurts more than a low grade in a small one. A high grade in a big course lifts more too.
This is why term GPA and full CGPA can look far apart. Term GPA covers one term. CGPA covers all terms with past credits mixed in. Past work holds weight. One good term may not lift a long past by much. Try your own mix in the free GPA tool to see the pull.
US, India 10 point, and ECTS scales side by side
US 4.0 runs from A+ at 4.0 down to F at 0, with plus and minus steps. Some US schools use 4.3 with A+ at 4.3. Here both A and A+ count 4.0 on the 4.0 scale. India 10 point runs O 10, A+ 9, A 8, B+ 7, B 6, C 5, P 4, F 0. Schools set their own pass cut, so check your course sheet.
ECTS has no set 4.0 table. For a rough guide this site maps A 4.0, B 3.0, C 2.0, D 1.0, E 0.7, F 0. Treat that map as a guess. Schools use their own tables for transfer credit. Ask your school which table it wants before you send numbers. To plan next term grades from here, see our raise GPA planner guide.
GPA basics questions
What does GPA mean in plain words?
GPA means your grade average with credit weight. Each course grade counts as points times credits. You add those up and split by total credits. A 4 credit A counts twice as much as a 2 credit A.
How do US, India 10 point, and ECTS scales compare?
US 4.0 runs A 4.0 down to F 0 with plus and minus steps. India 10 point runs O 10 down to F 0. ECTS has no official 4.0 table, so this site uses a rough guide of A 4.0, B 3.0, C 2.0, D 1.0, E 0.7, F 0. Ask your school which table it uses.
Why did one course move my GPA so much?
Credits set the weight. A 4 credit course counts twice as much as a 2 credit course with the same grade. Low grades in high credit courses pull the average down fast.