A weighted GPA is a grade point average (GPA) that takes into account the difficulty of the courses that a student has taken. In a weighted GPA system, grades for Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and honors courses are given additional points, usually one point for an AP or IB course and half a point for an honors course. This means that an A in an AP course is worth more than an A in a regular course. Weighted GPAs are used by some high schools to better reflect the academic achievements of students who have taken more challenging courses.
An unweighted GPA is a grade point average that does not take into account the difficulty of the courses that a student has taken. In an unweighted GPA system, all grades are given the same value, regardless of whether they are from regular, honors, AP, or IB courses. An A in any course is worth the same number of points as an A in any other course. Unweighted GPAs are used by some high schools to provide a more straightforward comparison of the grades of all students.
To calculate a weighted GPA, you need to follow these steps:
- Determine the number of credits or units each of your courses is worth. Typically, a full-year course is worth one credit or unit, while a half-year course is worth half a credit or unit.
- Find the grade point value for each of your grades. In most schools, the grade point values are as follows:
- A+: 4.0
- A: 4.0
- A-: 3.7
- B+: 3.3
- B: 3.0
- B-: 2.7
- C+: 2.3
- C: 2.0
- C-: 1.7
- D+: 1.3
- D: 1.0
- D-: 0.7
- F: 0.0
- Multiply the number of credits or units for each course by the grade point value for the grade you received in that course. For example, if you received an A in a one-unit course, the grade point value would be 4.0.
- Add up the grade point values for all of your courses.
- Divide the total grade point value by the total number of credits or units you have taken. This will give you your weighted GPA.
To calculate an unweighted GPA, you can follow the same steps, but you do not need to worry about adjusting the grade point values for different types of courses. All grades are given the same value, regardless of the course.
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