How to Calculate GPA/Letter Grades?

[S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN]

My school strictly uses a percentage grade for all courses, but I always hear students (especially Americans) referring to their marks as 4.0, 3.75, B-, C, etc.

Is there a standardized system for translating a percentage grade to a GPA or letter grade?

Does this change from school to school?

Whats the % equivalent for 2.5-3.0, 3.0-3.5, 3.5-4.0?

And the corresponding percentages to letter grades?

Thanks alot!

[firstaiddave907]

you could call the eduication deperment in your state and ask them that

[S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN]

lol thanks, but I ask the question b/c I'm not from the states, I live in Ontario Canada and I've never heard any other students in my area ever talk about a GPA or letter grades.

[Moondance]

Here is a link that explains how the GPA is calculated:

How to Calculate GPA

[S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN]

Thanks for the website Moondance. I was actually there earlier today trying to answer my own question. It does help, but I'm curious....is this the standard way it is done across the USA? Is there any particular reason why GPA is used rather than a percentage? It seems far less exact, and more of a rounded off number. And again, sorry for this, but I'm still wondering what is an A B C D?

[Moondance]

Hi again

I went to Wikipedia and was reading this article regarding academic grading in North America. Give it a look and see if it helps.

Academic grading in North America - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The article covers all the different grading systems used here and also talks about how it differs from the grading system used in Ontario.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Each 'A' grade equals 4 points. Each 'B' grade equals 3 points. Each 'C' grade equals 2 points. Each 'D' grade equals 1 point. Each 'F' grade equals 0 points.

3.6 to 4.0 grade point average = 'A' average (36 / 40 = 90%)

[S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN]

Thanks for the article Moondance

[MySimplePlan]

Stacey, though it's true A=4. Be3, and so on, it also matters how many credits the class is and what you get in that class.

A four credit class has a potential of earning you 16 GPA points. If you get an A, you get the full 16.

A four credit class in which you earn a B will get you 3 points per credit, so 3 X 4 = 12, instead of the 16 you could have earned.

A 3 credit class is still an A, and your report card shows a 4.0, but you get 12 GPA points.

I just received an A in a 7 credit nursing course. That is a whopping 28 GPA points, compared to the 'A' I received in my 3 credit Psych course (12 credits.) Get it?

Those are the points that really compose your GPA.

To answer your question directly, 3.6 - 4.0 = A; 3.0 - 3.5 = B; 2.5 - 2.9 = C. Roughly....I could be off a bit, but it's about this.

[S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN]

Thanks everybody!