How is GPA calculated?

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Aug 26, 2020

This is a good question to ask! Normally the "F" would NOT be calculated into your GPA as it has been repeated. Both courses would remain on your transcript with a notation that the first one was repeated. Your "new" grade would be what they use to calculate your GPA and your first attempt would be effectively ignored for purposes of GPA calculation.

Now then programs that look at transcripts may have a policy regarding repeated courses, so you should find out what that policy is as that should tell you if they consider that course in determining your overall GPA for their purposes.

yourgoodneighbor · Aug 27, 2020

18 hours ago, akulahawkRN said:

This is a good question to ask! Normally the "F" would NOT be calculated into your GPA as it has been repeated. Both courses would remain on your transcript with a notation that the first one was repeated. Your "new" grade would be what they use to calculate your GPA and your first attempt would be effectively ignored for purposes of GPA calculation.

Now then programs that look at transcripts may have a policy regarding repeated courses, so you should find out what that policy is as that should tell you if they consider that course in determining your overall GPA for their purposes.

Have you noticed a trend? Do most programs not calculate the F in? Is it somewhat 50/50 or do most have policies regarding repeated grades?

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Aug 27, 2020

In my own (somewhat limited) experience, an "original" course that is repeated for academic (low grade) reasons is not counted in GPA calculations. However, if you got a reasonable grade the first time around, (C or higher) and you were able to repeat the course in an attempt to improve upon that, both would be counted in the GPA calcuation.

As to how a specific program handles course repeats, that's up to the specific program. I was in a program that did not recognize a repeated course if it had been repeated within 5 years of the previous attempt. In my case, I had taken A&P some 15 years prior and took A&P again just prior to applying to the program and the repeated course was not counted as a "repeat" because so much time had elapsed. That actually had the effect of greatly improving my application GPA as my first go-round with A&P wasn't as good.

So, when it comes to repeat coursework and a given program, it behooves you to investigate this so you know how they treat these courses. I would suspect that most programs would allow coursework to be repeated without penalty to you so that you keep the knowledge reasonably "fresh" as long as you're not constantly repeating courses solely to improve GPA.