How GPA is Calculated — 4.0, 10-Point, and Percentage Scales

GPA — Grade Point Average — is the universal yardstick for academic performance. But “universal” is generous: the US uses 4.0, India uses 10-point, Australia uses 7-point, and some European countries use percentage scales. Understanding how GPA works helps you compare across systems.

The basic formula

GPA = Σ (Grade Points × Credit Hours) / Σ Credit Hours

Each subject gets a letter grade (A, B, C…) which maps to a numeric grade point. Multiply each grade point by the course’s credit hours, sum them up, divide by total credits.

4.0 scale (US standard)

Grade	Points
A / A+	4.0
A-	3.7
B+	3.3
B	3.0
B-	2.7
C+	2.3
C	2.0
D	1.0
F	0.0

Worked example

3 courses: English (3 credits, A), Math (4 credits, B+), History (3 credits, A-)

= (4.0×3 + 3.3×4 + 3.7×3) / (3+4+3)
= (12 + 13.2 + 11.1) / 10
= 36.3 / 10
= 3.63 GPA

Semester vs Cumulative GPA

• Semester GPA: Covers one term only
• Cumulative GPA (CGPA): Weighted average of all semesters combined

If your first semester has 15 credits at 3.5 GPA and your second has 18 credits at 3.8 GPA:

Cumulative = (3.5×15 + 3.8×18) / (15+18) = (52.5 + 68.4) / 33 = 3.66

Converting between systems

• 4.0 to percentage (rough): Multiply by 25 (3.5 GPA ≈ 87.5%)
• 10-point CGPA to percentage (CBSE): Multiply by 9.5
• Percentage to 4.0: Divide by 25 (with capping at 4.0)

These are approximations — each university has its own official conversion table.

Calculate your GPA across any grading system with the OurDailyCalc GPA calculator.

TL;DR

• GPA = weighted average of grade points by credit hours
• The 4.0 scale is US standard; India uses 10-point
• Cumulative GPA accounts for all semesters weighted by credits
• Conversion between systems is approximate, not exact