GPA Scales
How different GPA scales work, from the standard US 4.0 scale to 5.0, percentage, and weighted variants.
19 guides to explore
0112-Point GPA Scale Explained: A Carleton Example
Read a 12-point GPA using Carleton's published grade key, follow a credit-weighted example, and understand why dividing by three is not an official US conversion.
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024.0 vs. 5.0 vs. 10-Point GPA Scales Compared
Compare three GPA models, see how course bonuses change an average, and learn which transcript details you need before attempting a conversion.
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03Do GPA Scales Differ by US State? What Actually Varies
GPA scales aren't set by state law in most of the US — the 4.0 core is nationally consistent, but plus/minus values and weighting policy vary school by school.
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04What GPA Scale Does Graduate School Expect?
Most US graduate programs expect a 4.0-scale GPA, but they generally accept and convert non-4.0 undergraduate scales themselves rather than requiring you to.
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05Grading Scales by Country, Visualized
A visual side-by-side of how 'top grade' and 'passing grade' thresholds compare across the US, UK, Germany, France, and India's grading systems, with charts.
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06What Is the Highest Possible GPA? Check the Scale and Your Courses
Find a GPA ceiling from grade values, course credits and reporting caps. Compare named scale examples and calculate the maximum for a mixed course load.
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07How Many Different GPA Scales Are There Worldwide?
No fixed global count exists, but GPA and grading scales worldwide fall into a handful of families: 4.0-based, 5.0+, 10-point, 20-point, and percentage systems.
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08How to Convert Between Two Different GPA Scales
Converting a GPA from one scale to another (e.g. 4.0 to 4.3) is most accurate letter-grade by letter-grade, not by scaling the final number with a ratio.
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09Letter Grade Points, Visualized
See the full A+ through F to GPA-points conversion as a bar chart and table, plus why some schools cap A+ at 4.0 while others let it exceed 4.0 points.
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10How Pass/Fail Grades Affect Your GPA Scale Calculation
Separate earned credits from GPA credits, compare excluded marks with zero-point failures, and calculate a pass/fail semester using explicit assumptions.
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11Percentage-Based vs. Point-Based GPA Scales: Why It Matters
Some countries grade on raw percentages, others convert to a fixed-point GPA scale — knowing which one your transcript uses is the first step in any conversion.
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12Standards-Based Grading and GPA: How the Two Connect
Standards-based (mastery) grading reports proficiency levels instead of letter grades, so schools using it must build a conversion table to produce a GPA.
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13Weighted vs. Unweighted GPA, Visualized
A worked side-by-side comparison of the same 5-course schedule calculated as unweighted and weighted GPA, with a table and bar charts showing the gap.
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14Why Is GPA Out of 4.0? The History of the 4-Point Scale
The 4.0 GPA scale became standard in the US largely through early 20th-century grading reform and Harvard's adoption of a quality-point system in the 1920s.
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154.0 GPA Scale Explained: Chart, Conversion & Examples
Understand a 4.0 GPA with a sample grade chart, two credit-weighted examples, and the policy checks that explain differences from your transcript.
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165.0 GPA Scale Explained: When Schools Use It & How It Works
Learn how a sample weighted 5.0 GPA works, calculate a mixed-course example, and see why multiplying by 0.8 cannot recover an unweighted GPA.
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177-Point Grading Scale Guide: What It Means & GPA Equivalent
A guide to the 7-point grading scale used in Denmark and other international systems, including its grade levels, meaning, and approximate 4.0 GPA equivalent.
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18Plus/Minus Grading Scale: How It Changes Your GPA
See exactly how plus/minus grading (A-, B+, etc.) affects GPA compared to straight-letter grading, with a comparison table and a worked side-by-side example.
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19Unweighted vs. Weighted GPA: What's the Difference?
Learn the difference between unweighted and weighted GPA, with a side-by-side worked example using the same course list to show the exact numeric impact.
Read the guideFind your way into gpa scales.
How different GPA scales work, from the standard US 4.0 scale to 5.0, percentage, and weighted variants. Choose a guide whose title matches the decision you need to make, then check its assumptions before applying an example.
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Use a small example to check the method before entering your full record. Keep your original grading scale visible when comparing systems.
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