How to Calculate Your GPA by Hand (Step by Step)

Published September 21, 2026

A calculator makes this instant, but it's worth understanding the actual math partly so you can sanity-check any tool you use, and partly because some school registrars will ask you to show your work. Here's the full process.

Step 1: Convert each letter grade to points

Every grade has a point value on the standard 4.0 scale:

• 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

Step 2: Multiply each grade by its credit hours

Not every class is worth the same number of credits. Multiplying the grade points by credit hours gives you "quality points" for that course a full-year course should count for more than a half-semester elective.

Step 3: Add up all the quality points

Add together the quality points from every course you're including in the calculation.

Step 4: Add up all the credit hours

Separately, add together the credit hours from those same courses.

Step 5: Divide

Total quality points ÷ total credit hours = your GPA.

Worked example

Say you took four classes in a semester:

• English - Grade: B (3.0) — Credits: 1.0 → 3.0 quality points
• Algebra II - Grade: A- (3.7) — Credits: 1.0 → 3.7 quality points
• Chemistry - Grade: B+ (3.3) — Credits: 1.0 → 3.3 quality points
• Art - Grade: A (4.0) — Credits: 0.5 → 2.0 quality points

Total quality points: 3.0 + 3.7 + 3.3 + 2.0 = 12.0
Total credit hours: 1.0 + 1.0 + 1.0 + 0.5 = 3.5
GPA: 12.0 ÷ 3.5 = 3.43

Check your work

Once you've done it by hand, it's worth plugging the same grades into the GPA calculator to confirm you get the same number a good way to catch arithmetic mistakes, especially once you're averaging a full year of classes instead of just four.