Unweighted vs Weighted GPA

GPA is one of the most critical indicators that universities will consider when reviewing your application. The grade point average, or GPA, is a figure that represents your overall average in each of your courses. Your GPA monitors your academic achievement on a scale from 1.0 to 4.0. This figure determines whether you satisfy the requirements and criteria established by the degree programme or university. However, how GPA is calculated at different colleges might differ significantly. There are two types of GPAs that are closely examined by university admissions officials weighted and unweighted GPAs. In this blog, we will know more about the unweighted vs weighted GPA. 

What is an Unweighted and Weighted GPA?

An unweighted scale is commonly used to calculate GPA. An unweighted GPA is computed on a scale from 0 to 4.0. The degree of difficulty of a student’s schoolwork is not taken into account. An unweighted GPA sees an A as a 4.0 whether it was earned in a lower class or a higher class.

On the other hand, The weighted GPA is calculated on a scale from 0 to 5.0. This is done in order to take into consideration grades from higher-level classes, where a 5.0 on the weighted scale is equivalent to an ‘A’ depending on how challenging the subject was. 

Unweighted vs Weighted GPA

Understanding the distinction between unweighted vs weighted GPA is crucial when determining your GPA for admission to universities overseas. Let’s now examine the crucial factors that will enable you to differentiate between a weighted and an unweighted GPA: 

• The phrase “weighted GPA” describes your grade point average after it has been adjusted to reflect the amount of really challenging courses you have taken. Courses that are more difficult or specifically chosen to earn you extra points include Advanced Placement and Honors. In comparison to an unweighted GPA, a weighted GPA is frequently evaluated on a larger scale. An Unweighted GPA, on the other hand, is referred to as your standard GPA and is often calculated using a 4.0 scale and solely considers your course grades.
• The weighted GPA is determined using a scale of 5.0 or above, while the unweighted GPA is determined using a scale of 4.0.

Unweighted vs Weighted GPA: Conversion Chart

Let’s look at how our grades are translated into GPAs before we begin calculating our GPAs:

Unweighted GPA

Grade	GPA
A+	4.0
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
F	0.0

Weighted GPA

Grade	Honours GPA	AP GPA
A+	4.5	5.0
A	4.5	5.0
A-	4.2	4.7
B+	3.8	4.3
B	3.5	4.0
B-	3.2	3.7
C+	2.8	3.3
C	2.5	3.0
C-	2.2	2.7
D+	1.8	2.3
D	1.5	2.0
F	0.0	0.0

Unweighted vs Weighted GPA: Calculation

Now that we are aware of the main distinctions between weighted and unweighted GPAs, let’s examine how they are computed and how to convert from one to the other. 

Unweighted GPA

Number of classes you take: 6

Class	Grade	GPA
1	A	4.0
2	A+	4.0
3	B+	3.3
4	B+	3.3
5	B	3.0
6	C+	2.3

ADD- 4.0+4.0+3.3+3.3+3.0+2.3=19.9

DIVIDE-19.9/6=3.3167

3.3167 is the Unweighted GPA

Weighted GPA

Number of classes you take: 6

Class	Grade	GPA
1 (HC)**	A	4.5
2 (AP)**	A+	5.0
3 (AP)**	B+	4.3
4 (AP)**	B+	4.3
5 (HC)**	B	3.5
6 (HC)**	C+	2.8

(AP-Advanced Placement class, HC- Honors Class)

ADD- 4.5+5.0+4.3+4.3+3.5+2.8=24.4

DIVIDE- 24.4/6=4.067

4.067 is the weighted GPA

Unweighted to Weighted GPA

Your unweighted GPA should be multiplied by the number of classes you have taken. For each mid-level course you’ve signed up for, add 0.5, and for each high-level course, add 1.0. By the total number of courses you have taken, divide the result.

Weighted to Unweighted GPA

Assuming your weighted GPA in the AP class is 4.0, reduce it to 3.0 by taking 1.0 off, and then calculate. 

Are Weighted or Unweighted GPAs Considered by Colleges?

Colleges don’t care if your high school employs a weighted or unweighted scale. But they will need to confirm which scale was used in order to evaluate your application. Admissions offices will always take into account the systems utilised by your high school to make sure that you are being evaluated fairly.

• In the college admissions process, if you put in extra effort in your classes but don’t have an excellent GPA, you will look better than someone taking regular-level courses who has a 4.0 GPA.
• If only your unweighted GPA is taken into account, your class rank may not accurately reflect the effort you put in.
• An excellent GPA will probably be closer to 5.0 under the weighted approach.
• Given that your GPA is a reflection of both your academic performance and the rankings of the courses you passed, a weighted GPA increases the likelihood that your class rank will fairly reflect your ability and commitment to learning.

The college will evaluate your application for admission as well as the courses you took in addition to your grades, regardless of whether your GPA is weighted or unweighted. Therefore, put all of your work into getting the best grade you can, and let the rest be destiny. For further details call Leverage Edu at 1800572000 and schedule a free consultation session.