| Letter | Percentage | 4.0 scale | If A+ = 4.33 | No plus/minus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97+ | 4.0 | 4.33 | 4.0 |
| A | 93–96 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| A− | 90–92 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.0 |
| B+ | 87–89 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.0 |
| B | 83–86 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| B− | 80–82 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 3.0 |
| C+ | 77–79 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.0 |
| C | 73–76 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| C− | 70–72 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 |
| D+ | 67–69 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 |
| D | 63–66 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| D− | 60–62 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| F | below 60 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Reading the percentage column
The bands are the common 90/80/70/60 cutoffs, with each 10-point band split into plus, plain and minus: in the A band, 90–92 is an A−, 93–96 an A and 97 or above an A+. Ranges include decimals up to the next band, so 89.5 is still a B+ here.
That 89.5 is where teachers differ. If yours rounds it to 90, it becomes an A− — 3.7 points instead of 3.3, from half a percentage point. Some schools also use different cutoffs altogether, such as an A starting above 90. Your syllabus or school handbook has the scale that actually applies; the high school calculator lets you type in your own cutoffs.
Plus/minus and the A+
On a plus/minus scale a plus adds 0.3 to the letter and a minus takes the same away, so a B+ is 3.3 and a B− is 2.7. There is no F+ or F−. Schools that leave modifiers off the transcript count every B as 3.0 — the last column.
Schools also differ on the A+. Some cap it at 4.0, the same as an A, so a perfect unweighted GPA is 4.0. Others give it 4.33, which is the only way an unweighted GPA ends up above 4.0. Every GPA calculator here except the high school one (which caps an A+ at 4.0) has a switch for this; check your registrar's grading policy for which one you're on.
The weighted 5.0 scale
Many high schools add points for harder classes, which makes a weighted GPA. A common pattern is +0.5 for honors and +1.0 for AP, IB and dual credit classes — so an A in an AP class counts as 5.0, which is where the "5.0 scale" comes from.
| Letter | Regular | Honors (+0.5) | AP / IB (+1.0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| B | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| C | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
| D | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| F | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Two things the chart shows that are easy to miss. Here an F gets no boost — a failed AP class is 0.0, not 1.0. And because the boost is added on top of the letter, a B in an AP class (4.0) counts the same as an A in a regular one (4.0).
These boosts are conventions, not a standard. Some schools give honors the full +1.0, some only weight 11th- and 12th-grade classes, and some don't weight at all — your school handbook says which. The high school GPA calculator shows weighted and unweighted together and lets you set each boost to match.
The "GPA scale" field on the Common App
The Common App's education section asks for your cumulative GPA and the scale it's reported on. Give the GPA your school calculates, on your school's scale, rather than converting it yourself. Common App's help center article adds two rules: if your school calculates both a weighted and an unweighted GPA, report the weighted one; and if your school has no cumulative GPA, or uses a scale that isn't in the menu, leave the field blank — it isn't required, and the Additional Information section is there to explain.
Questions
What is the 4.0 GPA scale?
Each letter grade is worth a number of points — A 4.0, B 3.0, C 2.0, D 1.0, F 0.0 — and your GPA is the credit-weighted average of those points. Plus and minus grades sit in between: a B+ is 3.3, a B− 2.7.
What is an 85 as a GPA?
On the common 90/80/70/60 scale, 85% is a B, which is 3.0 grade points. A GPA comes from all your classes, though — one percentage converts to one class's points, not a GPA.
What is an A− worth in GPA?
3.7 on a standard plus/minus scale. At a school that doesn't use plus/minus on transcripts, an A− counts as a plain A (4.0).
Can an unweighted GPA be above 4.0?
Only where an A+ is worth 4.33. Where an A+ is 4.0 — and in an unweighted high school GPA — the top is 4.0.
Is a 5.0 GPA weighted?
Yes. A 5.0 means straight A's in classes carrying a +1.0 boost, the common AP boost (5.0 = 4.0 + 1.0). Unweighted, the same grades are 4.0.
What GPA scale do I put on the Common App?
The scale your school reports your GPA on — your transcript or school profile usually states it. Common App's help center says to report the weighted GPA if your school calculates both, and to leave the GPA field blank if your school's scale isn't in the menu (source).