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A Weighted GPA Calculator

A weighted GPA on the school scale adds bonus points to difficult courses before averaging, so an AP A counts as 5.0 and an honours A as 4.5 rather than 4.0. The arithmetic is trivial; the difficulty is keeping this weighting distinct from the credit weighting used elsewhere, and knowing which figure a reader actually wants.

Weighted GPA

4.3

Unweighted GPA
3.8
Total bonus points
2.5
Lift from weighting
0.5

Values update as you type. This calculator covers the single scenario its formula assumes — see Common Mistakes for what it leaves out.

The formula this calculator uses

Weighted GPA = Sum of (grade points + bonus) / number of courses

gp
Grade points for one course before any bonus - A = 4.0, B+ = 3.3, A- = 3.7
b
Bonus points for course difficulty - 1.0 for AP, 0.5 for honours, 0 for regular
n
Number of courses, used as the divisor when all credits are equal
GPA
Weighted grade point average, which may exceed 4.0

How to check the result by hand

  1. 1

    Separate the two senses of weighting before you start

    Decide first whether the term is weighted by course difficulty, as here, or by credit hours, as on the how-to-calculate-gpa page. The two produce different numbers from the same grades: our five equal-credit courses give 4.3 when bonuses apply, and would give a different figure if the credits varied. Writing the convention at the top of the page prevents the two being mixed halfway through the calculation.

  2. 2

    List the grade points before any bonus is added

    Write the plain 4.0-scale value beside each course: 4.0, 3.3, 3.7, 4.0 and 4.0 for our set, summing to 19.0. This is the unweighted record, and keeping it visible means the bonus calculation can be checked against something already known to be right. It also gives you the second number that most applications will ask for.

  3. 3

    Attach the correct bonus to each course

    AP Calculus and AP Physics each add 1.0, Honours English adds 0.5, and History and PE add nothing. The bonus depends on the course's designation, not on the grade earned, so a B+ in AP Physics still attracts the full 1.0. The five weighted values become 5.0, 4.3, 4.2, 4.0 and 4.0.

  4. 4

    Sum the weighted values and divide by the course count

    5.0 + 4.3 + 4.2 + 4.0 + 4.0 = 21.5, and 21.5 / 5 = 4.3. With equal credits the divisor is the number of courses; if the credits differ, weight each weighted value by its credits instead and divide by the credit total. The bonus total of 2.5 over five courses explains the 0.5 lift above the unweighted 3.8.

  5. 5

    Report both figures and state which scale is which

    Quote the weighted 4.3 and the unweighted 3.8 together, since applications frequently ask for one while transcripts print the other. The gap of 0.5 is not an error to be reconciled but the measured effect of the bonus policy, and a reader who sees both numbers immediately understands the schedule behind them. Naming the scale removes any ambiguity about which average is larger.

For worked examples, common mistakes and the limits of this formula, read the full How To Calculate A Weighted GPA page.