Weighted Grade Formula

High schools and colleges look at GPA as one of the key determinants of admission and scholarship selection. Many of them use weighted grades to separate the students with difficult course schedules from those who took easier classes. The weighted GPA score formula requires the following information: a weighted grade scale, number of credits, and letter grades received for each class.

All weighted grade point average systems use some type of weighted grade scale. This is a scale where advanced courses (such as AP and honors classes) receive additional grade points compared to other classes. Because of this, a student's non-weighted GPA will be lower than his weighted grade average as long as he took some of the advanced courses.

The most important part of a weighted grading system is the grading scale. The most common is the 5.0 weighted grade scale. This is very similar to a 4.0 grading scale. The only exception is that advanced classes (usually AP and honors classes) are given an extra grade point. These additional weighted GPA points help boost the overall average and thereby reward students for taking difficult courses. There are many other scales used that give additional credit to more difficult courses. It is important to check with your high school registrar or university admissions committee to find out which weighted grade scale is to be used.

You can calculate weighted grades the same way you calculate non-weighted GPA, with the exception of the grading scale used. Simply multiply the number of grade points for each class by the number of credits. Then add up all of these totals and divide by the total number of academic credits. This will result in the student's weighted grade point average.

This approach outlines the way to calculate weighted grade point average for college. You can boost your weighted grades by taking more difficult classes in high school. Just be careful to take classes in which you can still get good grades or you will lose the benefit of the weighted GPA system. These higher grades improve your chances of landing admission to college and can possibly lead to a scholarship, as well.