Start with the grades on your record
Use each course's final numeric grade point and its credited units. This calculator accepts numbers from 0 to 4, where higher values produce a higher average. It does not convert percentage scores or grades from another university's scale. A quiz score of 90 is not a grade point of 3.5 unless your course's grading rules say so.
Enter only the courses included in the GWA you want to estimate. Your campus decides whether particular courses, repeated attempts, or non-credit subjects count. Do not remove a failing course simply to improve the result.
A worked example with unequal units
Multiply each grade by its units. Add these weighted points, then divide by the total included units.
| Course | Grade | Units | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course A | 3.5 | 3 | 10.5 |
| Course B | 3.0 | 3 | 9.0 |
| Course C | 2.5 | 2 | 5.0 |
Total points are 24.5 and total units are 8. The GWA is 24.5 ÷ 8 = 3.0625, displayed here as 3.06. Simply averaging the three grades gives 3.00, which misses the difference in unit weights.
Why high-unit courses matter more
A 0.5-point increase in a 3-unit course adds 1.5 weighted points. The same increase in a 1-unit course adds only 0.5 points. With 18 total units, those changes increase the GWA by about 0.0833 and 0.0278 respectively. This is useful for comparing possible final course grades, but it does not predict examination scores.
Term GWA and cumulative GWA
A term GWA includes one term's eligible courses. A cumulative GWA combines eligible courses across terms. For the most accurate estimate, enter the underlying course grades and units across those terms, following your registrar's rules on repeats and exclusions.
If you only have term averages, weight them by the corresponding units: a 3.50 average over 15 units and a 3.00 average over 18 units give (3.50 × 15 + 3.00 × 18) ÷ 33 = 3.22727…, approximately 3.23. A simple average of the two term averages would be 3.25. Already-rounded term averages can introduce small differences from the official cumulative result.
Incomplete, dropped, and other special marks
Inc, Dr, R, P, and F are not numbers. The calculator reports an error if you enter them. Do not guess a numeric equivalent or substitute zero. Check the current handbook or ask your registrar whether the course should be included and which final numeric grade applies. Enter a numeric 0 only when it is the awarded grade for an included course.
Units must be greater than zero. A zero-unit subject cannot contribute to this weighted average. Blank fields, negative units, grades over 4, and percentage scores must be corrected before calculating.
Rounding and honors estimates
The result is displayed to two decimal places. The honors estimate uses the unrounded average, a 3.25 threshold for Second Honors or 3.50 for First Honors, and checks that no entered numeric grade is below 2.5. For example, an average of 3.246 displays as 3.25 but is still below 3.25 before rounding.
These are the tool's reference checks, not an official eligibility decision. It cannot check minimum course load, conduct, unresolved grades, exclusions, or campus-specific rules. Confirm the current requirements with your campus before relying on any honors label.
Saving and sharing
Entries are saved in this browser when local storage is available. Clearing this site's browser data removes them. A shared link loads its entries into the calculator and replaces the locally saved entries in that browser. Copy your current work before opening someone else's link.
Calculating alone does not add your grades to the address bar. The Share button creates a link containing course names, grades, units, and a name or nickname. Anyone with that link can read the information, and opening it sends the URL to the hosting service. Avoid full names or sensitive course labels. See the privacy policy.
Check the source that applies to you
The numeric ranges on the homepage are supported by NU's published 2024 Dispensing syllabus. That document does not establish every campus's current policies. Your official course records, current student handbook, and registrar take precedence over this independent calculator.
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