Grade Point Average (GPA)
On this page
- What is a grade point average (GPA) and what can it be used for?
- Does Swinburne have a GPA?
- How to calculate your GPA – 4 and 7 point scales
- How to calculate your GPA – the calculations
- Higher Education examples
- TAFE examples
- Quick calculation – all units the same credit points or hours
- Points to note
- Further information
What is a grade point average (GPA) and what can it be used for?
The grade point average (GPA) is a simple numerical index which summarises the student's academic performance in a course in a single teaching period and over the duration of the student's enrolment in the course. It takes account of the relative size of subjects (using student contact hours for TAFE programs and credit points for higher education) so that larger subjects contribute more to the GPA.
The GPA can be used for a variety of purposes, including as a criteria for admission to a program, or for assessing academic progress over a semester/term for progress review purposes. You may be asked to supply a GPA when applying for a job or for a place at another university.
Does Swinburne have a GPA?
Swinburne has not formally adopted a preferred way to calculate GPA, although GPA results are taken into account during the selection process for some programs. There are many ways to calculate a GPA. If you are applying to another institution you may find GPA information on their website and use this to calculate a GPA. If you need a GPA for other reasons the following information provides advice on how to calculate your own using two common calculation methods.
How to calculate your GPA – 4 and 7 point scales
If you are planning to use your GPA to apply to another university then you may be able to find a GPA formula on that university's website. The following information describes two GPA scales commonly used in Australia and overseas, a 4 point and a 7 point scale. These scales differ in the grade points that they allocate to each grade but the method of calculation is basically the same.
| Grade | Code | Percentage | GPA value |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Distinction | HD | 85 – 100 | 4 |
| Distinction | D | 75 – 84 | 3 |
| Credit | C | 65 – 74 | 2 |
| Pass | P | 50 – 64 | 1 |
| Pass (no higher grade) | #P | 50 – 100 | 2.5 |
| Conceded Pass | CP | 1 | |
| Not Pass | N, NLWD, NU | Below 50 | 0 |
| Ceased No Withdrawal | SEN, NEN | Not counted | |
| Exemption | EXM | Not mark allocated. Not counted | |
| Competency Achieved* | CM, PU | 2.5 |
The 7 point scale
This scale is used by the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) and is similar to seven point scales used at some Australian universities. It is different to the 4 point scale as it includes Honours Grades in the calculation. Some universities using this scale also award GPA values for failing grades.
| HE result code | TAFE result code | Percentage | GPA value |
|---|---|---|---|
| HD | HD | 85 - 100 | 7 |
| H1 | 80 - 100 | 7 | |
| H2A | 70 - 80 | 6.5 | |
| D | D | 75 - 84 | 6 |
| H2B | 60 - 69 | 6 | |
| C | CR, C | 65 - 74 | 5 |
| H3 | 50 - 59 | 4.5 | |
| P | P | 50 - 64 | 4 |
| #P | PU | 50 - 100 | 4 |
| SP, CP | 3 | ||
| 2 | |||
| 1.5 | |||
| 1 | |||
| N, NA, NWD, N*, NLWD, SN, WDFP | NU, SEN, CNW, GNYC, N, NC, NSC, NYC, WNA | 0 |
How to calculate your GPA – the calculations
The following tables show some example calculations for HE and TAFE results:
| Unit | Credit points (CP) | Result | GPA Value (4pt Scale) | Grade Points (CP x GPA value) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAA001 | 12.5 | HD | 4 | 50 |
| ABC201 | 12.5 | D | 3 | 37.5 |
| BBB105 | 25 | P | 1 | 25 |
| CCC415 | 12.5 | P | 1 | 12.5 |
| XXX501 | 12.5 | N | 0 | 0 |
| DDD110 | 25 | C | 2 | 50 |
| TOTAL | 100 | 175 |
The total grade points divided by the total credit points = grade point average
GPA = 175/100 = 1.75 (4 point scale)
| Unit | Credit points (CP) | Result | GPA Value (7pt Scale) | Grade Points (CP x GPA value) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAA001 | 12.5 | HD | 7 | 87.5 |
| ABC201 | 12.5 | D | 6 | 75 |
| BBB105 | 25 | P | 4 | 100 |
| CCC415 | 12.5 | P | 4 | 50 |
| XXX501 | 12.5 | N | 0 | 0 |
| DDD110 | 25 | C | 5 | 125 |
| TOTAL | 100 | 437.5 |
The total grade points divided by the total credit points = grade point average
GPA = 437.5/100 = 4.375 (7 point scale)
| Unit | Student Contact Hours (SCH) | Result | GPA Value (4pt Scale) | Grade Points (SCH x GPA value) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAA001 | 20 | HD | 4 | 80 |
| ABC201 | 40 | D | 3 | 120 |
| BBB105 | 25 | P | 1 | 25 |
| CCC415 | 80 | PU | 2.5 | 200 |
| XXX501 | 16 | NU | 0 | 0 |
| DDD110 | 80 | C | 2 | 160 |
| TOTAL | 261 | 585 |
The total grade points divided by the total Student Contact Hours = grade point average
GPA = 585/261 = 2.24 (4 point scale)
| Unit | Credit points (CP) | Result | GPA Value (7pt Scale) | Grade Points (CP x GPA value) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAA001 | 20 | HD | 7 | 140 |
| ABC201 | 40 | D | 6 | 240 |
| BBB105 | 25 | P | 4 | 100 |
| CCC415 | 80 | PU | 4 | 320 |
| XXX501 | 16 | NU | 0 | 0 |
| DDD110 | 80 | C | 5 | 400 |
| TOTAL | 261 | 1200 |
The total grade points divided by the total Student Contact Hours = grade point average
GPA = 1200/261 = 4.6 (7 point scale)
Quick calculation – all units the same credit points or hours
If all your units are the same size, i.e. they have the same credit points or student contact hours then you can do a quick calculation by adding up the GPA values and dividing by the number of units.
Points to note
- GPA can be calculated for one teaching period, a year of study or a whole course.
- You should not mix TAFE and Higher Education units in one GPA. TAFE and HE GPA should be calculated separately because one uses Credit Points and one uses Student Contact Hours (SCH).
- When supplying your GPA please remember to state whether you used a 4 point or 7 point scale to calculate the figure.
- If you have results from other institutions we recommend that you contact the institution where you studied to determine how to calculate GPA for these units.
Further information
A range of information about calculating GPAs is available online. The Graduate Entry Medical School Admissions System (GEMSAS) Guide provides comprehensive information.
You can also find GPA information on the websites of other universities.
