Grade Point Average is simply called GPA in most colleges. Its calculation is based on GRADES, GRADE POINTS AND CREDIT HOUR in University of Energy and Natural Resources.
First, let’s explain some terms.
GRADING SYSTEM
Grading is simply assigning letters to the marks in order to varying levels of achievement in a course.
Each college has its own grading system. For UENR, this is ours:
| EXAM MARKS | GRADE |
| 80 – 100 | A |
| 75-79 | B+ |
| 74 -70 | B |
| 65 – 69 | C+ |
| 60 – 64 | C |
| 55 – 59 | D+ |
| 50 -54 | D |
| 45 – 49 | E |
| Below 45 | F |
Grade points are assigned to each grade above.
| GRADE | GRADE POINTS |
| A | 4.00 |
| B+ | 3.50 |
| B | 3.00 |
| C+ | 2.50 |
| C | 2.00 |
| D+ | 1.50 |
| D | 1.00 |
| E | 0.50 |
| F | 0 |
Grade F has no grade point so a student who gets an F in a course has to take the course again. But total grade point for a course is the multiplication of a grade point by the course credit hour. Credit hour is explained below.
CREDIT HOUR AND TOTAL CREDIT HOURS
The credit hour is simply the hours you take a course within a week which is approved by the University. For example, one credit hour course means you will take this course for one hour within the week, a three-credit hour course means you will take that course three hours a week. The total credit hour is the hours you spend in a class for the week for all courses.
Example,
| COURSES | CREDIT HOUR |
| Course 1 | 3 |
| Course 2 | 2 |
| Course 3 | 1 |
| Course 4 | 3 |
With the table above, let’s say a student takes four courses in a semester with their respective credit hour as showing above, in this case, total credit hour will be 3+2+1+3=9
Finally, GPA is the summation of all total grade points for all courses taken in a semester divided by total credit hour.
Here is an example that explains everything above
| COURSE | CREDIT HOUR | MARK | GRADE | GRADE POINT | TOTAL GRADE POINT |
| Course 1 | 3 | 85.00 | A | 4.00 | 12 |
| Course 2 | 2 | 78.00 | B+ | 3.50 | 7 |
| Course 3 | 2 | 92.00 | A | 4.00 | 8 |
| Course 4 | 3 | 72.00 | B | 3.00 | 9 |
| Course 5 | 1 | 67.00 | C+ | 2.50 | 2.5 |
Total credit hour =11
Summation of total grade points =38.5
Grade point average (GPA) = Summation of total grade points/Total credit hour = 38.5/11 = 3.5
GPA =3.5
This is how Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated at the University of Energy and Natural Resources.