# gpalift — Full Content Reference

Source: https://gpalift.com
Last updated: 2026-05-14

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## What is gpalift?

gpalift is a free GPA calculator built for three groups of students:

1. College and high-school students who want a fast, accurate GPA calculator that understands their school's plus-minus and weighted rules.
2. Pre-med applicants who need an AMCAS-faithful science GPA (BCPM) calculation that matches what AAMC actually verifies.
3. International students applying to US universities who need CGPA-to-GPA conversion with verifiable formulas.

The calculator is free forever with no signup. A $19 one-time payment unlocks cross-device sync, unwatermarked PDF export, AMCAS BCPM auto-classification, what-if scenarios, and goal tracking. There is no subscription.

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## How GPA is calculated (universal)

A grade point average is the credit-weighted average of every graded course you have taken. The formula is:

    GPA = sum(grade_points × credit_hours) / sum(credit_hours)

For each course, you take its grade points (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, etc.) and multiply by the course's credit hours. Sum all those products, then divide by the total credit hours.

Excluded grades: W (withdrawn), P (pass), NP (no pass), AU (audit), I (incomplete). These appear on your transcript but do not enter the GPA math.

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## The 4.0 plus-minus scale (most US colleges)

- A+ = 4.0 (or 4.3 at Cornell, MIT, BU, and a few others)
- A = 4.0
- A- = 3.7
- B+ = 3.3
- B = 3.0
- B- = 2.7
- C+ = 2.3
- C = 2.0
- C- = 1.7
- D+ = 1.3
- D = 1.0
- D- = 0.7
- F = 0.0

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## The 5.0 weighted scale (US high schools with AP/IB)

Start with the 4.0 scale for the letter grade. Then add:

- Honors course: +0.5
- AP course: +1.0
- IB course: +1.0
- Regular course: +0.0

So an A in an AP course = 5.0. An A in an honors course = 4.5. An A in a regular course = 4.0.

Not every high school uses 5.0 weighting. Some cap at 4.5. Some only weight AP, not honors. Check your school's policy before applying.

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## AMCAS GPA (US allopathic medical schools)

AMCAS recalculates your GPA from every course you ever took, even at community college and even after a degree. Key rules:

1. **Every attempt counts.** Repeated courses count BOTH times, not just the most recent (unlike many undergrad institutions).
2. **Plus/minus is honored.** A+ = A = 4.0. A- = 3.7. B+ = 3.3. B- = 2.7. Etc.
3. **BCPM is separate.** Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math courses are calculated as their own GPA called "Science GPA" or "BCPM GPA." Everything else is "All Other (AO)."
4. **Truncation, not rounding.** AMCAS truncates the final GPA to two decimals. A 3.667 becomes 3.66, not 3.67.
5. **Excluded grades:** P, NP, W, AU, I, NR.

Source: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school-amcas/publication-chapters/grades-and-gpa-calculations

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## UC capped weighted GPA (University of California)

UC publishes three GPA values for applicants: Unweighted, Weighted Uncapped, and Weighted Capped. The Weighted Capped GPA is what UC primarily uses for admissions and is calculated as follows:

1. **Only "a-g" approved courses count.** Sports, art, and electives may not qualify.
2. **Freshman year is excluded.** Only 10th and 11th grade count (plus summer following 11th).
3. **Honors bonus is +1.0.** UC-approved honors, AP, and IB courses each add +1.0 to the grade.
4. **Bonus is capped at 8 semester courses.** Beyond eight weighted semester courses, no more bonus is applied.

Source: https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requirements/freshman-requirements/gpa-requirement.html

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## CGPA to GPA (Indian 10-point to US 4.0)

There is no single correct formula. Different US universities accept different methods. The most common are:

1. **Simple proportion:** GPA = (CGPA / 10) × 4
2. **Subtract-then-multiply:** GPA = (CGPA - 0.5) × 10 / 25 (sometimes used by US institutions)
3. **WES table:** the World Education Services maps specific Indian percentage ranges to US letter grades.
4. **Per-school table:** the US institution may publish its own table.

We recommend submitting the CGPA on the original 10-point scale and letting the US admissions office convert it. If a single 4.0-scale number is required, use the simple proportion as the default, but disclose which formula you used.

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## Why no subscription?

Most student tools charge $5-15 per month and pile on features users do not need. We do not. gpalift is $19 once. After that, you own it. Pro features include:

- Cross-device sync for unlimited transcripts
- Unwatermarked PDF export
- AMCAS BCPM auto-classifier from course names
- What-if scenarios with saved snapshots
- Goal tracker with progress against a target GPA
- Email reminders for grade-release dates

30-day refund. No questions. One-click refund at /account/refund.

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