What is Cumulative GPA?

Academic institutions evaluate and calculate grades differently, but the GPA system seems to be ever present in a majority of these organizations. Both the cumulative and overall GPA are used to give a quantitative value on the progress and capabilities of a student. In this article, we will define what cumulative GPA is.

First of all, what is GPA?

GPA stands for grade point average. It is a measure of effort, capability, and progress in educational aspects. In short, it converts your grades into a numerical value. Traditional GPA scales range from 0.0 to 0.40 and have an equivalent letter grade, although some institutions also use 10 or 12 point scales. The 4.0 scale is used for unweighted GPAs, meaning all variables have an equivalent weight or value. Higher scaled GPAs most likely use weighted values in their grading system.

Cumulative GPA

Cumulative GPA is an average that stands for the entirety of a student’s term or semester. It takes into account tests, examinations, reports, and other variables and compresses them all into a single grade. When calculating the cumulative GPA,  the weighted average method is used in order to take into account the varying amount of units for every subject taken.

It is important to note that the overall basis of a student’s academic performance is based on the overall GPA rather than the cumulative. Incidentally, the latter only takes into account the grades earned in a present institution and does not include those from transfers or previous affiliated organizations, mainly because the coverage is only per term or semester.