GPA Quiz 2
1. Jamal is applying for an internship program for business majors. The application form asks him
to calculate his GPA in his business-related classes. What should his answer be? Below are the
applicable classes he took and the grades he made for each one:
ECON 2301 Principles of Macroeconomics. --- C
MATH 1325 Calculus for Business and Social Sciences I --- B
SPCH 1321 Business and Professional Communication --- F
(re-take) SPCH 1321 Business and Professional Communication --- B
SPCH 1315 Public Speaking -- B
ACCT 2301 Principles of Financial Accounting --- A
ACCT 2302 Principles of Managerial Accounting -- A
BCIS 1305 Business Computer Applications -- C
ECON 2302 Principles of Microeconomics -- B
BUSI 1301 Business Principles II -- C
BUSI 2301 Business Law II -- D
MATH 1342 Elementary Statistical Methods I – A
Answer: Jamal’s GPA for his business classes was 2.82.
Course
Grade
ECON 2301 Principles of
Macroeconomics
MATH 1325 Calculus for
Business and Social
Sciences I
(re-take) SPCH 1321 *
Business and Professional
Communication
SPCH 1315 Public Speaking
ACCT 2301 Principles of
Financial Accounting
ACCT 2302 Principles of
Managerial Accounting
BCIS 1305 Business
Computer Applications
ECON 2302 Principles of
Microeconomics
BUSI 1301 Business
Principles II
BUSI 2301 Business Law II
MATH 1342 Elementary
Statistical Methods I
C
Business Classes**
Credit Hours
Attempted
3
B
Point Value
Quality Points
2
6
3
3
9
B
3
3
9
B
A
3
3
3
4
9
12
A
3
4
12
C
3
2
6
B
3
3
9
C
3
2
6
D
A
3
3
1
4
3
12
subtotals
33
93
31
quality points ÷ academic hours attempted = GPA
93 ÷ 33 = 2.82
Comments:
* Only the re-take of the Business speech course should be included as the “F” he earned the
first time is effectively replaced by the “B.” So, even though twelve “courses” show up on
his transcript, GPA calculations don’t count the re-take as a separate course, and the
attempted credit hours should be figured at 33, not 36.
* For purposes of this test question, the business-related courses were identified for you, but
frequently, you are left to decide what courses should be counted, or sometimes, a hiring
committee of HR staff person (or computer) will look over your transcripts and decide which
courses you took fit that category.
2. John jokes with his friends that he is at least consistent because, for three semesters in a row,
he has earned an “A,” a “B,” and three “C”s. Assuming all his classes were three-hour, creditlevel courses, what is his GPA for each semester, and what is his cumulative GPA?
Answer: John’s GPA for each semester is 2.60, making his cumulative GPA 2.60 as
well.
Course
SEMESTER ONE
Class whatever
Class something
Class average
Class maybe
Class sometime
SEMESTER TWO
Class whatever
Class something
Class average
Class maybe
Class sometime
SEMESTER THREE
Class whatever
Class something
Class average
Class maybe
Class sometime
Grade
Business Classes**
Credit Hours
Attempted
Point Value
Quality Points
A
B
C
C
C
3
4
3
3
3
2
3
2
3
2
15
Current: 39 ÷ 15 = 2.6 Cumulative: 39 ÷ 15 = 2.6
4
3
3
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
15
Current: 39 ÷ 15 = 2.6 Cumulative: 78 ÷ 30 = 2.6
12
9
6
6
6
39
A
B
C
C
C
12
9
6
6
6
39
A
B
C
C
C
12
9
6
6
6
39
3
4
3
3
3
2
3
2
3
2
15
Current: 39 ÷ 15 = 2.6 Cumulative: 117 ÷ 45 = 2.6
quality points ÷ academic hours attempted = GPA
3. Susan's father agreed to let her move into an apartment if she would maintain a "high B
average" over this semester. At semester end, she had earned an "A" in ENGL 2301, a "B" in
ACCT 2301, a "B" in HIST 2301, an "A" in PHED 1146, and a "C" in BIOL 1401. Will her father let
her move out? (In your answer, be sure to give her GPA.)
Answer: Whether or not Susan’s father will agree to her moving into an apartment
depends on if he is a stickler or not. Her GPA is 3.0, which, though it is a B, doesn’t
qualify as a “high B.”
Course
Grade
English 2301
Accounting 2301
History 2301
Biology 1401
PE 1146
A
B
B
C
A
subtotals
Susan’s Semester
Credit Hours
Attempted
3
3
3
4
1
Point Value
Quality Points
4
3
3
2
4
12
9
9
8
4
14
quality points ÷ academic hours attempted = GPA
42 ÷ 14 = 3.00
42
4. Paolo is in his last semester at Collin, has accumulated 46 credit hours, and has a cumulative
GPA of 3.47 thus far. Imagine now that he takes his last five (three-hour) classes to earn his
Associate’s degree and ends the semester with three "A"s and two "B"s. What will his final GPA
be? Will it enable him to attend the commencement ceremony as an honor graduate as he
hoped? To do so requires a 3.5 GPA.
Answer: Yes, Paolo can be an honor graduate as his cumulative GPA is 3.51. It might be noted
that if Paolo had earned three Bs and two As, he would not be an honor graduate.
Course
Grade
Previous
Semesters
Paolo’s Final Semester
Credit Hours
Attempted
46
Point Value
Quality Points
46 X 3.47 = 159.62
Round up to 160*
Cumulative GPA up until final semester 160 ÷ 46 = 3.47
Class #1
Class #2
Class #3
Class #4
Class #5
A
A
A
B
B
subtotals
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
3
3
15
12
12
12
9
9
54
Cumulative quality points ÷ cumulative academic hours attempted = GPA
214 ÷ 61 = 3.51
Comments:
* If you only know the GPA and the number of credit hours one has taken, then you can do
the reverse math to determine how many quality points that person has achieved. More
often than not, you will need to round up or down to get a good figure to with which to work.
5. Sue did well in high school but has struggled in her first two semesters at college. She failed
both a college success class (COSU 0300) and a three-hour art appreciation class. She passed
Humanities, Criminal Justice, and Economics (all three-hour courses) with a "C." In addition, she
took the developmental INRW 0405 class, dropped it, and re-took it the next semester, failing it.
What is her GPA?
Answer: Although she enrolled in several courses, Sue has only accumulated 9 credit hours and
has an official GPA of 1.50 and an unofficial GPA of 1.05.
Sue’s First Two Tough Semesters
Grade
Credit Hours
Point Value
Attempted
Course
COSU
Art Appreciation
Humanities
Criminal Justice
Economics
INRW 0405
INRW 0405
F
F
C
C
C
W
F
subtotals
3
3
3
3
3
n/a
4
Quality Points
0
0
2
2
2
n/a
0
19
0
0
6
6
6
n/a
0
18
Cumulative quality points ÷ cumulative academic hours attempted = GPA
19 ÷ 18 = 1.05 unofficial GPA/ 18 ÷ 12 = 1.50 official GPA
Comments:
* The COSU and INRW classes don’t count toward a student’s official GPA. No
developmental or non-credit classes do. However, they do count toward a student’s
unofficial GPA and are taken into account for academic warning systems. Sue’s GPA
(whether official or unofficial) would get her into trouble in that respect. Perhaps more
awkward is the fact that she only has two attempts to pass the INRW class, and, having failed
to do so twice, she would have to re-test with the TSI to pass it or take the class at another
institution.
6. Her advisor has told Jessica that, in order to avoid academic suspension, she has to earn at least
a 2.3 GPA this semester. Look at her schedule below along with the noted grades. Will she be
able to avoid academic suspension? (In your answer, be sure to give her GPA.)
“B” in INRW 0405
“D” in HUMA 1301
“C” in PYSC 2301
“C” in SOCI 1301
“A” in PHED 1142
Answer: Jessica will be put on academic suspension because she did not earn the 2.3 GPA her
advisor said she had to reach. Her official GPA (minus the INRW class) is 1.9 and her unofficial
GPA (which would include the INRW class) is 2.21.
Course
INRW 0405
HUMA 1301
PYSC 2301
SOCI 1301
PHED 1142
Sue’s First Two Tough Semesters
Grade
Credit Hours
Point Value
Attempted
B
D
C
C
A
subtotals
4
3
3
3
1
3
1
2
2
4
14
quality points ÷ academic hours attempted = GPA
31 ÷ 14 = 2.21 unofficial GPA/ 19 ÷ 10 = 1.90 official GPA
Quality Points
12
3
6
6
4
31