Understanding GPA

If you follow the narration given below as to how USA univs go about calculating GPA. You will get a better idea about your own academics.

In the US, universities use a purely statistical way of measuring progress.
Each of the courses a student takes in a term is worth a number of \"units\" or \"credits\".
Most are worth three units.
These are graded A, B, C, D or fail.
An A gets four points
a B three
a C two
a D one
and a failure none

Averages

Universities multiply the number of units by the grade number.
So, an A for a three-unit course is worth 12 points.
A -B is worth 9 points
A -C is of 6 points
and a D is 3 points
At the end of the term, they divide the number of accumulated grade points by the number of units to get a student\'s Grade Point Average (GPA).
For instance, someone might accumulate nine unit points in a term and get 24 points (an A and two Cs).
Divide the points (24) by the units (9) and you get a GPA of 2.67 - just below a B (3) equivalent.
The average is worked out term-by-term and a rolling average ends in a final GPA at the finish of the degree course.
Employers get a more exact idea of where job candidates stand when they look at the final grade.
However, whether a couple of hundredths of a point would make that much difference is debatable.
US students tend to specialize less early on than their overseas counterparts.
So, transcripts of performances in all exams taken during a course are also available.
An employer might use these to pick and choose particular relevant skills - such as a manufacturer who cares more about units in chemistry than English literature.
The GPA undoubtedly gives a \"purer\" version of a student\'s overall progress, but even in the US there have been accusations of grade inflation.

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