In school grading, what does GPA stand for?

In school grading, GPA stands for grade point average.

A GPA summarizes a student’s grades as a numerical average. Schools usually convert letter grades or percentage marks into points, then calculate an average from those points. The exact scale differs by country and institution, so a GPA is not automatically comparable across every school system.

Many schools use a four-point scale, with an A commonly represented by 4.0, although weighting, plus and minus grades, and advanced-course bonuses can change the calculation. Some institutions report a cumulative GPA covering all completed courses, while others report a term or semester GPA.

GPA is not the same as a class rank, a percentage, or an individual course grade. It also does not have one universal international formula. Universities may review GPA alongside course difficulty, examination results, recommendations, and other application materials.