Calculate your McMaster GPA on the official 12-point scale, with the course-point formula, the 4.0 equivalent, and the repeated-course rules that changed in September 2018.
| Grade | Course units |
|---|
Enter each course's letter grade and its unit value — most McMaster courses are 3 units. Course points are units × grade point.
| Grade | Grade points | Percentage · 4.0 equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 12 | 90–100% · 4.0 |
| A | 11 | 85–89% · 3.9 |
| A− | 10 | 80–84% · 3.7 |
| B+ | 9 | 77–79% · 3.3 |
| B | 8 | 73–76% · 3.0 |
| B− | 7 | 70–72% · 2.7 |
| C+ | 6 | 67–69% · 2.3 |
| C | 5 | 63–66% · 2.0 |
| C− | 4 | 60–62% · 1.7 |
| D+ | 3 | 57–59% · 1.3 |
| D | 2 | 53–56% · 1.0 |
| D− | 1 | 50–52% · 0.7 |
| F | 0 | 0–49% · 0.0 |
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| A− (10) 6u + C+ (6) 3u + B (8) 6u + B+ (9) 3u | 8.50 / 12.00 (about 3.2 on the 4.0 scale) |
| A+ (12) 3u + B (8) 3u | 10.00 / 12.00 |
| C (5) 6u + D (2) 3u | 4.00 / 12.00 |
| All A (11) across 15 units | 11.00 / 12.00 |
McMaster does not average your letter grades. It converts each grade into grade points on a 12-point scale, multiplies by the units the course carries to get course points, then divides the total course points by the total graded units.
The result is that units matter as much as grades. A B+ in a 3-unit course contributes 27 course points; an A− in a 6-unit course contributes 60. Replacing a weak 6-unit grade therefore moves your GPA far more than polishing a 3-unit elective.
| Category | Why it is left out |
|---|---|
| Transfer credit from other universities | No McMaster grade point is generated |
| Courses designated EXTRA | Not counted toward your degree, so not counted in the cumulative GPA |
| Non-numeric grades — P, NC, AUD, COM | They carry no grade points; the earned units still count toward graduation |
| Pass/Fail courses | Excluded from averages, though the units are earned |
| Earlier attempts of a repeated course (after 1 Sept 2018) | The repeat policy changed on that date — only the latest attempt counts |
The date matters. Grades from all attempts, including failed ones, are included for courses taken before 1 September 2018, so older transcripts can produce a noticeably lower cumulative GPA than the same record earned under the current rules.
| Program | Minimum GPA |
|---|---|
| B.A. / B.Sc. / B.Tech | 3.5 |
| B.A.Sc. (Engineering) / B.Com. / B.Eng. | 4.0 |
| Honours degrees (B.A., B.Sc., B.Com., B.Mus. and others) | 5.0 |
| B.S.W. (Honours) / B.H.Sc. | 6.0 |
| Graduation with Distinction | 9.5 — the Latin phrase summa cum laude appears on the diploma |
The 12-point scale, the percentage equivalents, the 4.0 conversion column, the course-point formula and the exclusion list come from the Office of the Registrar and the McMaster Academic Calendar. The 4.0 figure shown here is interpolated between the published conversion rows, so treat it as a guide rather than an official conversion.
McMaster has graded on the 12-point scale since 1982. Each letter grade maps to a whole number from A+ = 12 down to F = 0, which gives finer resolution than a 4.0 scale and avoids the compressed range that plus/minus systems on a 4.0 scale produce.
Use the published conversion column: 12 → 4.0, 11 → 3.9, 10 → 3.7, 9 → 3.3, 8 → 3.0, 7 → 2.7, 6 → 2.3, 5 → 2.0, 4 → 1.7, 3 → 1.3, 2 → 1.0, 1 → 0.7. For an average that falls between two rows, this calculator interpolates linearly, which is an estimate rather than an official conversion.
It depends on when you took them. For courses taken before 1 September 2018 the grades from all attempts, including failures, are included. For courses taken after that date only the latest attempt of a repeated course counts.
It varies by program, from 3.5 for a general B.A. or B.Sc. up to 6.0 for the B.S.W. (Honours) and B.H.Sc. Most Honours degrees require 5.0, and a 9.5 average earns graduation with Distinction.
No. Courses evaluated on a pass/fail basis are excluded from the GPA calculation, though the units still count toward your degree requirements.