Grade Points, Credits, and GPA

What do grade points, credits, and Grade Point Average (GPA) refer to?

Grade Points: numeric value assigned to a letter grade (e.g., A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0)
Credit: numeric value assigned for successful completion of a course

    • High School Courses — A high school course that meets 5 days a week for 50-minute class periods—one half credit (0.5) is earned for each semester; a course that meets 2 or 3 days a week for 50-minute class periods (e.g., Bible) earns one quarter credit (0.25) each semester.
    • Dual Credit Courses —Typically 1 high school credit is earned for each 3-credit college course taken for dual credit. (See dual credit page for more information.)

Grade Point Average: a student’s total grade points divided by his total credits. BJA uses the weighted South Carolina Uniform Grading Policy GPA. The scale awards an additional half grade point for honors classes and an additional 1 grade point for dual credit courses. Dual credit classes, as college classes, do not earn either A+ or D+ grades.

Letter Grade College Prep Honors        Dual Credit 
A+ 4.9 5.4
A 4.5 5.0 5.5
A- 4.1 4.6 5.1
B+ 3.8 4.3 4.8
B 3.45 3.95 4.45
B- 3.1 3.6 4.1
C+ 2.8 3.3 3.8
C 2.45 2.95 3.45
C- 2.1 2.6 3.1
D+ 1.8 2.3
D 1.45 1.95 2.45
D- 1.1 1.6 2.1
F 0 0 0

 

When transferring to a South Carolina public high school, letter grades are converted to the numeric scale. All grades within a particular letter (e.g. B+, B, B-) are assigned the same number and related SC UGP GPA.

Semester Grading

  • Each semester grade is final, and they are not averaged at year-end.
  • If a student does not pass the 1st semester of a class, he can still take the 2nd semester unless it’s one of the following classes:
    • Physical Science, Chemistry, Physics, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Precalculus, and world languages
    • If the course is required, the student repeats the first semester the following year (or during summer school if the course is offered).