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
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- 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
Grade Points and GPA Scale at BJA
Weighted scale (the South Carolina Uniform Grading Policy GPA—used to qualify for SC scholarships, such as the LIFE scholarship; establish class rank; and to qualify for varsity sports, forensics, dual credit, etc.). On the weighted scale, honors courses earn an additional 0.5, and dual credit courses earn an additional 1.0, as can be seen in the chart below. 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. Courses taken prior to 2016-17 transfer in on the 7-point scale with the following conversions. A: 96; B: 88; C: 80; D: 73; F: 61. Courses taken from 2016-17 forward transfer in on the 10-point scale with the following conversions. A: 95; B: 85; C: 75; D: 65; F: 51.
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 foreign languages
- If the course is required, the student repeats the first semester the following year (or during summer school if the course is offered).