List each course on its own line with its grade, credit hours and whether it is BCPM (biology, chemistry, physics, math) or AO (all other). The calculator gives your BCPM GPA, your AO GPA and your total GPA the way AMCAS counts them: every attempt at a repeated course counts, failed courses count, A+ is 4.0, and plus and minus grades count.
List your courses
Everything is worked out in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Your answer
Your GPAs show up here once you list a course.
What to enter
- Name
- Anything that helps you tell the courses apart. A retaken course appears twice.
- Grade
- A+ to F as on your transcript. W, P, NP and AU are left out of the GPA.
- Credit hours
- The hours as they appear on your transcript. Do not convert quarter hours yourself, since AMCAS does that.
- BCPM or AO
- BCPM for biology, chemistry, physics and math courses, including biochemistry, anatomy, statistics and calculus. AO for everything else, including natural and physical sciences like geology.
Worked examples
A first-year pre-med record
A student lists five courses. These are made-up grades and credits.
- Give each course its points: A+ and A are 4.0, A- is 3.7, B+ is 3.3, and so on, as AMCAS counts plus and minus grades.
- Multiply the points by the credit hours and add them up, once for BCPM courses, once for all other courses, and once for everything.
- Divide each total by its credit hours: BCPM 41.2 ÷ 12 = 3.43; all courses 62.2 ÷ 18 = 3.46.
The BCPM GPA is 3.43 over 12 hours, the AO GPA is 3.50, and the total is 3.46.
A retaken course
A student earned a C in Organic Chemistry, retook it for an A, and their school replaced the C. AMCAS counts both attempts.
- Give each course its points: A+ and A are 4.0, A- is 3.7, B+ is 3.3, and so on, as AMCAS counts plus and minus grades.
- Multiply the points by the credit hours and add them up, once for BCPM courses, once for all other courses, and once for everything.
- Divide each total by its credit hours: BCPM 36 ÷ 12 = 3.00; all courses 36 ÷ 12 = 3.00.
The BCPM GPA is 3.00 over 12 hours. A school GPA with the C removed would read higher.
A withdrawal and a pass
A student lists a course they withdrew from and a pass-fail course.
- Give each course its points: A+ and A are 4.0, A- is 3.7, B+ is 3.3, and so on, as AMCAS counts plus and minus grades.
- Multiply the points by the credit hours and add them up, once for BCPM courses, once for all other courses, and once for everything.
- Divide each total by its credit hours: BCPM 12 ÷ 4 = 3.00; all courses 12 ÷ 4 = 3.00.
AMCAS counts every attempt at a repeated course, plus every F, even if your school forgave them. List each attempt on its own line. AMCAS rounds and converts grades its own way, so its figure can differ slightly from this one. Left out of the GPA: Art History (withdrawn), Yoga (pass).
How AMCAS counts your grades
Your AMCAS GPA can differ from your school GPA. AMCAS counts grades for all attempts of a repeated course, even if your school does not, and it counts failed courses even if your school leaves them out. If your school forgave or replaced a grade, you still enter the original. A+ and A are both 4.0. Plus and minus grades count, so a B+ is 3.3 at a school that counts it that way and 3.5 at one that uses half points, because AMCAS takes the grade as your school assigned it.
BCPM and AO
AMCAS calculates two separate GPAs, one for biology, chemistry, physics and math courses (BCPM) and one for all other coursework (AO), plus a total. It classifies a course by its primary content, not the department that offers it, so a biology course taught in another department is still biology. Natural and physical sciences courses, like geology or environmental science, are not in the BCPM GPA.
What this calculator leaves to AMCAS
AMCAS converts most transcript grades using the conversions your school provides, so your official AMCAS GPA may not match this estimate exactly. It also handles quarter and trimester hours, AP credit, study abroad and transfer coursework. Use this page for planning, and rely on the figure on your verified application.
How it is calculated
- Give each course its points: A+ and A are 4.0, A- 3.7, B+ 3.3, B 3.0, B- 2.7, C+ 2.3, C 2.0, C- 1.7, D+ 1.3, D 1.0, D- 0.7 and F 0.
- Multiply the points by the credit hours for each course.
- Add the points and the hours separately for BCPM courses, for AO courses, and for all courses.
- Divide each set of points by its hours to get the BCPM, AO and total GPAs.
GPA = sum of (grade points × credit hours) ÷ sum of credit hours
Total GPA uses every graded course, BCPM and AO together
Assumptions to keep in mind
- Grades are counted on the common plus/minus scale. Your school may use different values, and AMCAS uses the conversion your school provides.
- Each attempt at a repeated course is its own line, as AMCAS counts them.
- Withdrawals, audits, pass and no-pass courses carry no GPA weight. A withdrawal your school counts as an F should be entered as an F.
- The credit hours are the ones on your transcript.
- The result is shown to two decimals, and AMCAS rounds in its own way.
Mistakes that give the wrong answer
Leaving out a retaken or forgiven course
AMCAS requires every attempt, even when your school removed the grade. Leaving one out can cause your application to be returned.
Counting a withdrawal as a zero
A withdrawal carries no grade or hours in AMCAS. Only a withdrawal your school counts as an F is counted.
Putting a geology or environmental science course in BCPM
AMCAS lists natural and physical sciences as a separate group outside BCPM. They go in AO.
Trusting your school GPA
Your school may drop a failed course or replace a retaken grade. AMCAS does not, so your AMCAS GPA is often lower.
Questions students ask
How is the AMCAS GPA calculated?
Each course earns grade points, the points are multiplied by the credit hours, and the total is divided by the total hours. AMCAS does this three times: for BCPM courses, for all other courses, and for everything together.
Does AMCAS count retaken courses?
Yes. The AMCAS program counts grades for all attempts of a repeated course, even if your school does not. If your school replaced the first grade, you still enter it.
Is an A+ worth more than an A in AMCAS?
No. AMCAS gives A+ the same 4.0 weight as an A.
What is the BCPM GPA?
It is your GPA in biology, chemistry, physics and math courses. AMCAS reports it next to the AO GPA for all other coursework and the total GPA.
Do withdrawals count?
No hours or grade are assigned for a withdrawal, unless your school includes the withdrawal as an F in its GPA.
Do pass-fail courses count?
Pass-fail credits are tracked as supplemental hours and are not in your AMCAS GPAs.
Is this the same as the figure on my application?
It is an estimate. AMCAS uses the grade conversions your school provides and handles quarter hours and transfer credit, so the verified figure can differ.
