Enter your GPA, the credits it covers, the course you are retaking and both grades. The calculator shows your new GPA under the policy you pick: the new grade replaces the old one, only the higher grade counts, or both grades are averaged. It also lists all three side by side, since schools differ and you need to know yours.
Pick your school’s policy and enter the numbers
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Your answer
Your answer shows up here once you fill in the numbers.
What to enter
- Your current GPA
- The cumulative GPA that includes the old grade, on a 4.0 scale.
- Credits your GPA covers
- The credits behind that GPA, including the course you are retaking.
- Credits of the course
- The credits the retaken course is worth. Both attempts have the same credits.
- Old and new grade
- Letters from A+ to F, or points from 0 to 4.5. A+ counts as 4.0 here.
Worked examples
Replacing a C with an A
A student with a 3.0 GPA over 60 credits retakes a 3-credit course, going from a C to an A. These numbers are made up.
- Find your credit points so far: 3.00 × 60 = 180.
- Take off the old grade and put in the new one: (180 – 6 + 12) ÷ 60 = 3.10.
With replacement the GPA goes from 3.00 to 3.10 (+0.10). If both grades counted, it would be 3.05.
Both grades count
The same retake at a school that averages both attempts, or on a medical school application.
- Find your credit points so far: 3.00 × 60 = 180.
- Both grades count, so add the new attempt: (180 + 12) ÷ (60 + 3) = 3.05.
The new attempt adds 3 credits, and the GPA ends at 3.05, a gain of +0.05.
A lower grade the second time
A student retakes a course and gets a C where they had a B. The school replaces with the latest grade.
- Find your credit points so far: 3.00 × 60 = 180.
- Take off the old grade and put in the new one: (180 – 9 + 6) ÷ 60 = 2.95.
The new grade is lower than the old one. Under straight replacement it still stands, so your GPA goes down. Many schools keep the higher grade instead, so check your policy. The GPA falls to 2.95.
Three policies you will meet
Schools use three main patterns. At the University of Cincinnati, only the final grade of the most recent attempt goes into the cumulative GPA, even if it is lower, and replaced hours are capped at 18. At Liberty, only the highest grade counts and the lower one is marked excluded. At Cal Poly, a repeat replaces the first grade when it is equal or higher, up to 16 units, and later attempts are averaged in. Your school may differ again, with limits on courses, deadlines or approvals.
Replacement does not travel
Your school’s replacement may not count elsewhere. Medical school applications through AMCAS count every attempt, even if your school replaced the grade, and law schools and other graduate programs often recalculate from the full transcript. Cincinnati says outside admissions committees may disregard replacements and apply their own formulas.
Check the limits
Most policies have caps on how many courses or credits you can replace, require a request, and exclude some grades, such as an F from an academic misconduct finding. Ask your registrar before you retake a course for the GPA.
How it is calculated
- Work out your credit points so far: your GPA times the credits it covers.
- Replacement: take off the old grade’s points for the course and put in the new grade’s points. The total credits stay the same.
- Higher grade only: use replacement if the new grade is at least as high, and leave the GPA alone if it is lower.
- Average: add the new attempt’s points and credits, so the course counts twice.
Replace: new GPA = (GPA × credits – old points × course credits + new points × course credits) ÷ credits
Average: new GPA = (GPA × credits + new points × course credits) ÷ (credits + course credits)
Assumptions to keep in mind
- Your GPA is on a 4.0 scale, with A+ counted as 4.0.
- The credits your GPA covers include the old attempt of the retaken course.
- Under replacement the credits of the course are counted once. Under averaging they count twice.
- A school’s cap or approval rules are not applied. Check them with the registrar.
- Rounding is to two decimals, so the last digit may differ from your school.
Mistakes that give the wrong answer
Assuming every school replaces the grade
Many average both grades, and some replace only up to a cap. Find your school’s policy first.
Forgetting that other schools see both grades
Medical and law schools recalculate from your transcript, and they count every attempt.
Counting the credits twice under replacement
Replacement swaps the grade. The course credits do not change.
Retaking a course you passed without checking
Some schools do not allow replacement of a passing grade, or limit it by credits.
Questions students ask
How does retaking a class affect my GPA?
It depends on your school’s policy. If the new grade replaces the old, your GPA changes by the difference in points times the credits, over your total credits. If both grades count, the course is counted twice.
What is grade replacement?
It is a policy where a repeated course’s new grade takes the place of the old grade in your GPA. Both stay on the transcript. The University of Cincinnati and Cal Poly are examples, each with its own limits.
Does a lower grade replace a higher one?
At some schools yes, as at Cincinnati, where the most recent grade is used even if it is lower. At others, like Liberty, only the higher grade counts.
Do medical schools see the old grade?
Yes. AMCAS counts grades for all attempts of a repeated course, even if your school does not. You enter the original grade on your application.
How many courses can I replace?
It depends on the school. Cincinnati caps replaced hours at 18, and Cal Poly allows up to 16 units of forgiveness. Check your catalog.
Does this work for graduate courses?
Often not. Cincinnati does not allow graduate course grades to be replaced, and Cal Poly says graduate students cannot remove lower grades this way.
