GPA - Grade Point Average Calculating Major-Specific GPA Questions and Answers

Question 1

A student is calculating their major GPA in Psychology (PSYC). In addition to core PSYC courses, they have also taken STAT 201 (required for the major), SOC 101 (a general education elective), and ENGL 101 (a university-wide requirement). Which of these courses should typically be included in the major-specific GPA calculation?

Accepted Answer

Core PSYC courses and STAT 201.

Answer

The major-specific GPA generally includes all courses required for the major, even if they are from a different department (like Statistics in this case). General education electives and university-wide requirements not specifically mandated by the major are typically excluded.

Question 2

A Biology major takes an optional, extra departmental elective, BIOL 499, after all major requirements have been fulfilled. The university does not provide an official major GPA calculation on the transcript. For the purpose of reporting a major GPA on a resume, how should this extra course be handled?

Accepted Answer

The course should be excluded because it was not used to satisfy a specific major requirement.

Answer

Generally, when calculating a major GPA for external reporting, only the courses that fulfill specific major requirements are included. Extra departmental courses taken as electives that do not count towards the major are typically excluded from this specific calculation.

Question 3

A student is calculating their major GPA. They received a 'D' in a required 3-credit major course and retook it, earning a 'B'. The university's policy is 'grade replacement' for cumulative GPA. How does this typically affect the major-specific GPA calculation?

Accepted Answer

Only the most recent grade ('B') is used in the calculation.

Answer

When a university has a grade replacement policy for repeated courses, this policy usually extends to the major GPA calculation. Therefore, the old grade is discarded, and only the most recent attempt's grade and credits are factored into the GPA.

Question 4

Which of the following courses would LEAST likely be included when calculating the GPA for a Computer Science (CS) major?

Accepted Answer

A 100-level Physical Education course taken to fulfill a university wellness requirement.

Answer

A major GPA calculation focuses on courses that are part of the major's curriculum. This includes core courses, required electives within the major, and required supporting courses from other departments. A general university requirement, like Physical Education, that is not specifically mandated by the major's curriculum would be excluded.

Question 5

An engineering student has the following grades in courses for their major: MECH 101 (3 credits, A=4.0), MECH 201 (4 credits, B=3.0), and MATH 251 (4 credits, C=2.0), which is a required support course. What is the student's major GPA?

Accepted Answer

2.91

Answer

To calculate the major GPA, multiply the credits for each required course by the grade points to get quality points (MECH 101: 3*4=12; MECH 201: 4*3=12; MATH 251: 4*2=8). Sum the quality points (12+12+8=32) and divide by the total major-related credit hours (3+4+4=11). 32 / 11 = 2.91.

GPA - Grade Point Average Practice Test

GPA - Grade Point Average Practice Test

GPA - Grade Point Average Calculating Major-Specific GPA Questions and Answers