GPA Effect of Retaking Courses 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student's cumulative GPA is 2.45 and they need a 2.5 to graduate. They have 12 credit hours remaining. Retaking a 3-credit course where they earned a D (1.0) and replacing it with an A (4.0) would most likely:
- Have no effect on their cumulative GPA
- Increase their cumulative GPA and may help them reach 2.5 (Correct answer)
- Decrease their cumulative GPA
- Automatically grant them a 2.5 GPA
Correct answer: Increase their cumulative GPA and may help them reach 2.5
Replacing a D with an A adds 9 quality points to the GPA calculation (3 credits × 3 extra grade points), which raises the cumulative GPA.
Question 2: A student retakes a course under a 'second chance' policy. Which of the following is a common institutional restriction on such policies?
- The course must be retaken within the same semester
- The policy may only apply to a limited number of courses or credit hours (Correct answer)
- Only STEM courses are eligible for repeat policies
- The policy only applies to graduate students
Correct answer: The policy may only apply to a limited number of courses or credit hours
Most institutions cap grade forgiveness or replacement policies at a set number of courses or total credit hours to prevent abuse.
Question 3: What term describes a policy where BOTH the original and retaken course grades are counted in the GPA?
- Grade replacement
- Grade forgiveness
- Grade inclusion or grade averaging (Correct answer)
- Grade exclusion
Correct answer: Grade inclusion or grade averaging
Under grade inclusion (or averaging) policies, all attempts remain in the GPA calculation rather than replacing or excluding earlier grades.
Question 4: An employer sees on a transcript that a student retook a course. The first grade was a C and the second was an A. Under replacement policy, the employer sees the GPA reflects the A. However, the transcript shows the C with an 'R' notation. What is the 'R' notation?
- A flag indicating the student was referred to tutoring
- A marker indicating the course grade was replaced/excluded due to a retake (Correct answer)
- A grade of 'Repeat' equivalent to a D
- A required course designation
Correct answer: A marker indicating the course grade was replaced/excluded due to a retake
The 'R' (or 'E' for excluded) notation indicates that grade was removed from the GPA calculation because a subsequent attempt replaced it.
Question 5: Which of the following students would benefit MOST from retaking a course under a grade replacement policy?
- A student who earned a B and wants to try for an A+
- A student who earned an F in a 4-credit required course (Correct answer)
- A student who earned an A- and the course is an elective
- A student who has already used all allowed forgiveness credits
Correct answer: A student who earned an F in a 4-credit required course
An F in a high-credit required course has the largest negative GPA impact, so replacement offers the greatest improvement.
Question 6: A student originally passed a course with a C+ and retakes it hoping for a better grade but earns a C-. Under a strict replacement policy, what happens to their GPA?
- Their GPA improves because they retook the course
- Their GPA decreases because the C- replaces the C+ (Correct answer)
- Their GPA is unaffected because both grades are averaged
- Their GPA is unaffected because original passing grades are locked
Correct answer: Their GPA decreases because the C- replaces the C+
Strict replacement policies use the most recent grade regardless of outcome, so a lower second grade will decrease the GPA.
Question 7: How does retaking a course affect the 'attempted hours' count used in GPA and SAP calculations at most schools?
- Only the most recent attempt's hours are counted as attempted
- All attempts add to attempted hours, which can lower completion rate (Correct answer)
- Retaken hours are never counted as attempted hours
- Attempted hours decrease when a course is retaken
Correct answer: All attempts add to attempted hours, which can lower completion rate
Each enrollment attempt typically counts as attempted hours, so multiple failures in the same course accumulate attempted hours and can lower the SAP completion ratio.
GPA Effect of Retaking Courses 4
A student's cumulative GPA is 2.45 and they need a 2.5 to graduate.
They have 12 credit hours remaining.
Retaking a 3-credit course where they earned a D (1.0) and replacing it with an A (4.0) would most likely: