Plus/minus values belong to a named authority
There is no universal “0.3 up, 0.3 down” rule. A policy must define every grade symbol, the included records, the unit denominator, and rounding.
Current official examples differ:
- FCPS uses A−=3.7 and B+=3.3 in its high-school table.
- Cornell's transcript key uses A+=4.3.
- UC Berkeley assigns A+ and A 4.0 and A− 3.7 for its institutional records.
- UC first-year admission ignores high-school plus/minus signs in its defined GPA calculation.
These are separate policies, not rows to mix into one chart.
Build the table first
Record:
| Field | Required source value |
|---|---|
| Authority and effective year | |
| GPA name and scale | |
| A+, A, A− | |
| B+, B, B− | |
| Remaining grade symbols | |
| Percentage bands, if used | |
| Included units and courses | |
| P/F, incomplete, repeat treatment | |
| Rounding rule |
Use transcript letters directly unless the same authority publishes percentage cutoffs. Do not turn 92% into A− or 89% into B+ from a generic internet table.
Compare a fixed record under two explicit models
Fictional record: three equal-unit grades, A−, B+, and B.
Under a table using 3.7, 3.3, and 3.0:
(3.7 + 3.3 + 3.0) ÷ 3 = 3.333...
Under a hypothetical whole-letter table that treats the same symbols as A, B, and B:
(4.0 + 3.0 + 3.0) ÷ 3 = 3.333...
The equal result is a feature of this particular mix, not a general claim. Show per-course values and the exact total so the comparison can be audited.
A+ is a separate policy question
An A+ can be 4.3 under Cornell's named table and 4.0 under Berkeley's. Neither value is “more correct” outside its own record. Do not infer A+ treatment from the word unweighted or from a 4.0 scale label.
Special grades are not plus/minus grades
P/F, incomplete, withdrawal, and repeats need their own inclusion and denominator rules. Record whether each mark earns credit, enters attempted units, and contributes grade points. If unresolved, exclude it from the estimate with a visible warning rather than assigning zero.
Keep admissions claims out of the arithmetic
UC's admission calculation ignores high-school plus/minus signs; Yale publishes a different approach and says it does not unweight or reweight GPAs. A comparison tool should not claim that colleges collectively prefer one table or that a decimal change alters admission chances.
Use weighted vs unweighted GPA for formula comparison and what counts in unweighted GPA for course-inclusion evidence.
FAQ
Is A− always 3.7?
No. Use the exact table published by the calculation owner.
Is A+ always 4.0 on an unweighted GPA?
No. Cornell and Berkeley publish different A+ values for their institutional records.
Should I convert percentages before entering grades?
Only with percentage bands published by the same authority. Otherwise preserve the original grade.
Does plus/minus always lower GPA?
No. The direction and size depend on the exact grade mix, units, table, and included records.
Can this comparison become my official GPA?
Only the relevant authority can issue an official GPA. The calculator reproduces the supplied rule and should label unresolved cases as estimates.