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What a PA school GPA calculator does and when to use it
A PA school GPA calculator works out the overall, science, BCP and non-science GPAs that CASPA reports to physician assistant programs. It also gives you a prerequisite GPA and a last-60-credits GPA, two figures PA programs work out on their own.
Use it when a program lists a minimum prerequisite GPA, or when you’re deciding which prerequisite to retake. It can’t see any program’s prerequisite list, so you mark those courses yourself.
How to use the PA school GPA calculator
Enter your transcript
Add one row per course with Grade, Credits and Subject, and set each year’s picker from Freshman to Graduate.
Mark prerequisites
Open Options and tick Mark prerequisite courses. A Prereq box appears on each row; check the ones your target program requires. Load common prerequisites, above an empty course list, adds a typical PA list with Prereq ticked and grades blank; programs vary, so delete any yours doesn’t ask for.
Read the extra GPAs
Prerequisite GPA joins Science, BCP and Non-science in the results. Last 60 credits appears once your courses reach 60 credits.
How to calculate your prerequisite GPA for PA school
Prerequisite GPA = quality points of checked courses ÷ their credits
Prereq box
The check you put on each course your program requires.
Science
Biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics and other science.
Non-science
Math and all other subjects.
Say a program requires anatomy, physiology, microbiology, organic chemistry and abnormal psychology. Here is a junior year with those five courses checked plus one elective.
| Course and subject | Grade · value × credits | Quality points |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 250 Human Anatomy Biology, prerequisite | A− · 3.7 × 4 | 14.8 |
| BIOL 251 Human Physiology Biology, prerequisite | B · 3.0 × 4 | 12.0 |
| MICR 260 Microbiology Biology, prerequisite | A · 4.0 × 4 | 16.0 |
| CHEM 220 Organic Chemistry Chemistry, prerequisite | C+ · 2.3 × 4 | 9.2 |
| PSYC 330 Abnormal Psychology Non-science, prerequisite | A · 4.0 × 3 | 12.0 |
| MUS 110 Music Appreciation Non-science | A · 4.0 × 3 | 12.0 |
Prerequisite GPA: 14.8 + 12.0 + 16.0 + 9.2 + 12.0 = 64.0 quality points over 19 credits. 64.0 ÷ 19 = 3.368, so 3.37.
Science and BCP both use the four lab courses: 52.0 ÷ 16 = 3.25. Non-science is 24.0 ÷ 6 = 4.00, and the overall is 76.0 ÷ 22 = 3.455.
The calculator shows Undergraduate GPA (CASPA) 3.45, Science GPA 3.25, BCP GPA 3.25, Non-science GPA 4.00 and Prerequisite GPA 3.37. With only 22 credits entered, there’s no Last 60 credits figure yet.
How to read your CASPA GPA result
The top number is your undergraduate overall GPA as CASPA would count it, with a letter badge beside it. Below it, Science GPA includes other sciences, while BCP GPA keeps only biology, chemistry and physics.
Example
Say your BCP courses average 3.0 over 16 credits and you add an A in a 4-credit physical geology course. Science GPA rises to (48 + 16) ÷ 20 = 3.2, while BCP GPA stays at 3.0.
Prerequisite GPA is the one to hold up against a program’s stated minimum. It can sit above or below your science GPA, since a psychology or statistics prerequisite counts in it. To raise it, Open GPA planner, pick Prerequisite GPA and enter the minimum.
Last 60 credits counts your most recent courses, newest first, until it reaches 60, and a course that crosses the line counts in full. Programs that use it may count it differently, so read each program’s own rule.
What changes your CASPA prerequisite GPA
Which courses you check. Each PA program sets its own prerequisite list, so one transcript can give a different prerequisite GPA for each school. Keep one copy per program under My saves.
Graduate prerequisites count. A checked course in a Graduate year still counts toward Prerequisite GPA and Last 60 credits here, though it stays out of the undergraduate overall. PA programs differ on this, so check each one.
Retaking a prerequisite. CASPA keeps both attempts in its own GPAs. If a program uses only your best attempt for prerequisites, check only that row; if it averages them, check both.
Tip
Load common prerequisites adds one row per course. If you took a course twice, add a second row for the retake, then check the attempts your program counts.
W, NP and WF. A W or a fail in a pass/fail course adds nothing, while a WF counts as a zero in every CASPA figure it belongs to.
Quarter hours. CASPA converts each quarter hour to 0.667 semester hours; My school uses quarter credits in Options applies the same ratio before any GPA is worked out.
Frequently asked questions
Does CASPA calculate prerequisite GPA?
No, CASPA reports overall, science, BCP and non-science GPAs, and each PA program works out its own prerequisite GPA. This calculator lets you estimate it by checking the courses on a program’s list.
What is the difference between science GPA and BCP GPA on CASPA?
BCP GPA counts only biology, chemistry and physics. Science GPA adds other sciences such as geology or astronomy, so the two match when you have no other science courses.
Does CASPA count retaken courses?
Yes. CASPA counts every attempt, and a retake adds a new grade rather than replacing the old one.
Is statistics a science course on CASPA?
On this calculator, statistics and math count in the non-science GPA for CASPA. They still count in your overall GPA, and in your prerequisite GPA if you check them.
How do I calculate my last 60 credits GPA?
Start from your most recent course and add courses until you reach 60 credits, then divide their quality points by their credits. This calculator counts a course that crosses 60 in full.
Sources
- CASPA: How Your GPA Is CalculatedCASPA Applicant Help Center
- CASPA: Course SubjectsCASPA Applicant Help Center
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