OTCAS

FAQs > Grade Point Averages (GPA's)

Table of Contents

• Q: How are the OTCAS GPA's calculated?

  A: OTCAS calculates 14 GPA's for every “complete” application received. The OTCAS GPA's include all U.S. and Canadian college courses with grades and credit hours at all regionally accredited institutions, including repeated courses. All GPA's are provided in a 4.0 semester-based format. To calculate your OTCAS GPA, first calculate the quality points for each course by multiplying the grade value of the course by the semester hours for that course. Add the quality points for all courses for total quality points. Separately add the credit hours for all courses for total credit hours. Divide the total quality points by the total number of attempted hours. (Total Quality Points / Total Credit Hours Attempted = GPA)

  Example:

  Course	Grade on Transcript	Credits Attempted on Transcript	OTCAS Grade	Calculation	Quality Points
  MATH 100	90–100	3	A (4.0)	= 4 × 3	12
  HIST 101	80–89	3	B (3.0)	= 3 × 3	9
  CHEM 200	70–79	4	C (2.0)	= 2 × 4	8
  BIOL 250	60–69	3	D (1.0)	= 1 × 3	3
  PSYC 300	< 60	3	F (0.0)	= 0 × 3	0
  TOTAL		16			32

  GPA Calculation: 32 (Quality Points) divided by 16 (Credit Hours Attempted) = 2.00 (GPA)

• Q: Why is my OTCAS GPA different from what my transcripts provide for a GPA?

  A: OTCAS standardizes GPA's to help OT programs evaluate applicants using uniform and consistent criteria, regardless of different institutional transcript policies. If the institution you attended has a different grading scale than OTCAS, your GPA's will be different. In addition, OTCAS combines all coursework from undergraduate, post-baccalaureate and graduate years for the Overall GPA. This GPA will be different than the individual transcripts, if you attended multiple institutions. Colleges and universities that you have attended may have grade forgiveness policies for repeated courses that differ from the OTCAS policy. OT programs may choose to use the OTCAS GPA's or calculate new GPA's for their own institutional use.

• Q: How do I convert the numeric grades on my transcript to a OTCAS letter grade?

  A: Some college transcripts report numeric grades, rather than alpha (letter) grades. Please refer to the key provided by the college either on the front or back of the transcript for a conversion scale. If the transcript does NOT provide a conversion scale, please refer to the conversion scales below:

  For Transcripts with No Alpha Grade Key

  Grade on Transcript	OTCAS Letter Grade	OTCAS Grade Value
  100–90	A/A+	4.0
  89–80	B	3.0
  79–70	C	2.0
  69–60	D	1.0
  59–0	F	0.0

  For Transcripts with No Alpha Grade Key

  Grade on Transcript	OTCAS Letter Grade	OTCAS Grade Value
  4.00–3.80	A+/A	4.0
  3.79–3.60	A-	3.7
  3.59–3.40	AB	3.5
  3.39–3.10	B+	3.3
  3.09–2.80	B	3.0
  2.79–2.60	B-	2.7
  2.59–2.40	BC	2.5
  2.39–2.10	C+	2.3
  2.09–1.80	C	2.0
  1.79–1.60	C-	1.7
  1.59–1.40	CD	1.5
  1.39–1.10	D+	1.3
  1.09–0.80	D	1.0
  0.79–0.60	D-	0.7
  0.59–0.40	DE	0.5
  Less than or equal to 0.39	F	0.0

• Q: When will my GPA's be available?

  A: GPA's are calculated within 4 weeks after the application, all required U.S. and Canadian transcripts, and correct fee are received by OTCAS. In many cases your GPA will be available in less than two weeks. OTCAS will notify you via email once your GPA's are available to view on the OTCAS application. Arrange for your transcripts to be sent to OTCAS as soon as possible to expedite the processing of your file.

• Q: Where will I be able to view my GPA's?

  A: You will receive an automated email from OTCAS once your GPA's are available. To view your OTCAS GPA's, login to your OTCAS web application and select the GPA option towards the right of the screen.

• Q: What types of courses are included in my GPA's?

  A: All coursework that is listed in a session marked as Undergraduate, Graduate, or Post BS/BA Undergraduate will be included in your GPA's, with a few exceptions. The following courses will NOT be included in your OTCAS GPA's:

  • Courses with a credit value of 0.00
    • (If a failed course and credit earned is 0.00, OTCAS will use credit hours attempted)
  • Courses with grades that do not have a numerical equivalent ( e.g. P, HP, S, CR)
  • Courses with a special classification of:
    • Incomplete
    • Advanced Placement
    • CLEP
    • International Baccalaureate
    • Audit
    • Deferred
    • Institutional/Departmental Exam
    • Pass/Fail
    • Withdrawn/Withdrawn Passing
    • Withdrawn Failing

• Q: What is the grading scale that OTCAS uses to calculate GPA's?

  A: The OTCAS grading system standardizes the way grades will be reported to your designated programs. The OTCAS Grade is assigned a numeric value to calculate your grade point average.

  4.0	3.7	3.5	3.3	3.0	2.7	2.5	2.3	2.0	1.7	1.5	1.3	1.0	0.7	0.5	0.0
  A/A+	A-	AB	B+	B	B-	BC	C+	C	C-	CD	D+	D	D-	DE	F

  If your institution uses a numeric grading system, choose the appropriate letter grade from the list above that equals the numeric grade. If your institution uses a plus/minus system with different numeric values, the OTCAS GPA will be different than your institutional GPA. This potential disparity is known to the participating OT programs and will not put you at a disadvantage relative to other OTCAS applicants. All applicants will have their GPA's calculated using the same criteria.

• Q: What do I do if I notice a discrepancy in my GPA's that is not explained by these FAQs?

  A: Contact OTCAS via e-mail at otcasinfo@otcas.org if you disagree with a OTCAS GPA calculation. OTCAS staff will gladly investigate any potential verification errors and will resolve any proven mistakes immediately. If your application must be revised for such a discrepancy, your designated program(s) will be notified immediately of the change and a revised copy of your application will be forwarded within one week.