How to write your GPA on a CV
Copy the GPA from your transcript with two decimals and its scale, for example 3.47/4.00, and never round it up. Label any major GPA with its course count, and convert to a 100-point scale only with an official table.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
Open the transcript before you type a number
The figure on your CV has to match the one an employer or admissions office will later see on an official record. The University of Richmond's career office puts it bluntly: use the GPA shown in the student system, do not inflate it or round it up, and give two decimal places, because 3.49 is not 3.5. Its students who break that rule are reported to the Honor Council.
- The number itself, exactly as printed, including both decimals.
- The top of the scale: 4.00 in most US and Turkish universities, 100 where courses are marked out of 100.
- Which average it is: cumulative, major or term. A term GPA is not your degree GPA.
- The point in time: after how many semesters, if you have not finished.
Why the exact figure is the only safe one
Penn's career services remind students that an organisation which sees an unofficial transcript will likely ask for the official copy later, so nothing should be changed. Some registrars do not round at all: the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga states that its grade point averages are not rounded. A 3.48 written as 3.5 is a claim your own records contradict.
How a GPA on the 4.0 scale is calculated
James Madison University's registrar explains the arithmetic most US schools share. Each letter grade has a point value; multiply it by the course's credit hours to get quality points; divide the total quality points by the credit hours attempted. Failed courses still count in the hours, which is why one F pulls an average down hard.
| Letter | Points (JMU) | Letter | Points (JMU) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4.00 | C+ | 2.30 |
| A- | 3.70 | C | 2.00 |
| B+ | 3.30 | C- | 1.70 |
| B | 3.00 | D+ | 1.30 |
| B- | 2.70 | D / D- | 1.00 / 0.70 |
One semester worked through
| Course (invented) | Credits | Grade | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statistics | 3 | A- | 3 × 3.70 = 11.10 |
| Microeconomics | 3 | B+ | 3 × 3.30 = 9.90 |
| Chemistry lab | 1 | A | 1 × 4.00 = 4.00 |
| Calculus II | 4 | B | 4 × 3.00 = 12.00 |
| Total | 11 | 37.00 |
GPA = 37.00 / 11 = 3.3636..., which the transcript shows as 3.36. Other schools can assign other point values to the same letters, so the scale printed on your own transcript is the one that counts.
Turkish universities use the same logic with ECTS
In Türkiye each university sets its rules in its own regulation. Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, for example, multiplies each course's ECTS credits by the grade coefficient (AA = 4.00, BA = 3.50 and so on) and divides the sum by the total ECTS. Its regulation says the division is carried to two decimal places and rounded, which is a different rule from Chattanooga's.
Turkish grades: one letter, two point bands, one YÖK table
The letter coefficients repeat across Turkish universities, but the 0 to 100 marks behind them do not. Two regulations published on mevzuat.gov.tr show it:
| Letter | Coefficient | Marks at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli | Marks at Ankara Bilim |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA | 4.00 | 90 to 100 | 91 to 100 |
| BA | 3.50 | 85 to 89 | 81 to 90 |
| BB | 3.00 | 80 to 84 | 71 to 80 |
| CB | 2.50 | 75 to 79 | 61 to 70 |
| CC | 2.00 | 70 to 74 | 55 to 60 |
| DD | 1.00 | 60 to 64 | 45 to 49 |
So an 82 in a course is a BB at one university and a BA at the other. That is why a 100-point figure on a CV needs its source: either the marks your university printed, or the national conversion below.
The YÖK 4.00 to 100 conversion, sample rows
The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) publishes a table that gives the 100-point equivalent of every 4.00-scale grade from 1.00 to 4.00 in steps of 0.01. These rows are copied from it:
| GPA out of 4.00 | YÖK 100-point equivalent | GPA × 25, for comparison |
|---|---|---|
| 3.87 | 96.96 | 96.75 |
| 3.62 | 91.13 | 90.50 |
| 3.41 | 86.23 | 85.25 |
| 3.18 | 80.86 | 79.50 |
| 2.94 | 75.26 | 73.50 |
| 2.66 | 68.73 | 66.50 |
| 2.47 | 64.30 | 61.75 |
The pattern behind the table
We checked every row of the YÖK PDF: each value equals 30 + (GPA − 1) × 70 / 3, with the result cut to two decimals. The table starts at 1.00 = 30, not at 0 = 0, which is why multiplying by 25 gives lower figures. Use the table itself on an application; the formula only explains where its numbers come from.
Where the table is binding
YÖK's regulation on appointments to lecturer (öğretim görevlisi) and research assistant posts, article 6(3), says that the equivalence of 4- and 5-point systems to the 100-point system used for the bachelor's graduation grade is set by YÖK decision, while universities' senates decide for other systems. In those appointment scores the bachelor's grade carries 10% or 30% of the final evaluation, depending on the post.
Six GPA lines, written for real situations
| Situation | Line on the CV | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulative GPA only | BSc Economics, 2022 to 2026 | Cumulative GPA 3.47/4.00 | Two decimals and the scale, nothing else needed |
| Major GPA higher than cumulative | Major GPA 3.71/4.00 (9 courses); Cumulative GPA 3.29/4.00 | Penn asks for the course count behind any major GPA |
| Transfer student | Previous school: GPA 3.52/4.00 | Current school: GPA 3.40/4.00 | Richmond: do not average the two; Penn allows a combined GPA only if clearly labelled and certain |
| Turkish degree, US application | B.S. Industrial Engineering, Gazi University | GPA 3.18/4.00 | The original scale; no conversion unless the form asks |
| Turkish post that asks for 100 points | GANO 3,18/4,00 (YÖK tablosuna göre 80,86) | Original first, the YÖK equivalent named as such |
| Still studying | GPA 3.36/4.00 after 5 of 8 semesters | Says exactly what the number covers |
Every name and grade above is invented. Your line must match your own transcript.
Major GPA: what Penn requires
Penn's career services say a major or concentration GPA usually makes sense only when it is higher than the cumulative one, that it must state the number of courses it covers, and that two majors are never merged into one combined major GPA. Each gets its own name and course count.
Proof: what each source says, read on 13 October 2026
- James Madison University registrar: grade point values A = 4.00 to F = 0.00, quality points, credit hours attempted.
- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga registrar: GPA = quality points / GPA hours including F grades; averages are not rounded.
- University of Richmond career services: exact GPA from the student system, two decimals, no rounding up, label each GPA, do not average transfer GPAs.
- Penn career services: major GPA with course count, separate GPAs per major, combined GPA only when clearly labelled and accurate.
- YÖK: 4'lük sistemdeki notların 100'lük sistemdeki karşılıkları (PDF, 1.00 to 4.00).
- YÖK regulation on lecturer and research assistant appointments (mevzuat.gov.tr no. 28947), articles 6(3), 10 and 12.
- Regulations of Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University and Ankara Bilim University: letter grades, coefficients and mark bands.
When the GPA should stay off the page
Whether to show a GPA at all, and the thresholds some career centres use, is covered on the education section guide. A few cases come up again and again:
- You have several years of work: the degree line alone does the job.
- You cannot name the scale: a bare 82 or 3.1 means nothing to the reader.
- You would need to convert it yourself and nobody asked for a conversion.
- A form asks for it anyway: then give the exact figure, even if it is low, and keep the CV consistent with the form.
Grades from another country
A German application uses its own formula with a different pass mark; the guide on Turkish grades in Germany works through it. Recognition of the degree itself is a separate step from converting the grade.
Next steps
Download the transcript, copy the figure and the scale, decide whether a major GPA adds anything, and write one line. If a Turkish employer or university wants a 100-point figure, take it from the YÖK table, not from a calculator site.
CitedCV stores the GPA as part of each education entry and prints the figure you enter, in English, Turkish or German. It does not read your transcript, so type the number exactly as the registrar shows it.
Questions people ask
Should I round my GPA on my resume?
No. Write it with two decimals as the transcript shows it. Richmond's career office says 3.49 does not equal 3.5, and an employer who later sees the official transcript will notice the difference.
How do I list my major GPA on a resume?
Label it and add the number of courses, for example Major GPA 3.71/4.00 (9 courses), next to the cumulative GPA. Penn suggests it only when it is higher than the cumulative figure.
How do I convert a 4.0 GPA to the 100-point scale in Turkey?
Use the YÖK conversion table, which lists every grade from 1.00 to 4.00. For example 3.18 is 80.86 and 2.94 is 75.26; multiplying by 25 gives different, lower numbers.
Is a 3.0 GPA the same as 75 out of 100?
Not on the YÖK table, which gives 3.00 as 76.66, because it maps 1.00 to 30 rather than 0. Outside Türkiye there is no single official conversion, so keep the original scale.
How is GPA calculated?
Multiply each grade's point value by the course credits, add the results, and divide by the credits attempted. In Türkiye the credits are usually ECTS, and the university regulation sets the rounding rule.
Should I put my transfer GPA on my resume?
Yes, until you have grades at the new school, and then list each school's GPA under that school. Richmond says not to average them; Penn accepts a combined GPA only if labelled and accurate.
Do I need to write the GPA scale on my CV?
Yes. A reader outside your system cannot tell whether 3.4 is out of 4, 5 or 10, so write 3.40/4.00 or 82/100 every time.
Can I write a GPA from a 100-point Turkish transcript on an English CV?
Yes, as GPA 82/100 with the scale shown. Convert it only if the employer or programme asks, and then name the table or formula you used.
Sources
- James Madison University Registrar: Calculating GPAwww.jmu.edu/registrar/students/grading/calculating-gpa.shtml
- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Registrar: Calculating your GPAwww.utc.edu/academic-affairs/registrar/gpa
- University of Richmond Career Services: Step-by-step resume guidecareerservices.richmond.edu/resources/how-to-make-a-resume/
- Penn Career Services: Resume and transcript FAQs for transfer studentscareerservices.upenn.edu/resume-transcript-faqs-for-transfer-students/
- YÖK: 4'lük sistemdeki notların 100'lük sistemdeki karşılıkları (PDF)personel.yok.gov.tr/documentFiles/17532690942.4luk%20sistemin%20100%20luk%20sistemde%20ki%20karsiligi.pdf
- Regulation on central and entrance exams for lecturer and research assistant appointments (mevzuat.gov.tr)www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuat?MevzuatNo=28947&MevzuatTur=7&MevzuatTertip=5
- Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University undergraduate regulation (PDF)www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/yonetmelik/8.5.33750.pdf
- Ankara Bilim University undergraduate regulation (PDF)www.mevzuat.gov.tr/File/GeneratePdf?mevzuatNo=36033&mevzuatTur=UniversiteYonetmeligi&mevzuatTertip=5