As a pre-Physician Assistant (PA) student, you’re likely familiar with CASPA (Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants), the essential platform for applying to PA programs. 

But did you know that CASPA calculates your GPA differently from your transcript? 

Understanding this process is crucial, as your GPA is a significant factor in deciding which programs to apply to. 

In this blog post, we’ll demystify how CASPA calculates GPAs, and provide you with insights to help you navigate the application process with confidence.

How CASPA Calculates Your GPA

CASPA uses a standardized method for calculating GPAs to ensure consistency among all applicants. Here’s how it works:

Course Classification:

CASPA categorizes your courses into specific subjects like biology, chemistry, physics, etc. 

Grade Conversion:

CASPA converts your letter grades to a standardized GPA scale. This conversion considers the credit hours of each course. For instance, an “A” in a 3-credit course is weighted differently from an “A” in a 4-credit course.

Cumulative GPA:

CASPA calculates your overall GPA by summing the converted quality points (GPA points) for all your courses and dividing by the total credit hours.

Science GPA:

CASPA calculates a multitude of separate GPAs, including overall science GPA. This GPA is important to many PA programs, so make sure you understand what courses will be used to calculate this number!

Repeated Courses: 

CASPA factors in all attempts at a course, including both the original and repeated grades. Therefore, retaking a course won’t replace the previous grade in your CASPA GPA calculation. This often confuses students as the GPA reported on their undergrad transcript may be different than their CASPA GPA.

Post-baccalaureate Classes:  CASPA includes ALL undergraduate-level coursework, including those taken after your bachelor’s degree. So, if you’ve taken post-baccalaureate courses, they will be included in your overall GPA calculation.

Understanding how CASPA calculates GPAs is essential for pre-PA students aiming to enter a PA program. As you progress on your journey toward becoming a PA, make sure you understand how you’ll be evaluated and aim to rock out those prerequisite classes!