Are A pluses just a Myth?
Even though they are uncommon, A+ grades do exist at the university level. Each school has specific grading requirements and norms, but most US institutions base their grading on a 4.0 scale GPA (Grade Point Average). Several institutions (including Ivy leagues) recognize A+, but such high grades can be very competitive to earn. If your university recognizes A+ as a grade there are 2 possible options for their associated values.
Some might categorize A+ as simply an A and assign a GPA of 4.0. Other institutions categorize an A+ as a bonus for extraordinary performance, and they assign a GPA of 4.33. You can ask your university for their specific policies regarding grading. Even though GPAs exist to standardize and compare academic performance across institutions, the comparison is never perfect.
Make sure you research about your school’s grading policies and try to set realistic goal about your performance. This article can help you learn about what GPA is consider good
https://slickcollegetips.com/index.php/2020/03/08/what-is-a-good-gpa-what-to-aim-for/
An Example from a Large State Institution
I have completed Bachelors’s and Master’s degrees recently, both awarded by large state universities. In both cases, A+ was part of the grading scale. One of those universities gave professors the option to tweak their grading scale to fit their own courses. Some professors did not believe in letter grades with pluses and minuses, so they opted for exact letter grades when calculating final grades. Other professors employed the pluses and the minuses but did not include A+ as an option. Finally, the professors that included A+ as part of their scale were always emphasizing that that grade is reserved for top students with a GPA of over 97-98 (which in most cases was impossible to achieve).
When stating your cumulative GPA in a resume or any type of application always include the resume from your transcript. If you are called for an interview or offered a job, the employes might want to take a look at your resume. Your GPA should always match your records. In rare cases, you might be asked to calculate your GPA without including grades over 4.0. You can calculate your GPA as usual, but assume all A+ grades are As and have a value of 4.0.
