What is the BCPM science GPA?
The BCPM GPA is the grade point average AMCAS, the American Medical College Application Service, calculates from your biology, chemistry, physics and math courses. Everything else goes into a separate all-other (AO) GPA, and both roll up into a total GPA. AMCAS reports these GPAs for each academic year (freshman, sophomore and so on) as well as cumulatively.[4]
Courses are classified by their primary content, not by the department that teaches them.[1] The AAMC’s classification guide places these subjects in BCPM:
| Group | Includes |
|---|---|
| Biology | anatomy, biology, biophysics, biotechnology, botany, cell and molecular biology, ecology, entomology, genetics, histology, immunology, microbiology, neuroscience, physiology, zoology |
| Chemistry | biochemistry, chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, thermodynamics, toxicology |
| Physics | astronomy, physics |
| Math | algebra, applied mathematics, biostatistics, calculus, geometry, mathematics, statistics |
Computer science and general “natural and physical sciences” courses are not BCPM; they count toward the AO GPA.[1]
How AMCAS calculates your GPA
AMCAS converts each grade to its own scale and multiplies it by semester hours: A = 4.0, A− = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, B− = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2.0, C− = 1.7, D+ = 1.3, D = 1.0, D− = 0.7, F = 0.[3] Several rules differ from your college’s GPA:[2]
- A+ counts 4.0, the same as an A, even if your school gives it 4.33.
- Plus and minus always count, even if your school ignores them.
- Every attempt of a repeated course counts, even when your school replaces the old grade. Enter each attempt as its own row.
- Failed courses always count, including ones your school leaves out of its GPA, and some unofficial withdrawals can be treated as an F.
Worked example (the calculator’s defaults)
BCPM: Biology B+ (3.3 × 4 = 13.2), General Chemistry B (12.0), Calculus A− (14.8), Organic Chemistry C+ (9.2) and its retake B+ (13.2). 62.4 quality points over 20 hours = 3.12.
AO: English A and Psychology A, 24.0 over 6 hours = 4.00. Total: 86.4 over 26 hours = 3.32. If the school replaced the C+ with the retake, its own science GPA would be about 3.33 (53.2 over 16 hours); AMCAS keeps both attempts.
Quarter hours and other credit systems
AMCAS works in semester hours. Quarter hours are converted at two-thirds: 3 quarter hours = 2.0 semester hours, 4 = 2.7, 5 = 3.3, 15 = 10.0.[3] Choose “Quarter hours” in the calculator and enter the hours from your transcript; the conversion is done for you. For other systems, the AAMC tells applicants to ask their advisor or registrar.
This is an estimateYour official AMCAS GPA is calculated after AMCAS verifies your transcripts, using the grade conversion your school reported. Enter courses in your application exactly as they appear on your transcript, not as converted here.
Pass/fail, AP credit and withdrawals
Pass/fail courses, official withdrawals and incompletes carry no grade points, so the calculator leaves P and W rows out of every GPA. AMCAS lists pass/fail and AP or CLEP credit separately as supplemental hours.[4]
For your college’s own GPA, with its A+ and grade-replacement rules, use the college GPA calculator. To combine terms, use the cumulative GPA calculator, and for a single course still in progress, the final grade calculator shows what you need on the exam.
Frequently asked questions
What classes count toward science GPA?
For AMCAS, courses whose primary content is biology, chemistry, physics or math (including biochemistry, astronomy and statistics). Computer science and general science courses count toward the all-other GPA.
Does AMCAS count retakes?
Yes. Every attempt of a repeated course counts in the AMCAS GPA, even if your school replaced the earlier grade.
Is an A+ a 4.0 on AMCAS?
Yes. AMCAS assigns 4.0 to both A+ and A.
Is this BCPM GPA calculator the same as the AMCAS GPA?
It follows the AMCAS rules (grade weights, A+ = 4.0, every attempt counted, quarter hours × 2/3), so it is a close estimate. Your official AMCAS GPA is calculated after AMCAS verifies your transcripts.
How do I convert quarter hours to semester hours for AMCAS?
Multiply by two-thirds: 4 quarter hours become 2.7 semester hours and 5 become 3.3.