After PharmCAS receives all of your official U.S. transcripts, it conducts a course-by-course verification process. Verification refers to the matching of courses on your official transcripts with the courses you entered onto the “Transcript Entry” section of your application. PharmCAS will check the course information you reported on your application against your official transcripts and will report any discrepancies to your selected programs.
PharmCAS will return your application to you for corrections or explanation if it identifies a significant number of course discrepancies or omissions. If you fail to properly enter all of your courses when you first submit your application or do not make corrections as requested, you may jeopardize your chances for admission.
GPA Calculations
PharmCAS calculates a standardized set of GPAs to help programs evaluate applicants using uniform criteria. PharmCAS GPAs may differ from those calculated on your transcripts due to the grade standardization process. Programs may use the PharmCAS GPAs or calculate their own.
PharmCAS GPAs Include:
- Courses only from colleges and universities in the United States and Canada
- Repeated courses
- Study-abroad courses, if reported on a United States transcript
- Withdrawn failing
PharmCAS GPAs Do Not Include:
- Foreign courses
- Advanced Placement (AP)
- CLEP
- Audited
- Deferred
- Institutional/departmental exam
- International Baccalaureate (IB)
- Incomplete
- Pass/fail
- Withdrawn/withdrawn passing
GPA Rules
To calculate a grade point average (GPA), PharmCAS determines your total number of quality points by multiplying semester hours attempted by the value of the verified PharmCAS grade. Quarter hours and units are converted to semester hours (quarter hours are multiplied by .667). The quality points are divided by the total number of hours for completed courses. PharmCAS will report your standardized GPA in semester-based 4.0 grading scale.
- Repeated courses are included in GPAs, even if they are later repeated for a higher grade or excluded from the GPA on the transcript.
- Failed courses are included in GPAs, even if they are later repeated for a higher grade or excluded from the GPA on the transcript.
- If credits or grades are missing, courses are excluded from GPAs.
- PharmCAS will not calculate GPAs by totaling grade values and dividing by the number of courses completed.
- PharmCAS includes grades and credits from transcripts where the course was originally taken, regardless of transfer credit earned at other institutions. The only exception is study-abroad coursework that transferred to a United States institution with itemized credit and grades.
- GPAs are calculated on a 4.0 semester-based system.
- Quarter hours are automatically converted to semester hours (Quarter hour x .667 = semester hour).
- Unit credits are converted to semester hours.
- Grade value is multiplied by semester credits.
- Grade value (eg, A=4.0) x semester credits (eg, 3) = quality points (eg, 12).
- Total quality points divided by total credits attempted = PharmCAS GPA.
- All credit hours are rounded to the tenths place.
- PharmCAS GPAs are rounded to the hundredths place.
PharmCAS Grades and Weights
| 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 | 0 | 0 |
| A/A+ | A- | AB | B+ | B | B- | BC | C+ | C | C- | CD | D+ | D | D- | E | F | WF |
Year-Level GPAs/Academic Status
- Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, Post-Baccalaureate, Cumulative Undergraduate, Graduate, Overall
Course Subject Category GPAs
- Biochemistry, Biology & Other Life Sciences, Inorganic Chemistry, Math, Microbiology, Organic Chemistry, Other Science, Physics, and Social & Behavioral Science
Science, Non-Science, and Mathematics GPAs
- PharmCAS divides each Year-level GPA into Science, Non-Science, and Overall
College/University GPA
- Separate GPA for college/university attended based on PharmCAS GPA calculation rules
Grading Schemes
The PharmCAS application automatically assigns the following grades to courses with numeric grading scales, regardless of the letter grade value assigned on the official transcript. Applicants must enter each course grade exactly as it appears on the transcript.
Letter Grade Conversions:
| Grade on Transcript | "PharmCAS Grade" | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 100-90 | A/A+ | (4.0) |
| 89-80 | B | (3.0) |
| 79-70 | C | (2.0) |
| 69-60 | D | (1.0) |
| 59 and below | F | (>1.0) |
U.S. Number Grade Conversions:
| Grade on Transcript | "PharmCAS 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) |
| 3.00-2.80 | 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) |
| Less than or equal to 0.39 | F | (0.0) |
| Non-graded designations | NONE |
Canadian Grade Conversions
Refer to the PharmCAS Applicant Help Center to view Canadian Percentage and Number Grade Conversions.
Narrative (Non-Graded) Transcripts
Most U.S. colleges and universities evaluate students’ work with a numeric (e.g., 4.0) or alpha grade (e.g., B+). Some programs evaluate students with a “narrative” – sentences or paragraphs discussing the student’s work. PharmCAS cannot verify narrative transcripts. If received, these transcripts are scanned and made available to your designated programs.
Review PharmCAS GPAs
You may review your PharmCAS GPAs by logging onto your account on the PharmCAS website. PharmCAS GPAs are likely to be different from those calculated by the colleges and universities you attended due to the PharmCAS grade standardization process. Your PharmCAS GPAs will be calculated within two weeks after PharmCAS receives your completed application, all transcripts, and the correct fee payment. Please contact PharmCAS by email if you have difficulty accessing your account.
Example:
| Course | Grade on Transcript | Credits Attempted on Transcript | PharmCAS Grade | Calculation | Quality Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MATH 1100 | 100 | 3 | A (4.0) | = 4x3 | 12 |
| ENGL 1310 | 90 | 3 | B (3.0) | = 3x3 | 9 |
| GEOL 1620 | 80 | 4 | C (2.0) | = 2x4 | 8 |
| PHED 1000 | 70 | 3 | D (1.0) | = 1x3 | 3 |
| PSCI 1040 | 60 | 3 | F (0.0) | = 0x3 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 16 | 32 |
GPA Calculation
32 (Quality Points) ÷ by 16 (Credit Hours Attempted) = 2.00 (GPA)
Check Your PharmCAS GPAs
PharmCAS will email you once your coursework is verified and GPAs are calculated. Log into your application to view your GPAs. If you have questions about your GPAs, contact PharmCAS customer support.