How does a policy that counts both attempts affect my GPA?

How we calculated this

The retake's credits and quality points are added on top of your current totals; nothing about your existing record is removed. Using the example values above (current 30 credits at 3.2, a 3-credit retake at 4.0), the new GPA is 3.2727 across 33 total credits, since the original quality points and the retake's quality points are simply summed and divided by the combined credits.

Limitations

This assumes the original attempt's credits and grade are already baked into your entered "current GPA and credits"; do not also add the original course as a separate record, or it will be double-counted. If your school instead fully replaces the original grade, use Retake Grade Replacement instead.

Common mistakes

A common error is using this tool for a school that actually offers grade replacement, which understates the real GPA benefit of retaking, since replacement removes the original's drag on your average entirely rather than just adding a new record on top of it. Another is forgetting that this rule can never fully undo a bad original grade the way replacement does; averaging in a strong retake still leaves the original's weight permanently in your denominator, so the ceiling on how much a single retake can help is lower than under a replacement policy.

Frequently asked

Does the original grade still count against me here?

Yes, that is the entire premise of this rule: both attempts remain on your transcript and both contribute to your GPA, unlike a replacement policy.

What if the retake and original grades are the same?

Your GPA stays essentially the same (moving only slightly toward that grade if it differs from your prior average), but your total credits still increase, since the retake is a real additional record.

Can I use this if my retake has different credits than the original?

Yes; enter the retake's own actual credits, which do not need to match the original course's credit value.

How is this different from GPA After Retake?

The math is identical to the "both attempts counted" option there; this page is a streamlined version for when you already know that is your school's rule.

Next decision

If your school instead fully replaces the original grade, see Retake Grade Replacement.

For a side-by-side comparison of both rules on the same scenario, read Retake Policies: Replacement vs. Both Attempts Counted.