Understanding the GPA. (1 Viewer)

[Crobat]

Hi there!

So we recently got first sem results back as well as our GPAs.



My GPA is 3.5, but my WAM is 82.5. I'm not understanding how my near-HD WAM has barely scraped a D GPA.

After reading around a lot I gather that I cannot compare the two as they aren't the same thing, which I can accept. But where UTS (and others) has given GPA, UNSW (and others) has given a WAM, and naturally the WAM will be higher and thus more impressive. So I do not understand the purpose of GPA exactly if there are unis that don't even bother giving it out and especially if there will be huge discrepancies between the two. Can anyone help me out?

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: Sorry! I didn't realise I was still browsing the Transfers forum when I started this thread I meant to put this in General University Discussion.

 

[brent012]

That's just how GPA and WAM works unfortunately. I am 0.2 off a D average by GPA but my WAM is pretty much the same as yours.

Using WAM for non internal purposes doesn't make sense in my opinion, it's obviously the superior method for a student as it doesn't round down your marks to grades but from the unis perspective it softens the blow of borderline fails and rewards inconsistency. To be honest, I don't know why a university like UNSW who seem to run exclusively off WAM even bother awarding grades. The biggest problem with using WAM over GPA is that it means a High Distinction average is possible without straight HDs which makes no sense and also removes the mystique of a 4 or 7 GPA. (Macquarie has already done that by counting HD and Ds as the same)

Using GPA or WAM, and what scale GPA a university use is not regulated. At UTS for example, a few years ago they changed it. A usual 4 point GPA scale is 0,1,2,3,4 but we have 0.5,1.5,2.5,3.5,4. So a D average elsewhere might be 3. The usual 7 point scale (0,4,5,6,7) is interesting as it punishes fails considerably.

Edit: Np, moved the thread btw.

 

[traiwit]

how to convert WAM to GAP ? by basic ratio ?
says if i got wam 82.5, so my gpa = 82.5*4/100 = 3.3 ?

 

[brent012]

Definitely not. The GPA isn't linear like that as it starts from a pass, and at UTS at least the gap between D and HD is smaller. GPA uses your grades which are weighted to a value rather than marks. Depends on what scale you use. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_grading_in_Australia#Grade_point_average

 

[Emily Howard]

fuk me u did better den me at uni overall n my gpa is higher

my wam is lyk 70 n my gpa is 5.1

 

[Crobat]

That's just how GPA and WAM works unfortunately. I am 0.2 off a D average by GPA but my WAM is pretty much the same as yours.

Using WAM for non internal purposes doesn't make sense in my opinion, it's obviously the superior method for a student as it doesn't round down your marks to grades but from the unis perspective it softens the blow of borderline fails and rewards inconsistency. To be honest, I don't know why a university like UNSW who seem to run exclusively off WAM even bother awarding grades. The biggest problem with using WAM over GPA is that it means a High Distinction average is possible without straight HDs which makes no sense and also removes the mystique of a 4 or 7 GPA. (Macquarie has already done that by counting HD and Ds as the same)

Yeah, I guess that is true and makes some sense. My friend has 86.5 WAM but 3.75 GPA (2HDs, 2Ds). I guess in a sense it makes sense for them not to have a HD GPA if they didn't get straight HDs, but it also means that only Einstein can get a HD GPA since even if you get 1 Distinction and the rest HDs in your time at uni your GPA is a Distinction GPA, which is pretty harsh but logical.

And I heard Macq has a system where you either pass or fail. Is that true? I haven't really spoken to any of my Macq friends about it.

 

[Crobat]

fuk me u did better den me at uni overall n my gpa is higher

my wam is lyk 70 n my gpa is 5.1

Oh the UTS system is based on 4 points. On the 7 GPA system I have a 6.25.

 

[brent012]

Yeah, I guess that is true and makes some sense. My friend has 86.5 WAM but 3.75 GPA (2HDs, 2Ds). I guess in a sense it makes sense for them not to have a HD GPA if they didn't get straight HDs, but it also means that only Einstein can get a HD GPA since even if you get 1 Distinction and the rest HDs in your time at uni your GPA is a Distinction GPA, which is pretty harsh but logical.

And I heard Macq has a system where you either pass or fail. Is that true? I haven't really spoken to any of my Macq friends about it.

A HD average with marks below a HD makes no sense seeing as there is no higher grades to balance it out. Apparently it's not unheard of for the top candidates (IB hopefuls) in courses like Commerce and Comm/Law to get straight HDs across there course.

There may be some truth to it, most universities have a pass/fail system but it is only for some subjects or faculties. Most subjects at Macquarie work as normal, and like I mentioned Macq weight HD and Ds the same which would be impossible with only pass and fail grades.

 

[Emily Howard]

Oh the UTS system is based on 4 points. On the 7 GPA system I have a 6.25.

i was bein a douche

 

[Crobat]

A HD average with marks below a HD makes no sense seeing as there is no higher grades to balance it out. Apparently it's not unheard of for the top candidates (IB hopefuls) in courses like Commerce and Comm/Law to get straight HDs across there course.

There may be some truth to it, most universities have a pass/fail system but it is only for some subjects or faculties. Most subjects at Macquarie work as normal, and like I mentioned Macq weight HD and Ds the same which would be impossible with only pass and fail grades.

Yeah sorry, I meant it's either 100% or 0%, not pass or fail. But that's a strange system nonetheless. I think my friend doing Macq Law said to finish the subject they had to get 100% in all their assignments. They had 3 attempts to do so but if they didn't then it's an automatic fail.

 

[brent012]

Yeah sorry, I meant it's either 100% or 0%, not pass or fail. But that's a strange system nonetheless. I think my friend doing Macq Law said to finish the subject they had to get 100% in all their assignments. They had 3 attempts to do so but if they didn't then it's an automatic fail.

Yeah, that would just be some subjects. Sometimes they need to be strict in some.

 

[LekHuyBoW]

So using the GPA scale. if u get an 84 at UTS u get grade 3.5? but if u get 85 u get a 4? isnt that a TAD unfair..

 

[Crobat]

So using the GPA scale. if u get an 84 at UTS u get grade 3.5? but if u get 85 u get a 4? isnt that a TAD unfair..

I believe it's the same, or at least similar, for all unis using the GPA system. But yeah it is pretty unfair which is partly why I posted this thread.