How to Calculate a Credit-Weighted Average
A weighted average gives more influence to modules with more credits. Multiply each mark by its credit value, add those totals together, then divide by the total credits included.
This is useful when a dissertation, project or large module counts more than a smaller taught module.
This calculator is designed to be flexible: it works whether you're averaging module marks within a single year, or combining several years of results where each year has already been given its own overall weighting.
Why Credits Change the Result
In a credit-weighted average, a 40-credit module has twice the influence of a 20-credit module on the overall result, because each mark is multiplied by its credit value before the totals are divided. This matters most when one module (like a dissertation or capstone project) is significantly larger than the others.
If all your modules carry equal credit, a credit-weighted average and a simple average will produce the same result, so the credit column matters most when module sizes differ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a credit-weighted average?
It's an average where each mark is multiplied by the number of credits the module is worth, then divided by the total credits, so bigger modules count for more than smaller ones.
Why does a 40-credit module count more than a 20-credit module?
Because it's multiplied by a larger credit value in the calculation, so its mark has proportionally more influence on the final weighted average.
Can I use this tool to estimate my GPA?
This calculator produces a percentage-based weighted average rather than a GPA scale. For GPA-style results, use the Canada, Singapore, or Australia GPA calculators linked below, which apply the relevant scale conversion.
What if two modules have equal credits but different marks?
Both contribute equally to the weighted average based on their shared credit value, so the higher and lower marks simply average out proportionally to that shared weight.
Does this work for a single semester or a full academic year?
Yes, you can use it for any set of modules you want to average together, whether that's one semester, one year, or your whole degree, as long as you enter the correct credit value for each.
Can I add or remove modules after loading the example?
Yes, use 'Add row' to include more modules or the 'x' button next to a row to remove it, then recalculate to see the updated weighted average.