What does an A+ counting as 4.33 mean for your LSAC GPA?
Updated September 14, 2026
On LSAC's conversion table an A+ is worth 4.33 grade points — one-third of a point above an A. Because most colleges cap an A+ at 4.0, this is the one rule that can push a CAS GPA above 4.0, and it is why two students with identical grades at different schools can end up with different LSAC numbers.
Here is how the thirds scale works, who benefits, and how to check the effect on your own transcript.
The full LSAC scale, not just the A+
LSAC's 4.0 scale moves in thirds rather than tenths. An A+ is 4.33, an A is 4.0, an A− is 3.67; a B+ is 3.33, a B is 3.0, a B− is 2.67, and so on down to a D− at 0.67. Compare that with the common college scale, where an A− is 3.7 and a B+ is 3.3. Plus grades gain three hundredths under LSAC's rules, minus grades lose three hundredths, and an A+ gains a full third of a point.
Who benefits
Only transcripts that actually show an A+ benefit. LSAC converts the grade your school reported; if your college does not award A+ grades, or records them as A, your top grade stays at 4.0. Applicants from schools that award A+ therefore have a small structural edge on the LSAC scale.
How much can it move your GPA?
Each A+ adds one-third of a point, times the course's credits, to your quality points. Four 3-credit A+ grades on a 120-credit transcript add about four quality points and raise the GPA by roughly 0.03. A transcript made up entirely of A+ grades would reach the 4.33 ceiling, but for most applicants the effect is a modest lift in the second decimal place — smaller than the drag from a single forgiven F.
Worked example
The same four courses under LSAC's thirds scale and the standard 4.0 scale. No repeats or forgiven grades here — the entire gap comes from the A+ and the thirds rounding.
| Course | Grade | Credits | LSAC points | School points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constitutional Law Seminar | A+ | 3 | 4.33 | 4.00 |
| Microeconomics | A | 3 | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Philosophy of Law | A- | 3 | 3.67 | 3.70 |
| Statistics | B+ | 3 | 3.33 | 3.30 |
- LSAC-style GPA
- 3.833
- 45.99 quality pts ÷ 12 credits
- Typical school GPA
- 3.750
- 45.00 quality pts ÷ 12 credits
On these rows the LSAC-style GPA lands 0.083 higher than the school GPA.
A+ under other rulebooks
The 4.33 conversion is specific to LSAC. AMCAS, the medical-school application service, caps an A+ at 4.0, and most colleges do the same. The science GPA calculator on this site applies the AMCAS cap and the 4.0-scale converter shows the standard college mapping; the LSAC calculator is the only one here that can report a GPA above 4.0.
Not affiliated with LSAC
This site is an independent study tool, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Law School Admission Council. The rules here follow LSAC's publicly documented transcript-summarization policy; if anything conflicts, the official policy governs, and the GPA that counts is the one LSAC computes from your transcripts.
Frequently asked questions
- Can an LSAC GPA be above 4.0?
- Yes. Because an A+ converts to 4.33, a transcript made up entirely of A+ grades would produce a 4.33, and any A+ at all can lift a strong transcript above 4.0.
- My school caps an A+ at 4.0. Does LSAC still give me 4.33?
- If the transcript shows an A+, LSAC converts it to 4.33 regardless of how your school weights it. If the transcript shows an A, it converts to 4.0.
- Is an A− worth less under LSAC's rules?
- Slightly. LSAC converts an A− to 3.67, compared with 3.7 on the common college scale — a difference of three hundredths per course.