How to Calculate Your CAS GPA for Law School Admissions

Applying to law school involves a meticulous process, and understanding how your Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated by the Law School Admission Council's (LSAC) Credential Assembly Service (CAS) is a critical step. The CAS GPA serves as a standardized metric that law schools use to compare applicants from various undergraduate institutions. This article elucidates the methodology behind CAS GPA calculation, highlighting key considerations and providing guidance for prospective law school students.

The Role of the Credential Assembly Service (CAS)

The Credential Assembly Service (CAS) is essential for law school applicants. It is available only to registrants and standardizes grades to provide law schools with a uniform basis for comparing applicants. LSAC does not assess the value of grades from different colleges; each law school sets its own rules for interpreting GPAs, understanding that grades may vary across institutions. Law schools receive a copy of each transcript along with the LSAC CAS Report.

LSAC's GPA Calculation Process

LSAC calculates a GPA for each year and a cumulative GPA for each undergraduate institution. A cumulative GPA that includes all undergraduate work is also calculated and reported. LSAC uses the grades and credits for every course that can be converted to the 4.0 scale. There may be some variation between the GPAs calculated by LSAC and those calculated by colleges or students; however, the variation is rarely substantial.

The actual calculation process is similar to how your undergraduate institution calculates your GPA. CAS multiplies your grades by the number of credits for each class and then adds up the results. The final step is to divide the sum by the total number of credits, which produces your overall GPA score.

Converting Grades to a Standard Scale

To furnish law schools with a uniform basis for comparing applicants, grades are converted to a standard scale. For more information about how grades are converted, please refer to the Grade Conversion Table below.

Read also: Overall GPA Explained

Important Considerations for Spring 2020 Enrollees

For law school applicants who were enrolled during spring 2020, their Credential Assembly Service reports to law schools will include a letter reminding admission offices that spring 2020 was the semester impacted by the coronavirus and that, during this time, schools were forced to move to online instruction, students experienced disruption in their living and learning arrangements, and a variety of changes were introduced to grading systems.

Grades Excluded from Conversion

Certain grades are excluded from the GPA conversion process to maintain fairness and consistency. These exclusions encompass specific academic scenarios and grading systems. The following grades are generally excluded:

Withdraw, Withdraw/Pass: Only if the issuing school considers the grade nonpunitive.
Incomplete: Only if the issuing school considers the grade nonpunitive.
Remedial Courses: Those given for remedial courses only if the transcript clearly indicates they are remedial.
Post-Bachelor's Degree Courses: All courses taken after the degree conferral date of the first bachelor’s degree, including graduate work and professional study. This also includes any undergraduate courses taken after the first bachelor’s degree was awarded.
Noncredit Courses: Those assigned for noncredit courses. Noncredit courses are defined as courses where the student has not registered for credit, attempted credit, or would not have been assigned credit even if any type of passing grade (e.g., A, B, C, Pass) had been received.
Certain Activity Courses: Physical Education, Practical Art, Practical Music, and ROTC courses that are assigned credit will be included in the academic summary, even if the issuing institution does not include these courses in its calculation of a GPA.
Limited Passing Grade Systems: Passing grades from systems of one or two passing grades (e.g., Pass/Fail, Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory, Credit/No Credit, or Honors/Pass/Fail, High Pass/Pass/Fail) and those for which conversion rules cannot be formulated, including courses for which a transcript gives only narratives or descriptions. Credits for the work in these courses are totaled and reported separately as unconverted credits. The only exception to this policy is for a reported grade below C-minus from a two-passing-grade grading system (e.g., Credit/D/Fail) when the issuing institution includes this grade in their calculation of a GPA.
Ambiguous Grade Symbols: Grade symbols that have multiple meanings at the issuing school, and the issuing school’s registrar is unable to confirm whether course credit was attempted (such as NC=either No Credit Attempted or No Credit Awarded, etc.). The total number of credits usually assigned to the particular type of course will appear on the applicant’s academic summary but will not be included in the GPA calculation.
Official Withdrawal Grades Signifying Failure: Official withdrawal grades that signify failure (such as WF=Withdraw/Fail, WU=Withdrew Unsatisfactory, WNP=Withdrew Not Passing) if the issuing school considers the grade nonpunitive. (This does not apply to WF, WU, and WNP grades only considered nonpunitive by the institution due to a successful repeat of the course or some type of grade-forgiveness policy.) The total number of credits assigned to these grades will appear on the applicant’s academic summary but will not be included in the GPA calculation.
Repeated Courses with Missing Information: The original grade for a repeated course when the transcript does not show both the grade and the units for the original attempt. The total number of credits assigned to these grades will appear on the applicant’s academic summary but will not be included in the GPA calculation.
Forgiven Courses: Those removed from the official transcript due to an institution’s academic forgiveness - only if the grade is not displayed on the transcript.

Treatment of Failure Grades

Failure is defined as credit attempted but not earned. When summarizing transcripts, LSAC converts any grade notation that signifies failure (such as No Credit, No Credit/Fail, Not Passing, Incomplete, Incomplete/Fail, Withdraw/Fail, Unsatisfactory, Fail, etc.) to zero on the 4.0 scale. With the exception of Withdraw/Fail (WF), these grades are included in the GPA calculation, even if the issuing school considers the grade to be nonpunitive. (WF grades, or any other withdrawal grades indicating failure, are not included in the GPA calculation when the issuing institution considers the grade to be nonpunitive. However, this does not apply to WF grades only considered nonpunitive by the institution due to a successful repeat of the course or some type of grade-forgiveness policy.

Repeated and Forgiven Courses

All grades and credits earned for repeated courses will be included in the GPA calculation if the course units and grades appear on the transcript. All grades reflected on your transcript for forgiven courses will be included in the calculation of the GPA even if the institution issuing the transcript excludes the courses from its own calculations. Credits for forgiven courses not reflecting the grade earned will appear on the academic summary but will not be included in the GPA calculation. If the transcript reflects neither the grade nor the credit attempted for a forgiven course, credit will be assigned.

Academic Actions and Transcript Notations

If you question a transcript notation of academic action, you should contact the institution directly and resolve the matter as soon as possible.

Read also: GPA Calculation

AP and CLEP Courses

AP or CLEP courses are summarized and included in the GPA if the undergraduate school transcript shows grades and credits for them.

Credit Conversion

All credits are reported in terms of semester hours. All earned credits not reported in semester hours are converted to that system. Trimester hours are treated as semester hours; quarter hours are multiplied by .67 to arrive at semester hours. Although passing grades for courses with only one or two passing grades may not be converted to the 4.0 scale, credit is given for them in the Credential Assembly Service summary (see Grades Excluded from Conversion for examples).

Understanding Your Transcript

Some universities do not notify students when they are placed on academic probation or when other academic action is taken. Before completing your law school applications, be sure to request a copy of your official transcripts for your own use and review them for any information that may help you respond to law school application questions.

Graduate and Professional Schoolwork

Grades from graduate and professional schoolwork that is taken after your bachelor’s degree conferral date will not be calculated as part of your LSAC GPA. Note: In some instances, a school’s three-passing-grade system or numerical grading scale might be converted differently than shown here.

SHP CAS GPA Calculation

During verification, SHP CAS uses the information you entered in the Transcript Entry section to calculate several GPAs, including GPAs for each institution you attended. To calculate these GPAs, each A-F or 0-100 grade you entered in the Grade field is first converted to a SHP CAS numeric grade value, then multiplied by the attempted credits. Non-graded credits are not included in your GPAs. Non-graded credits are earned credits for which you did not receive actual letter grades (e.g., advanced placement credits, "pass" or "satisfactory" credits, college board AP exams, courses taken as pass/fail, etc.). SHP CAS calculates all GPAs in semester hours. Courses that were completed in quarter hours are converted to semester hours. Using Quality Points, SHP CAS calculates a GPA for each academic year. Course Subject Category GPAs are based on your overall GPA in each course subject category, regardless of academic year.

Read also: Comprehensive Guide to Science GPA

Utilizing a CAS GPA Calculator

To estimate your CAS GPA, you can use online calculators. These tools simplify the process by converting your undergraduate grades into an estimated LSAC GPA score.

Steps to Use the Calculator

Determine the grade you received in each class.
Determine the number of credits each class was worth.
Enter the number of credits in the corresponding grade box.

For example, if you’ve taken five classes, each worth three credits, and earned an A- in all of them, you would enter 15 credits in the “A-” box. Or, if you received a final grade of 88% for three classes worth four credits each, you would enter 12 credits in the 87-89% box. Note that most law schools require a minimum of 90 credit hours to apply, and you must include grades from all undergraduate institutions you’ve attended.

Accounting for Different Grading Systems

Our calculator also accounts for different grading systems in the case of students who have attended several institutions. Different grading systems might apply if you’ve studied abroad, transferred schools, or taken summer courses. If this is the case, you can enter credits in columns based on letter grading systems, percentage-based systems, or five-point systems.

Important Notes to Consider

You should be aware of several important factors in the GPA conversion process, including grades that are excluded from the conversion and certain other guidelines. Here’s what you should take note of:

Punitive withdrawals or incomplete courses will count as “fail.”
If you have retaken a class, both the original and retake grades will count.
In courses evaluated on a pass/fail basis, passes will not be included in the conversion, but fails will.
Any classes taken after graduation will not be counted.

The Significance of Your CAS GPA

Your GPA can significantly affect the quality of your application. Bear in mind that most top-ranking law schools have an average incoming GPA of 3.8 or higher. You’ll need top grades to be a competitive applicant at T14 schools. While it isn’t impossible to get into law school with a 3.0 or lower GPA, you should always aim for the highest possible score.

Addressing a Lower-Than-Expected GPA

A lower-than-expected GPA can feel discouraging, especially when applying to a prestigious law school with a high academic requirement. For example, if your transcript shows early academic struggles but a strong upward trend, or if your GPA took a hit during semesters when life was lifing, you can use that context strategically. Law schools respect persistence, growth, and responsibility.

Common Myths and Realities

There’s a common myth that a high LSAT score can cancel out a low GPA. The reality? At top institutions, both numbers matter. They want high GPAs and high LSAT scores. Remember, your undergrad GPA is the shared currency in the law school admissions process. It’s the one metric nearly every applicant has in common. So while your master’s degree, certificates, or post-bacc work may be impressive, they don’t carry the same weight in admissions.

Alternatives to the LSAT

And if the LSAT feels like it’s dragging you down? You do have options. Several top law schools now accept the GRE. For some of our clients, switching tests was a game-changer. Don’t be afraid to pivot if one path feels more accessible.

Conclusion

Calculating your CAS GPA is a crucial step in preparing for law school admissions. By understanding the LSAC's methodology, knowing which grades are included or excluded, and utilizing available resources like GPA calculators, you can gain a clearer picture of your academic standing. Remember that while GPA is important, it is only one component of your application. A strong LSAT score, compelling personal statement, and well-rounded application can help you stand out, even with a less-than-perfect GPA.

FAQs

How Does the LSAC GPA Calculator Work?

Our law school GPA calculator determines your LSAC GPA from your undergraduate GPA information. The user enters the number of credit hours in which they received a given grade, and our calculator uses an algorithm to convert college grades to the equivalent LSAC GPA score.

Do Law Schools Look at LSAC GPA or Undergrad GPA?

Law schools will only look at the LSAC GPA when evaluating applications. All undergraduate credits will count toward your LSAC CAS GPA.

How Can the LSAC GPA Calculator Help Me Prepare For Law School?

Calculating your LSAC GPA can help you create a standout law school application. If you know what your LSAC GPA will be, you can prepare your other application materials accordingly. For instance, if your GPA is lower than anticipated, then you can supplement it by spending lots of time creating a well-written personal statement or studying hard to get a top LSAT score.

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