WAM Calculator
Separate marks with commas, spaces or new lines — one number per unit.
Most Australian undergrad units are worth 6 credit points — check your unit outline if unsure.
Your WAM
75.67
Total credit points
36
Units counted
6
Across 6 units worth 36 credit points in total, your weighted average mark is 75.67.
Quick answer
Your Weighted Average Mark (WAM) is calculated by multiplying each unit's mark by its credit point value, adding those figures together, then dividing by your total credit points. Unlike a simple average, units worth more credit points count for more. Most Australian universities calculate WAM this way, though exact variants, like GPA, differ, so confirm against your university's policy.
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Browse EducationHow it works
WAM (Weighted Average Mark) is the standard way most Australian universities summarise your overall academic performance across every unit you’ve completed. Unlike a simple average of your marks, WAM weights each unit’s mark by how many credit points that unit is worth — so a 12-credit-point unit counts twice as much toward your WAM as a 6-credit-point unit does.
The formula:
WAM = (sum of mark × credit points, for every unit) ÷ (sum of credit points, for every unit)In plain terms: multiply each unit’s mark by its credit point value, add all of those figures together, then divide by the total number of credit points across all units.
This matters because most undergraduate degrees aren’t made up of uniform 6-credit-point units the whole way through — capstone units, theses and some electives can be worth more, and a strong (or weak) mark in one of those heavier units moves your WAM further than the same mark in a standard unit would.
Not every Australian university calculates this identically. Some weight units from your later years of study more heavily when calculating an honours-entry WAM, so a strong final year can offset a rougher first year, and some use Grade Point Average (GPA) instead of, or alongside, WAM for admissions and scholarship purposes. Because the exact method — and the credit-point value of each of your units — varies by institution and even by faculty, always check your specific university’s WAM or GPA policy, usually published by the student administration or academic policy office, before relying on a WAM figure for an honours or postgraduate application.
Worked example
Chloe is in her second year of a Bachelor of Commerce at UNSW in Sydney. Before applying for a competitive internship program with an 80 WAM cut-off, she wants to check where her running WAM sits. She has six completed units, including one 12-credit-point capstone project:
| Unit | Mark | Credit points | Contribution (mark × credit points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Accounting | 74 | 6 | 444 |
| Microeconomics | 81 | 6 | 486 |
| Business Law | 65 | 6 | 390 |
| Marketing Fundamentals | 88 | 6 | 528 |
| Statistics for Business | 70 | 6 | 420 |
| Capstone Business Project | 92 | 12 | 1,104 |
| Total | — | 42 | 3,372 |
Adding up the contributions: 444 + 486 + 390 + 528 + 420 + 1,104 = 3,372. Her total credit points are 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 12 = 42.
Chloe’s WAM is 3,372 ÷ 42 = 80.29.
Notice this is higher than a simple, unweighted average of the same six marks, which comes out to (74 + 81 + 65 + 88 + 70 + 92) ÷ 6 = 470 ÷ 6 = 78.33. The gap exists because Chloe’s strongest mark (92) sits on her heaviest unit — the 12-credit-point capstone — so it pulls her WAM up further than it would pull up a plain average. With a WAM of 80.29, Chloe clears the internship program’s 80 cut-off.
Frequently asked questions
What's a good WAM in Australia?
There's no single national standard, but as a rough guide: 50+ is a Pass average, 65+ is a Credit average, 75+ is a Distinction average, and 80+ is a High Distinction average. Many honours programs use a WAM around 75-80 as an indicative cut-off, though exact thresholds vary significantly by university and faculty.
Does WAM include failed units?
Yes. Most Australian universities include every attempted unit in your WAM, using the actual mark you received, including a fail (typically below 50), weighted by that unit's credit points. This means failing a unit lowers your WAM more than simply excluding it would. Discontinued or excluded enrolments are sometimes treated differently, so check your university's assessment policy.
What's the difference between WAM and GPA?
WAM weights each unit by its credit point value and stays on a 0-100 scale, matching your raw marks. GPA instead converts each unit's grade, such as High Distinction or Distinction, into a point value, typically on a 4.0 or 7.0 scale, then averages those points, usually without credit-point weighting. Some applications ask for one specifically, not the other.
Do all Australian universities calculate WAM the same way?
No. While the core credit-point-weighted formula is common, universities differ on details: some exclude your first year or lowest-mark units from an honours-entry WAM, some weight later years more heavily, and some cap how many units count. Always check your own university's official WAM policy rather than assuming another institution's rules apply.
Can I calculate my WAM part-way through my degree?
Yes. A running WAM using only the units you've completed so far is useful for tracking progress toward an honours or scholarship cut-off. Just remember it will keep changing as you complete more units, and future marks, especially in heavily-weighted units, can move it up or down more than you might expect.
What credit point value should I use if I'm not sure?
Check your official unit outline, enrolment record, or student portal. The credit point value, sometimes called 'units of credit', is usually listed next to each unit code. Most standard Australian undergraduate units are worth 6 credit points, which is why this calculator defaults to that figure, but always confirm against your own transcript.
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Written and verified by Nirbhay Tripathi
Last updated 18 August 2026
All rates on this page are verified againstUNSW — Weighted Average Mark (WAM) explainedon 18 August 2026. See our methodology for the full update calendar.