Excel assign text a numerical value

Question

Everyone is saying =Lookup is the formula i need but every time i try it its not functioning as I want it to. I believe I really need to define my text a numerical value instead of just looking up and displaying a cell from a chart. 

I am trying to apply to school of nursing which uses a point system to evaluate its applicants. I am wanting to send a formal spreadsheet to the pre-nursing advisor to help me with what course I should be taking to achieve the most points possible. 

This is what I want the final chart to look like:

Course	Grade	Points
Human Anatomy	B	15
Human Physiology	A-	18.5

The grades values are:

A   = 4.0

A-  = 3.7

B+ = 3.3

B    = 3.0

B-  = 2.7

C+ = 2.3

C   = 2.0

I want to the points Column(C) to have the Function:

=B2*5

=B3*5

So how do I make text A- have a value so I can type A- in a cell and reference that cell within a formula to provide a total numerical value when formula is executed in that cell.

Answer 1

Just change the formula in E to include *5 at the end:

=VLOOKUP(D2,$A$2:$B$8,2,FALSE)*5

And delete column F.

Answer 2

I tried this and the formula is there in Column C(Points) but it is blank. Not displaying anything in the Points column.

Answer 3

If the results are blank it means that there is an error in the VLOOKUP formula 

Means that the search value in column B does not match the ones in your table. 

You must check for typos or extra space characters mistakenly entered on both sides. On the table and the ones in column B.

Answer 4

This worked thanks!

Answer 5

If the results are blank it means that there is an error in the VLOOKUP formula 

Means that the search value in column B does not match the ones in your table. 

You must check for typos or extra space characters mistakenly entered on both sides. On the table and the ones in column B.

This worked too thanks. I accidentally referenced a cell or two high than I needed. I used C4 when I should of had C6, Cleared the problem right up!