How Federal Sentencing Worksheets Calculate a Guidelines Range

A federal sentence starts with arithmetic. A U.S. probation officer uses a set of sentencing worksheets to score how serious the crime was and how much criminal history the person has, then reads a recommended range of months off the Sentencing Table in the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The judge starts from that range.

The officer's work appears in the presentence report (PSR), the report the judge reads before sentencing. It isn't gut instinct, and a mistake anywhere in the math can change the range. Here is how each worksheet works, with one example carried all the way through.

Worksheet A – Offense Level

The Guidelines look at two main things: how serious the crime was and your criminal record. The seriousness score is called the offense level. Worksheet A figures it out.

Sentencing Worksheet

1. Base Offense Level: Each crime has a starting number. For simple assault, it is 7 if the offense involved physical contact or a threat with a dangerous weapon, and 4 otherwise. Add 2 levels if the victim was injured. Add 4 if a spouse, intimate or dating partner, or child under 16 suffered substantial injury (USSG §2A2.3).
2. Victim-Related Adjustments: Some victims raise the level. For example, if the victim was a government officer, such as a police officer, and the crime was motivated by that status, add 3 levels (§3A1.2).
3. Role in the Offense: If you led or managed the crime, add 2 to 4 levels (§3B1.1). If you played a minor or minimal part, subtract 2 to 4 levels (§3B1.2).
4. Obstruction: If you willfully obstructed the investigation or case, such as by lying or hiding evidence, add 2 levels (§3C1.1).

The result is the adjusted offense level.

Here is an example. Say a person threatened someone with a knife during an assault. The base offense level is 7 because of the threat with a dangerous weapon. The victim was a police officer, and the assault was because of that, so add 3. That brings it to 10.

The person acted alone, so there is no role adjustment. But say they also obstructed justice. Add 2 more.

The adjusted offense level is 12.

Worksheet B – Multiple Counts

If you are convicted of more than one count, Worksheet B combines them into one offense level. Closely related counts are often "grouped" and treated as one.

Starting November 1, 2026, the Commission is replacing these multiple-count rules with a single, simpler guideline (USSC 2026 amendments).

Worksheet C – Criminal History

Worksheet C scores your criminal record in points (USSG §4A1.1):

• 3 points for each prior prison sentence of more than one year and one month.
• 2 points for each prior sentence of at least 60 days not already counted.
• 1 point for each other prior sentence, up to 4 points total.

In our example, say the person served a 45-day jail sentence five years ago and has no other record. That is 1 point. Zero or 1 point puts you in Criminal History Category I. Two or 3 points is Category II.

Worksheet D – Determining the Range

Worksheet D puts it all together:

1. Adjusted Offense Level: Carry over the number from Worksheet A (or B). In our example, it is 12.
2. Acceptance of Responsibility: If you clearly accept responsibility, usually by pleading guilty, subtract 2 levels. If your offense level is 16 or more and you plead guilty early, the government can move for 1 more level off (§3E1.1). In our example, the person went to trial and showed no remorse, so there is no reduction.
3. Total Offense Level: 12.
4. Criminal History Category: Carry over from Worksheet C. Here, Category I.
5. Special Categories: Check whether you fall into a special category that raises the range. The worksheet lists terrorism, career offender, criminal livelihood, armed career criminal, and repeat and dangerous sex offender. In our example, none apply.
6. Guideline Range: Find where the offense level and category meet on the Sentencing Table. Level 12 and Category I gives a range of 10 to 16 months.

So our example person, who threatened a police officer with a knife and obstructed justice, faces a Guidelines range of about 10 to 16 months in prison. (The original version of this example scored the 45-day sentence as 2 points, Category II, and a 12-to-18-month range. Under §4A1.1, a sentence under 60 days scores only 1 point, so the corrected range is shown here.)

The worksheet then covers sentencing options for that part of the table, probation, supervised release, fines, and restitution.

After that, the judge decides whether a sentence outside the range is justified under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). This is called a variance. Since November 1, 2025, the Guidelines have removed most "departures," so judges now mainly use variances to go above or below the range (USSC 2025 simplification amendment).

The worksheets help make sure courts consider every important factor and legal rule. They bring rigor to the process and remind probation officers and judges of everything that goes into a sentence. Errors in these numbers can add months or years, so check the PSR math carefully.

You and your lawyer have 14 days after receiving the draft PSR to object in writing to any error, including the Guidelines math (Fed. R. Crim. P. 32(f)). Go through each step with your lawyer during that window.

Facing a federal sentence? Book a consultation to talk it through with Brandon Sample.