Types of Grading Systems
By Ashley Leary, eHow Contributor * * * * Print this article
Schools use grading systems to communicate with students and parents about student performance. Grades also help teachers communicate with one another, providing easy-to-understand data about student performance. Grades are meant to be a concrete evaluation of student knowledge. Perhaps the best-known type of grading system uses letters---A, B, C, D or F---to represent student achievement. The 4.0-scale and mastery grading are two other types of grading systems.
Other People Are Reading * What Is Mastery Level Grading? * What Is a Standard Grading System? 1. Letter Grades * With the letter grade system, students can receive A, B, C, D or F grades. Letter grades are usually calculated with a nine or 10-point range assigned to each letter. A is the highest grade, associated with 90 percent accuracy or higher. A score of 80 percent to 90 percent correct is represented with the letter B. C grades mean 70 percent to 79 percent correct and a D is 60 percent to 69 percent correct. An F grade is given for a performance with 59 percent accuracy or less. Often in this grading system, a plus sign (+) is used if a student is on the cusp of a higher grade; for example 79 percent would be a C+. A minus (-) is used if the score is at the lower end of the grade scale; for example, a B- is 81 percent.
4.0 Grading Scale * The 4.0 grading scale is another common type of grading, often used in conjunction with letter grades. This scale typically is used in high schools and colleges, as a means to calculate a Grade Point Average (GPA). When a student's average grades work out to an A---90 percent or higher---it is considered a 4.0 GPA. A student with a B average (80 percent) would have a 3.0 GPA; C average (70 percent) is a 2.0; and a D average