Warning: Not All Grading Systems Are Identical
There are two main systems for calculating grades: the four-point GPA system and the 100-point percentage
system:
|
GPA
|
Percentage
|
A+
|
4.33
|
~100
|
A
|
4
|
~95
|
A-
|
3.66
|
~92
|
B
|
3
|
~85
|
C
|
2
|
~75
|
D
|
1
|
~65
|
F
|
0
|
~55
|
The GPA system is used primarily in humanities and social science classes, where grades are given in letter
form. The percentage system is used primarily in the hard sciences, where grades are given as numbers.
Unfortunately, grades do not translate perfectly between systems, especially very low grades. In the percentage
system, the lowest score a student can receive is a 0, which is far below the standard F (55). Thus, in the
percentage system, if a student misses every question on an exam, receiving a score of 0, an then aces another
equally weighted exam, scoring 100, those two exams will average out to a 50, which is an F. If the same two
exams were marked in the GPA system, the student would have got an F (0) and an A+ (4.33) and her average
grade would be a C+. Although the grading calculators on this website accept both letter and percentage grades,
they are based on the GPA system and will not work for courses based on the percentage system if very low
grades are assigned.