The 10-point scale
The most common scale in U.S. schools: 90 to 100 is an A, 80 to 89 a B, 70 to 79 a C, 60 to 69 a D, and below 60 is an F. It is easy to explain and easy for a reader to recognize.
The 7-point scale
Some schools use a stricter scale: 93 to 100 is an A, 85 to 92 a B, 77 to 84 a C, 70 to 76 a D, and below 70 is an F. If you use it, printing it on the transcript matters even more, because a 91 is a B here but an A on a 10-point scale.
Plus and minus grades
Plus/minus grades split each letter into three. Common grade points on the 4.0 scale are A 4.0, A- 3.7, B+ 3.3, B 3.0, B- 2.7, C+ 2.3, C 2.0, C- 1.7, D+ 1.3, D 1.0, D- 0.7 and F 0. Many schools give A+ the same 4.0 as an A. TranscriptKit uses these values by default, and you can edit them.
Which scale should you choose?
Any of these is fine as long as you use it consistently and print it. The 10-point scale is the easiest for a reader to interpret. Plus/minus grades give more detail, which helps when most grades are A’s and B’s. If your student also takes classes from a co-op or online school that uses its own scale, record the letter grade they gave and mention the difference in the notes line.
Pass/fail courses
Some courses, such as PE or a driver’s education course, are easier to record as pass/fail. A pass (P) earns the course credits but is left out of the GPA. Use letter grades for core academic courses where you can, since a reader learns more from them.
Grading fairly at home
- Decide the weights up front, for example tests 50%, assignments 30%, projects 20%.
- Keep a simple grade book or save graded work, in case you need to explain a grade later.
- Use outside measures where you have them: online courses, co-op classes, standardized tests.
- Be consistent. The same work should earn the same grade in every course.