In the United States, a five-point grading system is used, with letters instead of numerical values. The system is not officially standardized, so each elementary and secondary school can create its own grading method. As a result, the requirements for achieving a specific grade can vary between schools. The grades received are used to calculate a Grade Point Average (GPA), which can play a role, for example, in university admissions.
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Grading System in the USA
The grading system in the United States works similarly to the one in many European countries, using a five-grade scale. However, instead of numerical values, letters are used. This system is not officially standardized, so each elementary and secondary school can create its own grading criteria. As a result, the requirements to achieve a particular grade may vary between schools. The grades received are used to calculate a Grade Point Average (GPA), which can play an important role in applications for universities.
Grade Verbal Expression Percentage Success GPA Value A Excellent 90% – 100% 3.5 – 4.0 B Good 80% – 90% 2.5 – 3.49 C Satisfactory 70% – 80% 1.5 – 2.49 D Less Than Satisfactory 60% – 70% 1.0 – 1.49 E/F Fail Below 60% 0 
Alternative Grading Systems in the USASome American schools may exceptionally still follow an older tradition where the worst grade was not F, but E. The number of these schools significantly decreased after World War II. The grade “E” could be mistakenly interpreted as “Excellent”, while “F” more clearly signified “Failed.”
Grades like N (No Credit) or U (Unsatisfactory) are also used, especially in summer schools or special courses. In some courses, a simple two-grade scale may be used: Pass and Fail.
Additionally, the use of pluses (+) and minuses (-) is common, so a student might receive a grade like B+. Each student has their GPA (Grade Point Average) calculated during their studies, where each letter grade is assigned a value from 0 to 4. The higher the GPA, the better the performance.
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Student Evaluation in American Schools
The grading system in the U.S. is well-structured, making it easy to compare students. For example, students at Harvard University had an average GPA of 4.18 in 2023, with values above 4 being possible due to the use of weighted averages. The highest average GPA of 3.48 was reported by students in South Carolina.
Credits, which determine the importance of each subject, play a crucial role in grading. For instance, students in technical fields may have 4 credits for math and 1 credit for history, while it would be the opposite for history majors.
This system allows for the calculation of GPA, making it possible to compare students. An example of how grading works in practice is shown below:
Subject Credits Grade Score Math 102 4 A 4 × 4.0 = 16.0 Literature 104 2 C 2 × 2.0 = 4.0 History 158 1 B 1 × 3.0 = 3.0 Biology 1 D 1 × 1.0 = 1.0 Total 8 B 24 The overall average grade is calculated by adding up the scores for all subjects and dividing by the total number of credits. In this case, 24 ÷ 8 = 3, which corresponds to a grade of “B.”
Weighted averages are often used in GPA calculations, meaning that some subjects have more weight than others.
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