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Grading System

The grading system has changed over time. To view grading practices over time, view the tabs below. 

Selected
2012 - Present
1978 - 2012
1970 - 1978
Before 1970

Grading System from Fall 2012 to Present

Present Grading System

Grade:

Quality Points (QP):

A (Excellent)

4.00

A-

3.67

B+

3.33

B (Good)

3.00

B-

2.67

C+

2.33

C (Satisfactory)

2.00

C-

1.67

D (Poor)

1.00

F (Academic Fail)

0.00

FX (Administrative Fail in Course for Grade)

0.00

ZX (Administrative Fail in Pass/Fail Course)

0.00

FZ (Academic Fail in Pass/Fail Course)

0.00

Academic Fail: Academic Fail indicates the student's continued enrollment in the course and he or she did not satisfy the instructor's summative requirements for passing the course.
Administrative Fail: Administrative fail is assigned by the instructor in lieu of a grade of F when a student never attended or ceased attending the class, rendering an assessment of academic performance impossible. Instructors will be asked to provide the last date of attendance.

Additional Posting Symbols for Grades in Courses

R = Follows grade entry indicating course has been repeated
N = No grade or invalid grade submitted (assigned by the academic unit or appropriate administrative officer when an expected final grade has not been received before the grade posting deadline. The academic unit and the registrar are expected to secure an appropriate final grade within one semester.)
IP = Course in progress
I* = The instructor of record may assign an Incomplete status for a grade when extenuating circumstances prevent a student, who has otherwise completed the majority of the work in the course, from completing all work during the stated instructional period. The grade will appear on the student transcript as an "I*" where "*" is the default grade that will be assigned to the course if the student does not submit any further work by the contracted deadline (for example: IB+, IC-, ID, IF, etc.).
 

Calculating GPA

To calculate the cumulative grade point average, divide the sum of the quality points by the sum of semester hours. The graduate cumulative grade point average contains only graduate-level courses.

Grading System from Fall 1978 through Summer 2012

Grading System 1978F - 2012S

Grade:

4 Point-System Quality Points: 3 Point-System* Quality Points:  

A (Excellent)

4.0

3

A-

3.7

 

B+

3.3

 

B (Good)

3.0

2

B-

2.7

 

C+

2.3

 

C (Satisfactory)

2.0

1

C-

1.7

 

D (Poor)

1.0

0

F (Failure)

0.00

-1

* The 3-point system was used prior to Fall 1970.

Note: There is no official percentile equivalent for grads at American University.

Grades not calculated in the grade point average:

I Incomplete

IP In progress

L Audit

N No grade reported or invalid grade

P Pass**

W Withdrawal (after first two weeks of semester)**

ZF Fail on pass/fail option

ZL Administrative withdrawal from audit

ZX Fail (administrative penalty) on pass/fail option

*Incompletes: Before Fall 1980, an Incomplete could stand as a permanent grade. Effective Fall 1980, an Incomplete may no longer stand as a permanent grade. The Incomplete Contract between student and instructor includes a default grade specified by the instructor; this grade is recorded as the final grade should the student fail to submit the outstanding work by the end of the following semester.

**Pass: indicates a quality of performance no less than C for undergraduates or B for graduate students on a conventional grading scale.

Discontinued

R Repeated course (follows the grade). Reinstated Fall 2012

S Satisfactory

U Unsatisfactory

WF Withdrawal failing

WP Withdrawal passing

Z No grade reported (on pass/fail option)

Grading System From Fall 1970 through Fall 1978

Transcripts include undergraduate courses taken under the course unit system. Total all the course units and multiply by four, and then add to the total number of semester hours:

GPA = quality points divided by semester hours + (course units x 4)

Grading System Before Fall 1970

A 3-point grading scale was used. Also all work attempted (as distinct from satisfactorily completed) was included in the calculation as "hours attempted."

To combine the 3-point and 4-point systems, the following formula is used:

GPA = [quality points + hours attempted (3 point system) + quality points (4-point system)] divided by [hours attempted (3-point system) + hours attempted (4-point system)]