Grading Scale

Which percent is which letter, and how many GPA points each letter is worth.

Result for the percent entered
Letter, standard A–FB
Letter, plus-minusB+
GPA points, 4.0 scale3.3
GPA points, 4.3 scale3.3

Uses the exact percent you type. To grade a test from the number wrong, use the grading calculator.

The standard A–F scale: 90, 80, 70, 60

The scale most US students meet is the 10-point scale: every letter covers ten percentage points, and anything under 60 is an F. The School District of Palm Beach County publishes it this way (A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69, F below 60), and so does Roanoke County Public Schools in Virginia, which moved to it in the 2011–2012 school year.

Standard A–F
PercentLetterGPA (4.0)
90–100A4.0
80–89B3.0
70–79C2.0
60–69D1.0
below 60F0.0
College Board table
PercentLetterGPA
90–100A4.0
80–89B3.0
70–79C2.0
66–69D1.0
below 65E/F0.0

The right-hand table is the conversion chart in the College Board’s BigFuture guide to converting a GPA to a 4.0 scale. It prints the D band as 66–69 and the F band as below 65, so a 65 is not assigned to either; the College Board adds that some schools do not use pluses and minuses and others have different cut-offs.

The plus-minus scale and the 4.3 scale

With pluses and minuses each letter splits into three bands. This site’s plus-minus preset puts an A+ at 97, an A at 93 and an A− at 90, then steps down by three or four points; it is this site’s convention, not a national standard. The points follow Cornell University’s published grade-point table: A+ 4.3, A 4.0, A− 3.7, B+ 3.3 and so on down to D− 0.7 and F 0. Schools on a 4.0 scale give an A+ the same 4.0 as an A.

Plus-minus scale with GPA points
PercentLetter4.0 scale4.3 scale
97–100A+4.04.3
93–96A4.04.0
90–92A−3.73.7
87–89B+3.33.3
83–86B3.03.0
80–82B−2.72.7
77–79C+2.32.3
73–76C2.02.0
70–72C−1.71.7
67–69D+1.31.3
63–66D1.01.0
60–62D−0.70.7
below 60F0.00.0

Example: an 87% on three scales

An 87% is a B on the standard scale, which is 3.0 points in the College Board table. On the plus-minus preset the same 87% is a B+, worth 3.3 on both the 4.0 and the 4.3 scale. Move to 86.9 and the plus-minus letter drops to a B at 3.0, because 87 is the cut-off. Type any percent in the box above to see where it lands.

Scales differ by school

There is no national grading scale. The sources above already disagree: Palm Beach and Roanoke use only whole letters with ten-point bands, the College Board’s sample chart leaves a gap at 65, and Cornell counts an A+ as 4.3. Use the scale printed in your school’s handbook or your course syllabus whenever you have it, and treat this page as a reference for comparing.

Grading scale questions

What percent is an A, B, C, D and F?

On the common 10-point scale an A is 90–100, a B 80–89, a C 70–79, a D 60–69 and an F below 60. Palm Beach County and Roanoke County public schools publish exactly this scale. Your own school or course syllabus has the final say.

What is a 4.0 grading scale?

It turns letter grades into points: A is 4.0, B is 3.0, C is 2.0, D is 1.0 and F is 0. Schools that use pluses and minuses add steps such as 3.7 for an A− and 3.3 for a B+. Your GPA is the average of those points.

Is an A+ worth 4.3 or 4.0?

It depends on the scale. Cornell University counts an A+ as 4.3. On a 4.0 scale the top is 4.0, so an A+ and an A are worth the same. The grade key on your transcript or your school handbook tells you which one applies.

What GPA is an 87%?

On a plus-minus scale 87% is a B+, which is 3.3 points. On a scale without pluses and minuses it is a B, which is 3.0, the value in the College Board table. Which one you get depends on your school.

Why does the same percent get different letters at different schools?

Each school or district sets its own cut-offs. The 10-point scale makes 90 the line for an A, while this site's plus-minus preset starts an A at 93 and calls 90–92 an A−. If your grades come from one school, use that school's published scale.

Sources for the grading scales