Letter Grading System
Meaning of the Letter Grade System
Advantages/disadvantages of percentage and letter grade systems
Converting between percentage and letter grades at Ming Chi University of Technology
Grading principles for the letter grade system
Points of note when grading under the letter grade system
Download: Letter Grade GPA to Percentage Grade Comparison Table
Meaning of the Letter Grade System
1. Performance Intervals
● Evaluating performance requires dividing performance into a certain number of “Performance Intervals” (such as “excellent”, “good”, or “A”). The same is true for evaluating student learning performance.
● A percentage system divides student learning performance into 100 basic intervals, while a letter grade system roughly divides students’ learning performance into roughly 14 or so intervals.
2. Letter grade system
● The Higher Education Evaluation & Accreditation Council of Taiwan’s University Assessment emphasizes student learning outcomes.
▲ A letter grade system (using “A”, “B”, “C”, etc.) is considered to be the easiest way to implement learning outcome-oriented teaching.
▲ Letter grade systems are commonly used in Europe, North America, and Japan. Currently, National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University, National Dong Hwa University, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, and others have adopted letter grade systems.
● Elementary and junior high school students in Taiwan are assessed based on a letter grade system of A+, A, B, C, and D to show their academic performance.
3. Letter grade system assessment feedback (grabbed from different websites)
● Statistical theory shows that having more than 15 grading gradations is not very meaningful.
● A score of 1 or 2 percentage points on a percentage scale cannot distinguish whether a student has achieved the learning objectives and core competencies; the difference between a score of “78” and a “79” is in fact meaningless.
● The system attempts to make it so students don’t have to endlessly memorize things and obsess over every percentage point, but can instead spend more time reading books they like and doing things that they are interested in. This also makes it easier for teachers to control differentiation.
● The letter grade system is a global trend. At present, except for Taiwan and a few other countries that still use the percentage system, most other countries adopt the letter grade system.
● Learning includes examinations and other comprehensive performance. These are difficult to quantify. The percentage system can still be used to award points on a regular basis, but the letter grade system can then be used to represent the overall assessment of grades on the report card.
● Many universities in Taiwan have already implemented the letter grade system, and there have been no problems with it, as there is a point conversion system when transferring to another university. In some subjects, such as discussions and lectures, there are even just two grades: pass or fail.
● Even in Japan, where competition for higher education is fierce, grades are evaluated on a scale of Excellent, Good, Acceptable, and Unacceptable.
● Reforms need to be consistent across the country; otherwise, it is difficult to find equivalents between schools.
● Perhaps colleges within a university are considering adopting a letter grade system. In order to do so, though, the whole institution will have to change, transcripts will have to change, webpages will have to change… it requires a mass effort to accomplish.
● Percentage-based grades have been used in Taiwan for many years, so much so that many applications for external scholarships are evaluated on the basis of points. However, it’s difficult to distinguish between rankings if everything above an 80 is an A.
Advantages/disadvantages of percentage and letter grade systems
|
Percentage system: Advantages |
Percentage system: Disadvantages |
|
● Allows for more fine-grained differentiation of learning achievements ● Easier to separate top-ranked students ● Encourages students to strive for higher scores ● External scholarships are mostly percentage-based |
● Assessments must be very finely graded ● It’s easy to be overly concerned about one or two points ● Makes it harder to measure qualitative performance ● Not conducive to diversified teaching ● Not conducive to nature by nurture development |
|
Letter grade system: Advantages |
Letter grade system: Disadvantages |
|
● Suited to more qualitative assessment of learning outcomes ● Suited to development of multi-dimensional assessment mechanisms ● Encourages nature by nurture development ● No need to quibble over 1 or 2 points. ● Conducive to internationalization |
● Widens gaps between grades ● Top-ranked students may share the same score ● Professors may not know every student ● Difficulty connecting to external scholarships |
Note: Grabbed from different websites.
Converting between percentage and letter grades at Ming Chi University of Technology
1. Converting from the old system (applies to students who enrolled before August 2016)
|
Percentage |
Letter Grade |
Grade Points |
Percentage |
Letter Grade |
Grade Points |
Percentage |
Letter Grade |
Grade Points |
|
100–80 |
A |
4 |
79–70 |
B |
3 |
69–60 |
C |
2 |
|
59–50 |
D |
1 |
49–0 |
F |
0 |
|
|
|
Passing standards for the old system
● Graduate school: 70 points (B, 3.0 points)
● Undergraduate: 60 points (C, 2.0 points)
● Required Courses with a grade of 69 or below in graduate school, or 59 or below in undergraduate, must be repeated.
2. Converting from the new system (applies to students who enrolled after August 2016)
|
Percentage |
Letter Grade |
Grade Points |
Percentage |
Letter Grade |
Grade Points |
Percentage |
Letter Grade |
Grade Points |
|
100–90 |
A+ |
4.3 |
89–85 |
A |
4 |
84–80 |
A- |
3.7 |
|
79–77 |
B+ |
3.3 |
76–73 |
B |
3 |
72–70 |
B- |
2.7 |
|
69–67 |
C+ |
2.3 |
66–63 |
C |
2 |
62–60 |
C- |
1.7 |
|
59–50 |
D |
1 |
49–0 |
F |
0 |
|
|
|
Passing standards for the new system
● Graduate school: B-, 2.7 points (70 points)
● Undergraduate: C-, 1.7 points (60 points)
● Required Courses with a grade of C+ or below in graduate school, or a D or F grade in undergraduate, must be repeated.
3. What each letter grade means in the Letter Grade System
|
A+ |
All goals were achieved; exceeded expectations |
A |
All goals were achieved |
A- |
All goals were achieved, but some refinement is needed |
|
B+ |
Some goals were achieved with good quality |
B |
Some goals were achieved, but the quality was mediocre |
B- |
Some goals were achieved, but some fell short |
|
C+ |
Achieved minimum goals |
C |
Minimum goals achieved, but some fell short |
C- |
Minimum goals achieved, but with significant shortfalls |
|
D |
Failure to meet minimum goals |
F |
All goals have not been met |
|
|
4. Letter grade system grades are converted to Grade Point Averages (GPAs). Here, we use the conversion table to convert Student A’s grades, as an example:
|
Courses |
Credits (A) |
Grade (B) |
Grade Points (C) |
Cumulative points (A*C) |
|
Chinese |
4 |
A |
4 |
16 |
|
English |
2 |
B+ |
3.3 |
6.6 |
|
Calculus |
3 |
B |
3 |
9 |
|
Total |
9 |
– |
– |
31.6 |
GPA = Cumulative grade points/total credits = 31.6/9 = 3.51.
That means that Student A’s GPA is 3.51.
Grading principles for the letter grade system
|
Principle |
Supplementary Notes |
|
The old system of generating grades is based on the current percentage system. |
The results of students under the old system cannot be entered into the letter grade system results. ● Letter grade system grades cannot be correctly converted into percentage system scores. For example, if the grade is F, the system cannot determine what score it must be converted into between 0 and 49. ● If a letter grade was used on the transcript of a student under the old system, the percentage system overall average cannot be calculated correctly. |
|
New students’ grades are processed in accordance with the letter grade system. |
Newly enrolled students will not be provided with percentage system transcripts. Teachers do not use the percentage system to release semester grades for such students. ● The letter grade and percentage systems calculate grades differently; they may cause changes in ranking. For example: ▲ Student A gets a 79 and a 79. This translates to a B+ and a B+ in the letter grade system. ▲ Student B gets a 77 and an 80. This translates to a B+ and an A- in the letter grade system. |
|
Existing grades on a transcript will not be changed. |
● Based on the principle of keeping a true record and in line with general university practices, existing grade records on transcripts will remain unchanged. ● Students under the old system will enroll in new classes under the new system after a resumption of studies; results after resumption will be based on the letter grade system and ranked in accordance with their new class under the new system. ● When calculating graduation ranking, grades before a resumption of studies must be converted into the letter grade system. The new class ranking will be calculated in accordance with the new system conversion table. |
|
Off-campus courses may be transferred for credit, but such grades are not factored into averages/rankings. |
Other schools may use the letter grade system or the percentage system for grades; standards are also different. In order to avoid conversion problems and conform to the general practices of universities, credits from other schools are recognized, but the grade column will be a text note (such as “P” for “Pass”). |
Points of note when grading under the letter grade system
|
Principles for handling matters |
Students under the old system whose grades are based on the percentage system |
Students under the new system whose grades are based on the letter grade system |
Existing grade on the transcript will not be changed |
Off-campus courses may be transferred for credits, but grades are not factored into the average/ranking |
|
|
1 |
Students this applies to |
First-year students admitted before August 2016 (including two-year program technical students in the Department of Engineering and Design), transfer students in their second year during the 2016–2017 academic year, and graduating alumni. |
First-year students admitted after August 2016, students from schools other than MCUT, and transfer students enrolled in their second year, beginning with the 2017–2018 academic year. |
– |
– |
|
2 |
Courses this applies to |
General Education, General Education, National Defense Education, Physical Education, Departments, Programs, and other courses, dissertations, and conducts. |
All items in the left column except conduct grades. Note: Conduct is still based on the percentage system. |
– |
– |
|
3 |
Passing standard |
● Graduate school: 70 points ● Undergraduate: 60 points Note: Required courses with a grade of 69 or below in graduate school, or a 59 or below in undergraduate, must be repeated. |
● Graduate school: B- ● Undergraduate: C- Note: Required courses with a grade of C+ or below in graduate school and a D or F in undergraduate must be repeated. |
– |
– |
|
4 |
Chinese Transcript |
Percentage System |
Letter Grade System Note: No Percentage System Transcripts Available |
– |
– |
|
5 |
English Transcripts |
Letter Grade System (based on the old-system conversion table) |
Letter Grade System |
– |
– |
|
6 |
Students under the old system resuming studies in new-system classes |
– |
● After a resumption of studies, students will be admitted to the new system, and their grades will be based on the letter grade system to be ranked with the new system classes. ● When calculating the graduation ranking, the grades before a resumption of studies must be converted into the letter grade system and the new class ranking in accordance with the new-system conversion table. |
Transcript records before a resumption of studies will remain unchanged (still on a percentage system) |
– |
|
7 |
Students under the old and new systems attending the same class |
The system will prompt you to enter the percentage system grade. |
The system will prompt you to enter the letter grade system grade. |
– |
– |
|
8 |
Teachers entering midterm grades |
Percentage System |
Letter Grade System Note: If grades are entered using the percentage system, the system will automatically convert them to the letter grade system in accordance with the new conversion table. |
– |
– |
|
9 |
Teacher entering final grades |
– |
– |
||
|
10 |
Grade input reminder |
The system input screen will display a reminder for each student under the old system to enter a percentage system grade in their grade column. |
The system input screen will display a reminder for each student under the new system to enter a letter grade system grade in their grade column. |
– |
– |
|
11 |
Teacher announcing midterm grades |
Post the system-printed reports. |
Publish the system-printed report cards (letter grade system). Note: Do not publish the percentage system spreadsheet. |
– |
– |
|
12 |
Teacher announcing final grades |
– |
– |
||
|
13 |
Teacher announcing grades for homework, quizzes, etc. by teachers |
Teachers may release grades for assignments, quizzes, etc. |
Teachers may publish grades for assignments, quizzes, etc., either on a percentage or letter grade system. |
– |
– |
|
14 |
Transfer of grades from other schools |
● Applying for credit or replacement ● Priority for passing grade: 1. Other school’s passing 2. MCUT’s old system standards |
● Applying for credit or replacement ● Priority for passing grade: 1. Passing standards of other schools 2. MCUT’s old system standards |
– |
For example, student who withdrew transfers back to MCUT; student from other school transfers to MCUT; student from MCUT obtains grades from other schools through dual enrollment exchange, inter-school course selection, etc. |
|
15 |
Transfer of grades from MCUT |
● Chinese transcript remains unchanged ● English transcript is based on the letter grade system (based on the old conversion table). |
● Both Chinese and English transcripts are based on the letter grade system. ● A new conversion table is provided. ● No percentage system transcripts are provided. |
– |
For example, student from MCUT transfers to another school; student from another school gets grades at MCUT through dual enrollment, exchange, inter-school course selection, etc. |
|
16 |
Applying for external scholarships |
Apply for transcripts under the existing mechanism. |
● Academic year, calendar year, or graduation percentage system grade point average required. ● Converted based on the Letter Grade GPA to Percentage Grade Comparison Table. |
– |
– |
|
17 |
Principles for handling same rankings |
Transfer from a lower ranking to a higher ranking. For example, if two students both have the highest score in the class, the second place ranking will be vacated. After transferring the second-place ranking, the two students will be ranked the same in the first place, but there will be no second place ranking. |
Order b I. Principles of weighting 1. Those with more credits are ranked higher. 2. Those with higher conduct grades will be ranked ahead of those with lower conduct grades. II. Co-ranking principle: See left. |
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– |
|
18 |
Academic Achievement Award |
● First Prize: 10 point improvement. ● Second Prize: 8 point of improvement. ● Third Prize: 5 point of improvement. |
● First Prize: Advancement of three levels or more, for example, from a C- to a B-. ● Second Prize: Advancement by two levels, for example, from a C- to a C+. ● Third Prize: Gradation is too small; canceled. |
– |
– |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which system applies to which students?
● Percentage system for students under the old system: First-year students enrolled in any academic program before August 2016 (including two-year technical students in the Department of Engineering and Design), transfer students who enrolled as second-year students during the 2016–2017 academic year, and alumni who have graduated.
● Letter grade system for students under the new system: First-year students admitted to all academic programs and external students who choose to enroll in our programs after August 2016, and transfer students who enrolled as second-year students beginning with the 2017–2018 academic year.
2. Will the interests of students under the old system be affected?
● Letter grade system grades only apply to students under the new system and students under the old system who have resumed their studies in classes under the new system.
● Generally, the grades under the old system are treated in accordance with the old system (i.e., the percentage system) and equity is not affected.
3. Which grades will use the letter grade system?
● All grades of students under the old system, including all courses, thesis, and conduct grades, are still based on the percentage system.
● The letter grade system will be adopted for all courses and dissertations of students under the new system, but the percentage system will still be used for the conduct grades.
4. Is the letter grade system used for conduct grades?
● For students under the old system and students under the new system, the MCUT conduct grade is still based on the percentage system.
5. How are passing and the need to repeat a course defined?
● The passing standard for students under the old system is 70 points for graduate students, and 60 points for undergraduate students.
● For required courses, if a student in the old system gets a grade of 69 or below in graduate school, or a grade of 59 or below in undergraduate, the course must be repeated.
● The passing standard for students under the new system is B- for graduate school, and C- for undergraduate programs.
● Students who received a grade of C+ or below in graduate school, and students who received a grade of D or F in undergraduate program, will be required to repeat the Required Courses.
6. How do instructors enter midterm or final grades?
● Midterm grades and final grades are entered using the same mechanism.
● The grade system input screen will remind teachers to enter the grades using the percentage system or the letter grade system in the grade column of each student, depending on the student’s status (student of the old system student or student of the new system).
● For students under the new system, enter the grade using the letter grade system. If you enter the grade using the percentage system, the system will automatically convert the grade to the letter grade system in accordance with the new system conversion table.
● For students of the old system, only percentage system grades can be entered. The system does not accept letter grades for students of the old system.
7. How do students from outside the university who are taking MCUT courses enter their midterm or final grades?
● Beginning August 2016, students from outside the university taking MCUT courses are treated as new system students, and their grades will be handled in the same way as new system students.
8. How do instructors post midterm or final grades?
● Midterm grades and final grades are posted in the same manner.
● For students under both the old and new systems, publish the grade reports printed by the system after the grades have been entered; do not publish preliminary percentage system grades for students under the new system.
9. How do teachers announce grades for quizzes, homework, etc.?
● Teachers may release student grades on quizzes, homework assignments, etc., either using the percentage system or the letter grade system.
10. How do I handle grade conversion for an old-system student who is resuming studies in new system classes?
● The transcript record from before resumption of studies will remain unchanged; the results after resumption will be based on the letter grade system, to facilitate ranking of new-system classes in accordance with the letter grade system.
● During the calculation process of graduation grade ranking, it is still necessary to convert the pre-resumption grades into letter grade system grades in accordance with the new system conversion table, so that the graduation grade ranking can be calculated in accordance with the new system.
11. How do I handle grade conversion for new and old system students taking the same class, e.g., new and old system students taking General Education courses, old system students repeating a course, old system students taking a new-system course, new-system students taking an old system course, etc.?
● Students who were once under the old system and who have resumed their studies in the new system are treated as students under the new system.
● When old- and new-system students are in the same class, the system will remind you to input the percentage system or letter grade system grade based on the student’s status.
12. How are grade transfers for transfer students handled?
● MCUT has no downgrade and transfer mechanism. Old system students will remain in the old system after transferring to a new department; new system students will remain in the new system after transferring to a new department; there is no need for grade conversion. However, since students’ existing academic records will not be changed, the students’ graduation eligibility will still be based on the new department’s graduation requirements after the transfer.
13. How do I handle grade conversion for students transferring from other schools to MCUT?
● Student status is based on the class into which they are transferring, with students transferring in for the 2016 school year as old system students, and students transferring in starting in the 2017 school year as new system students.
● External grades may be applied for credit, but they will not be factored into semester averages/ranks or graduation averages/ranks. Follow passing standards are in the following priority: 1. The other school’s passing standards; 2. MCUT’s passing standards (old system for students under the old system; new system for students under the new system).
14. How do I handle grade conversion for a student who withdrew from studies at MCUT, then transferred back to MCUT?
● The transfer of grades will be handled in the same way as the transfer of grades from a different school to MCUT.
● Student status is based on the class into which they are transferring, with students transferring in for the 2016 school year as old system students, and students transferring in for the 2017 school year onward as new system students.
● Students may apply for credit before withdrawing from studies (old system for students under the old system, new system for students under the new system), but their grades will not be factored into the semester averages/ranks or graduation overall averages/ranks.
15. How do I handle a student’s transfer of grades from another school, such as an MCUT student transferring grades from Dual Enrollment, Exchange Student Program, Intercollegiate Selection, etc.?
● External grades may be applied for credit, but they will not be factored into semester averages/ranks or graduation averages/ranks. Passing standards follow this priority: 1. The other school’s passing standards; 2. MCUT’s passing standards (old system for students under the old system; new system for students under the new system).
16. How do I handle grade conversion for an MCUT student transferring to another school?
● The Academic Affairs Office will provide transcripts (old system for students under the old system, new system for students under the new system); students under the new system will not be provided with percentage system transcripts, but a conversion table is available.
17. How do I handle a grade transfer for a student from another school studying at MCUT, such as a grade transfer for a student studying via Dual Enrollment, Student Exchange Program, Intercollegiate Selection, etc.?
● Outside students with the above statuses after August 2016 are considered to fall under the new system. The Academic Affairs Office will provide letter grade system transcripts and related conversion tables, and will not provide percentage system transcripts.
18. How do I deal with external scholarships that require percentage system grades for the semester, academic year, previous year, or graduation average from MCUT?
● Students under the old system will apply for transcripts directly in accordance with the current system. For students under the new system, use the Letter Grade GPA to Percentage Grade Comparison Table to convert the total average percentage system grades.
19. How do I deal with regulations that have not been fully amended in accordance with the letter grade system?
● Follow the four principles mentioned above and the conversion tables.