Grade scale

shutterbugC

5-Year Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2010
Messages
407
Can anyone tell me what the grade scale is for KP? What is an A, B, C, etc.
Thanks,
 
I believe that the scale is your standard one. They can earn gold and silver stars based on GPA I believe that each star has some perks attached. I do not know what the perks are.
 
The below is an excerpt from the USMMA Catalog:

Grading
The Academy uses a letter-grade system
with each letter grade assigned a numerical
quality-point equivalent. The scholastic significance
of the grades and related quality point
equivalents are reflected in the following table:
Quality-Point Scholastic
Letter Scale Value Significance
A 4.00 Outstanding
A- 3.67
B+ 3.33
B 3.00 Above Average
B- 2.67
C+ 2.33
C 2.00 Average
C- 1.67
D+ 1.33
D 1.00 Minimum Passing
P 0.00 Pass
F 0.00 Failure
I Incomplete
E Exempt
W Withdrawal
 
Thanks but I was looking for the number grade to correspond to the letter grade.
 
Thanks but I was looking for the number grade to correspond to the letter grade.

Depends on the class.

One of the engineering classes might get a C for something around a 50, but I'm 99% sure that teacher has moved on.

Granted this information is a few years old: any mids want to update?
 
I believe the general "rule of thumb" (not necessarily KP) is ..

Percentage Range Alpha Grade Assigned
90-100 A+
85-89 A
80-84 A-
76-79 B+
73-75 B
70-72 B-
67-69 C+
64-66 C
60-63 C-
55-59 D+
50-54 D
0-49 F
 
Letter Grade Conversions

I think this was the question since the GPA v Letter grade was already explained and did not suffice.

If you score a 50% in a course and the professor decides it rates a "C", then it is a 2.0 GPA (Grade Point Average). A "C" would be about equal to a 70 on the per cent scale.


GPA Percent 4.0 100-99 3.9 98-97 3.8 96-95 3.7 94-93 3.6 92-91 3.5 90-89 3.4 88-87 3.3 86-85 3.2 84-83 3.1 82-81 3.0 80 2.9 79 2.8 78 2.7 77 2.6 76 2.5 75 2.4 74 2.3 73 2.2 72 2.1 71 2.0 70 1.9 69 1.8 68 1.7 67 1.6 66 1.5 65 1.4 64 1.3 63 1.2 62 1.1 61 1.0 60 0.9 59 0.8 58 0.7 57
____________________________________


4.0 = A+ = 90 - 100%
4.0 = A = 85 - 90%
3.7 = A- = 80 - 85%
3.3 = B+ = 77 - 80%
3.0 = B = 73 - 77%
2.7 = B- = 70 - 73%
2.3 = C+ = 67 - 70%
2.0 = C = 63 - 67%
1.7 = C- = 60 - 63%

If you carry below a 1.7 GPA, you likely wont be continuing any further education at that institution.
 
Thanks, just wondering. DS said he barely made a C on a Physics test and wanted to know what "barely a C" might mean. Also, surprised to find out that a 50 is a "D". Not use to that but if you go with 100%, it seems like it should be. Just use to 69 being a "F". He is fine with the rest of his grades.
 
Back in my day before the turn of the century (mid 90s), only a few professors had a hard and fast grading scale. Most used a bell curve with the class average becoming a C with everyone else falling on either side. Frankly it was the only way a lot of us were able to pass some classes. Its quite a blow to the ole ego when the average on a quiz is in the 20s and the professor tells the class he couldnt give that quiz in a normal college because everyone would get 100.
 
Throw all perceptions of what grading scales normally look like out the window.

This is college and every college and above course I've been involved in has a different grading scale. There is no hard and fast rule beyond the letter grade to GPA conversion. That is fairly standard at KP.

As mentioned above some professors will use a bell curve. Absolutely impossible to know what the grades are going to equate to until the end of the course. Some prof's stick with the hard and fast 90-100, 80-90, etc etc, but many have some variation on that.

In general the mid's will know where they stand and what they can expect at the end of the course. It is usually presented in the very beginning of the course, but it becomes plainly obvious after the first test or two.
 
This discussion is important because very often the mids look at the grades at midterm, assume they are failing and then give up totally. They should never give up. Even if they are failing at midterm on the curve, often if they get through the final the professor will pass them. The mids need to understand that that still have options even if they are failing. Go get help from the ACE, see the professor for extra help, look at Cramster and practice the questions in the chapter, sometimes all of them, look at Khan Academy, go to a fellow mid who is doing well, get into a study group, find an upperclassman willing to help, go see Mom Guest at CC and ask for a recommendation of a strong student in that subject area, see if Dad Guest (deck major and former teacher at KP) can sit with you and clear some things up. The best students coming into this place are not necessarily the ones that get through to the end. You have to be able to swallow your pride a little and seek help. Every mid does it at one time or another.

All to say, you can't give up. If the mids give up, then failing is assured. Pull out all the stops.
 
Thanks for the info. My DS is not giving up. He did his first test in Physics and got all the right answers but didn't do them the way the professor wanted them done and didn't get credit for several of them. He failed the test and that made him mad. He did pass the second test so I guess he is doing it the way "he" wants it done now. Just having to pull up that grade is hard. The professor also told the class as a whole not to ask for "extra" credit work cause if they can do it the second time, they should have been able to do it right the first time. The professor also said that he wasn't grading on a curve nor allowing them to retake the test. Most failed the first test. Now, it is just an uphill climb for him.
He is doing well in his labs and this last test showed him and us that he can do the work right. Just have to wait and see.
I am glad you posted that failing mid terms shouldn't be the reason to give up. I think some of the Plebes need to know and understand that.
 
"Every day is a test."

A wise man once told me that when he was seeing what I was made of.

It did take awhile for me to figure out. He was reallly testing my character.

Maybe that's a lesson they are teaching.

It is a painful lesson but it facilitates growth.

They too will persevere.
 
Thanks for the info. My DS is not giving up. He did his first test in Physics and got all the right answers but didn't do them the way the professor wanted them done and didn't get credit for several of them. He failed the test and that made him mad. He did pass the second test so I guess he is doing it the way "he" wants it done now. Just having to pull up that grade is hard. The professor also told the class as a whole not to ask for "extra" credit work cause if they can do it the second time, they should have been able to do it right the first time. The professor also said that he wasn't grading on a curve nor allowing them to retake the test. Most failed the first test. Now, it is just an uphill climb for him.
He is doing well in his labs and this last test showed him and us that he can do the work right. Just have to wait and see.
I am glad you posted that failing mid terms shouldn't be the reason to give up. I think some of the Plebes need to know and understand that.
Yep, DS had same instructor 1st tri plebe year. Was failing but squeaked by with a C.
Physics II- different instructor- "do it anyway that gets you to the correct answer" A in the class.... and thats KP:rolleyes:
 
Just seems to me that as long as you have the right answer, who cares how you got it.
 
Just seems to me that as long as you have the right answer, who cares how you got it.

Not true. You actually can get the right answer but stumble into it for the wrong reason and it turns out you dont really understand the material.

I learned that lesson the taking Statics with Paquette. The first time I took the classs I gotr a lot of rightr answers for the wrong reason and failed the class. The second time I took the class I kept my ego in check and learned the materal and got a B+ ... no small feat with Paquette by the way.
 
The journey is more important than the destination....

Not true. You actually can get the right answer but stumble into it for the wrong reason and it turns out you dont really understand the material.

I learned that lesson the taking Statics with Paquette. The first time I took the classs I gotr a lot of rightr answers for the wrong reason and failed the class. The second time I took the class I kept my ego in check and learned the materal and got a B+ ... no small feat with Paquette by the way.

KPEngineer is correct, you have to teach the proper technique so when they are faced with problems in the field, they know how to handle them. We have always said we can't teach you all of engineering in 4 years; the best we can do is to teach you to think like an engineer in 4 years. In early courses, I usually tell my students how I want them to solve the problem. At the end of 4 years, they must make the correct evaluation and tell me how they solved it! You don't teach freshman the same way you teach seniors.
 
Thanks for your input. It helps this poor mom who is left out in the cold not understanding what is going on and who's son doesn't tell her much either. LOL
 
Back
Top