grading

Grading is the process of evaluating a student’s work and assigning a grade that communicates the level of achievement relative to defined standards. It is used to summarize performance, determine progression, and provide feedback to learners, instructors, and institutions. Grading typically draws on multiple evidence sources, such as exams, quizzes, assignments, projects, and participation.

Common systems include letter grades (A through F), numeric scales (for example 0–100), and pass/fail designations. In higher education, grades are often recorded as letter grades and translated into a grade point average (GPA). Some programs use standards-based or criterion-referenced grading, where each learning outcome has to be demonstrated independently, while others use norm-referenced grading to rank students relative to peers. Rubrics, exemplars, and grading schemes with weighting are used to make criteria explicit and to improve consistency.

Assessment design and reporting are shaped by policies, learning objectives, and accreditation requirements. Feedback accompanying a grade can help students identify strengths and areas for improvement. Grading may also influence motivation and study behaviors, raising concerns about fairness, bias, and grade inflation. Methods to mitigate these issues include transparent criteria, blind grading, moderation, and multiple measures of demonstrated competence, such as portfolios or performance tasks.

In addition to formal education, grading concepts appear in performance reviews and quality assessments, where outcomes are scored to reflect compliance with standards or benchmarks. The overarching aim is to provide a reliable, valid, and actionable summary of achievement that supports learning and accountability.