FAQs

1) Why did the State Board of Education vote to adopt a 10-point grading school?

The South Carolina Department of Education recommended the state’s transition from a 7-point to 10-point grading scale. Many months of stakeholder input and research went into this recommendation. We convened four working groups to examine the uniform grading policy. Members included parents, teachers, district superintendents, college professors, and the business community. Three working groups continue to meet and research the impact this change will have on lottery funds and college scholarships.

2) Did you make this change to benefit student-athletes?

No. It was made reviewing the impact for all students across the state. Student athletes will benefit competing for college scholarships because their GPAs can be compared to other athletes in states using the 10-point scale, such as Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia. We are a military state, with one of the highest military student populations in the country. As thousands of military families move in and out of South Carolina every year, they will benefit from a seamless transition using a 10-point grading scale. Additionally, many South Carolina students are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to competing with their peers in other states for academic scholarships and awards; this decision creates an equal playing field for them.

3) How will GPAs be affected by this change in grading?

GPAs are an outcome of the quality points associated with each numeric grade a student earns related to the class he or she took. If you look at the old GPA 7-point scale and compare it to the new 10-point scale, you will see that the new scale helps student GPAs in the following ways:

• creates the floor for a “passing grade” at 60 (D) rather than 70.  The floor for a “C” is 70; “B” is 80; and “A” is 90.  This aligns to the college scale which helps with dual credit courses taken in high school. 

• continues to award weighted points for taking harder courses such as honors, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual credit courses.

• provides increasing quality points by .10 for each numeric grade. 

Overall, this 10-point scale aligns South Carolina with all the states around us and provides an equal playing field for our students to compete for admissions into college and in-state scholarships such as HOPE, LIFE, and Palmetto Fellows.  It is especially helpful to our military families who move a great deal and come into South Carolina from states where 10-point scales are used.

4) How will grades earned under each point scale be calculated?

A student’s final transcript will average all the quality points and divide that by the number of credits attempted. Therefore, 13 credits on the 7-point scale will be averaged with the credits and quality points earned on the 10-point scale.