Here’s Why You Never Got an E on Your Report Card (2024)

Updated: Apr. 03, 2021

A, B, C, D, F... wait, what?

Here’s Why You Never Got an E on Your Report Card (1)Victoria 1/shutterstock

If you’ve ever wondered why you’ve never gotten an E on your report card, you’re not alone. Most grading systems in the United States typically go by A, B, C, D, then F. So, what did E do to be skipped? As it turns out, E used to be a standard grade. (Here are thesecrets of straight-A students that all scholars should definitely steal.)

According to the Washington Post, “The first letter grade ever given in the United States, according to historical records, was a B received by a Harvard University undergraduate in 1883. There is no indication of how he felt about the grade, but that simple way of judging student work quickly became popular.”

After that, other institutions started catching onto the concept of grading with letters. In 1887, Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts was supposedly the first school to continue the use of a letter-based grading system. An A was equivalent to 95-100%, a B was equivalent to 85-94%, a C was equivalent to 76-84%, a D was 75%, and an E was anything below a 75%—which meant failure.

A year after Mount Holyoke’s grading system was put into place, they changed each letter so they represented different percentages. According to todayifoundout.com, “B became anything from 90-94%, C was 85-89%, D was 80-84%, and E was 75-79%. Below that, they added in the dreaded F.”

In the 1930s, as the letter-based grading system grew more and more popular, many schools began omitting E in fear that students and parents may misinterpret it as standing for “excellent.” Thus resulting in the A, B, C, D, and F grading system. According to mentalfloss.com, “Recent surveys show that letter grades are [now] the most common grades used in elementary and secondary schools and two- and four-year colleges and universities.”

Just reading the history of letter grades probably boosted your GPA, but are you smarter now than you were in high school? Take this quiz to find out!

Here’s Why You Never Got an E on Your Report Card (2024)

FAQs

Here’s Why You Never Got an E on Your Report Card? ›

In the 1930s, as the letter-based grading system grew more and more popular, many schools began omitting E in fear that students and parents may misinterpret it as standing for “excellent.” Thus resulting in the A, B, C, D, and F grading system.

Why is there no letter E in grading? ›

That's a good question! It's a simple answer really. Back in 1897, the letter E used to mean the same thing as F; that is, it used to be the lowest possible grade. However, parents and students found it easier to understand that “F” stood for “Failed” (rather than thinking that “E” could mean “excellent”).

Can you get an E on your report card? ›

Don't expect to see traditional letter grades until 3rd or 4th grade. Prior to that, schools usually describe progress with a scale such as D for developing, E for expanding, S for satisfactory, and N for needs improvement. The kindergarten report card can be likened to a checklist of skills crucial for early learning.

Does F+ exist in grades? ›

In Academic grading in the United States, F+ is a rarely used grade above F.

Is E good in grade? ›

A popular grading system in the United States uses four or five letters, which are ranked in descending order: E (Excellent) G (Good) S (Satisfactory)

Why can't you get an E? ›

In the 1930s, as the letter-based grading system grew more and more popular, many schools began omitting E in fear that students and parents may misinterpret it as standing for “excellent.” Thus resulting in the A, B, C, D, and F grading system.

Why is 60 an F? ›

Each letter grade is 10 points — an A is 90-100, a B is 80- 89, a C is 70-79, and a D is 60-69 — but the scale's one failing grade, an F, spans not 10 points, but 60 (0 to 59). The result is that a zero disproportionally pulls down an average and makes it that much harder to pull a grade up significantly.

What does z mean in grades? ›

The letter Z is used to indicate that a grade was not properly received and/or recorded for a course. Note: No grade points are allowed for grades F, I, NP, P, PR, NPR, W, or Z. A complete record of all previously used grades and grading systems is detailed on the official transcript. Grade.

Is E or S better on a report card? ›

E – Excellent. S – Satisfactory. N – Needs Improvement. U – Unsatisfactory – represents the equivalent of a failing grade.

Is 95 an A or A+? ›

Grade Scale
A+= / >100%
A= / >95%
A-= / >90%
B+= / >85%
B= / >80%
10 more rows

What GPA is AA? ›

GPA Scale
Letter GradeGrade PointsNumerical Grade
A4.094–96
A-3.790–93
B+3.387–89
B3.084–86
9 more rows

Is 59 a passing grade? ›

A letter grade of a D is technically considered passing because it not a failure. A D is any percentage between 60-69%, whereas a failure occurs below 60%.

Is a 69 a passing grade? ›

Most colleges and universities generally consider a "D" (or a 60% to 69% score) as a passing grade. It's important to note that this minimum or lowest passing grade standard can significantly vary depending on the institution or major. For instance, some universities may require a "C" or better to pass.

Is 70 a passing grade? ›

The normal grading range is from 55 to 100. The number grades correspond to letter grades as reflected in the chart below. The minimum passing grade is 70 (C). Any grades between 55 and 69 (D and F) are considered failing grades for which unit credit is not earned.

Is E a fail grade? ›

E is the last and the poorest grade which means just pass…after E comes U which means unqualified.

What is an E in the grading system? ›

“E” grades are computed into a student's Grade Point Average (GPA) as a value of zero (0). Students receiving Title IV funding who receive E grades for all of the courses in which they are enrolled in a semester, will be determined to have unofficially withdrawn from all of said courses.

What is an E in grades? ›

Scholastic Grading

The grade E indicates deficiencies that may be made up without actually repeating the subject.

What is letter E in grades? ›

E. = Failure or unofficial withdrawal from a course.

What does E mean in letter grade? ›

A grade of E is a failing grade. The minimum standard for satisfactory work in the Graduate School is a “B” average in each academic year. A grade of “C” or “INC” is offset by a grade of “A” and a “D” by two “A's”; no account is taken of plus or minus. Grades of “E” or an unexcused “ABS” are failing.

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