
That way, you can still attend class, receive credit for the course, but you can prioritize your time to study harder for those classes that are directly related to your degree.Īdditionally, it also means that you can try something new and explore a subject purely out of interest. Since the Art History class does not count towards your major, and you are less likely to be as well versed in the information as Art History majors, you may want to consider taking the class pass/fail. Say, for example, you are majoring in Computer Science, but you plan to take an Art History class as an elective. The main advantage is for coursework that is outside of your major. There are some great advantages of taking a class as pass/fail versus a letter grade.

To know how your college of choice breaks down a pass versus a fail, be sure to check the documentation online or ask an advisor directly. As such, only letter grades C or higher are considered passing. In some universities, they are more strict. For example, 90% or higher is an A, 80%-89% is a B, and so on.īut when you take a class as pass/fail, you receive a pass for any grade higher than a D. Each percentage is associated with a letter, as you likely already know from your experience in school. Traditional grading systems are based on letter grades. Source: Wikimedia Commons What are Pass/Fail Classes? In this article, we will share everything you need to know about pass/fail classes so you can understand when to opt for it and when to forget it exists.

Importantly, you’re probably asking yourself, “How do pass/fail classes affect GPA?” along with other questions. How should you decide when it’s considered an advantage versus when to ignore the option? Others may go through their entire college career without ever electing to be graded by this system. Did you know that you can take college classes without receiving a letter grade? The system of pass fail classes means that instead of the traditional grading where you receive a letter grade of A to F, your grade becomes a binary - either you pass or you fail.įor some people, a pass/fail system is beneficial.
