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Letter Grades

Each class syllabus contains a table that maps scores to letter grades. Invariably, after the grades are released, a student will write to me, saying something like this:

Let’s consider these one by one:

Is this before or after curving?

It’s after any curving. I would not be so cruel as to post a letter grade that isn’t what you will get.

I earned 69.8 points, which rounds to 70, so this should be a C.

Firstly, you probably didn’t earn 69.8 points. You probably earned fewer points, which got curved up to 69.8.

Secondly, as a professional computer scientist, I know how to compare numbers. 69.8 is less than 70. Yes, 69.8 is close to 70, but it’s less than 70. The cutoff is 70. The fact that 69.8 is near the cutoff is a shame, but that’s how it is. I have to draw the line somewhere. Where should it be? 69.8? 69.7? 69.5? I have chosen 70.

My other professors round up this way.

That’s great. I follow my published syllabus.

I need a C to keep my scholarship.

What you need is your business. My job is to record the letter grade that you have earned.