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Pros And Cons Of The Pass Or Fail System

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If you got your classwork back, what would you rather hear, a C or a pass? I would rather hear a C because I know how well I am doing or know how much I need to improve. Many schools have switched from the traditional A-F grades to the new pass/fail grading system. Famous colleges have even adopted the pass or fail grading system, “Yale has adopted the pass or fail system, Harvard and Stanford followed suit” in the 21st century (Strittmatter). The reasons why we should keep the traditional letter grading system is students would get specific feedback from their grades, and letter grades promotes competitiveness. First of all, letter grades give specific feedback on how well students are doing on their assignments. Pass or fail systems only offers two options, while letter grades provide 5 levels of achievements “to pinpoint a student's work ethic and comprehension”(Morgan). With 5 levels, grading is more accurate and it also shows the areas of weaknesses and areas that have improved better. In a letter grading system, an A or C grade can differentiate an excellent student from an average one. With a pass or fail grade students are only put into two categories, average or better and below average. When students are given specific feedback with letter grades students know if they’re on the …show more content…

Students feel more accomplished when given an A rather than a pass because it is harder to get an A than a pass. Grades show how well a student is doing in the course and it allows for improvement and specialization. When given a letter grade, students know exactly how much they need to improve and when applying for colleges, colleges look at the letter grade, not the pass or fail grade. A letter grade is superior because it conditions students to be extraordinary, not

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