Studying

When to Pass/Fail

At the time writing this, many schools have adopted a pass/fail system that students can opt into for their grades. 

For those unaware pass/fail grading (Cr/NCr, Cr/D/Fail, etc.) means that, if a student passes their course, they get a credit and, If they fail, they do not receive a credit. In both cases, a grade isn’t displayed and it is replaced by either credit or no credit. 

Although this system is typically adopted for electives, students are getting the opportunity to apply this to their core classes to accommodate for any learning challenges this pandemic poses. This article is intended to help you decide whether or not to adopt this grading system!
How Are You Doing in this Course?
It’s no secret that pass/fail grading takes a large amount of pressure off of you to perform in a course. If, before the pandemic, you were struggling to stay afloat in a course, it’s definitely preferable to adopt this system. 

Since you only need to pass the grade to get the credit, there’s really no difference between a 60% and a 90% so if you find yourself hovering around the former, you might want to consider going pass/fail. If you’re doing well in a course and you’re confident you can get a good grade, it makes no sense to go pass/fail because it would be throwing away the work you put into getting a good grade. 

A good rule of thumb is to calculate how a specific course will affect your GPA. If it increases it, keep the current grading system. If it lowers it, opt into pass/fail!
Is Online Learning Working for You?
With a sudden interruption to the semester, this pandemic poses many challenges to students. Students are forced to learn online, stay at home, and some have even been kicked out of their dorms. 

If you find yourself struggling with the transition or if you have a tough living situation, it’s recommended that you adopt pass/fail to avoid any unnecessary stress. If you consider yourself an effective online learner, your grades might actually flourish under these circumstances. 

Some people are just built to learn online and, if you think you’re one of these people, you should definitely consider staying the course and not opting in. You’re a minority in this situation but you should take advantage of it!
Is this Course Important?
It’s pretty much a given that some courses are worth more than others. If you have courses that are simply elective requirements and are not important to your final grade, scholarship conditions, or postgraduate applications, then you may want to consider adopting pass/fail. 

This is especially relevant if you have other courses that take priority over non-essential courses. If you’re in a position where your future depends on a letter grade, like for post-grad, you shouldn’t opt into the pass/fail system.

It’s definitely quite the adjustment moving to online learning but we’re here to help! As of now, you can sign up for our new service, ‘Study Buddy,’ which is FREE until the end of the semester. This will give you access to over 20,000 video lessons, practice questions, and example problems. 

You’ll also be able to ask homework questions to our expert-level profs. If you want a more course-tailored experience, all our final exam prep is 50% off and you can also sign up for a free 15 minute lesson with our online tutors. 

Stay safe out there and we wish you the best of luck!