> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bizaxl.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Grading Scales
> How to set up the scoring rules that convert a student's marks into a letter grade - and how to define what counts as a pass.
A Grading Scale is the rules that turn a number into a grade. When a student scores 78 out of 100, the system checks the grading scale to determine their letter grade - is 78 a B+, an A-, or a First Class? You define these rules once, and the system applies them automatically whenever results are entered.
***
## Who Does This
| Task | Who Does It |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Creating a Grading Scale | Academic Administrator |
| Assigning a Grading Scale to an Assessment Plan | Instructor / Academic Administrator |
***
## How a Grading Scale Works
A grading scale is a table of percentage ranges, each with a corresponding grade letter and a flag for whether that range represents a pass or fail. The system calculates the student's percentage from their total score and then finds the matching grade row.
**Example Grading Scale:**
| Grade | Minimum Score (%) | Maximum Score (%) | Is Passing Grade |
| --------------- | ----------------- | ----------------- | ---------------- |
| O (Outstanding) | 90 | 100 | Yes |
| A+ | 80 | 89 | Yes |
| A | 70 | 79 | Yes |
| B+ | 60 | 69 | Yes |
| B | 50 | 59 | Yes |
| C | 40 | 49 | Yes |
| F (Fail) | 0 | 39 | No |
A student who scores 63% would receive a B+.
***
## How to Create a Grading Scale
1. Go to **Education workspace → Assessment Card → Grading Scale**
2. Click **New**
3. Enter a **Grading Scale Name** (e.g. "Standard 100-point Scale")
4. In the **Grades** table, add one row for each grade level:
* Set the **Grade** letter (A, B+, C, Fail, etc.)
* Set the **Threshold** - the minimum score percentage for this grade
* Tick **Is Passing Grade** for grades that represent a pass
5. Click **Save**
***
## Field Guide - Grading Scale
| Field | Required | Purpose |
| ---------------------- | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Grading Scale Name** | Yes | A descriptive name (e.g. "Undergraduate Scale", "Diploma Scale") |
| **Grades** table | Yes | The rows that define each grade band |
**Fields in each Grade row:**
| Column | Required | Purpose |
| -------------------- | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Grade** | Yes | The letter or label for this grade (e.g. "A", "B+", "Distinction", "Pass", "Fail") |
| **Threshold** | Yes | Minimum percentage score to receive this grade |
| **Is Passing Grade** | No | Tick if this grade counts as a pass. Leave unticked for failing grades |
***
## Assessment Criteria
Assessment Criteria define how marks are split within an assessment - for example, an exam might have 60 marks for theory and 40 marks for practical. The criteria also set the maximum marks for each component.
**To create Assessment Criteria:**
1. Go to **Education workspace → Assessment card → Assessment Criteria**
2. Click **New**
3. Enter a **Criteria Name** (e.g. "Theory Paper", "Practical Exam", "Internal Assessment")
4. Set the **Maximum Score** for this component
5. Click **Save**
Assessment Criteria are used in the Assessment Plan to define the marking structure.
***
## Assessment Groups
An Assessment Group is a category label for assessments - for example: "Mid-Term Exam", "End-of-Term Exam", "Internal Assessment", "Supplementary Exam".
**To create an Assessment Group:**
1. Go to **Education workspace → Assessment card → Assessment Group**
2. Click **New**
3. Enter an **Assessment Group Name**
4. Optionally link it to a Parent Assessment Group for hierarchical grouping
5. Click **Save**
Assessment Groups are used on Assessment Plans to classify the type of assessment.
***
## Multiple Grading Scales
You can create as many grading scales as you need. Programmes with different standards (undergraduate vs. diploma vs. postgraduate) can have separate scales. Each Assessment Plan specifies which grading scale to use.
***
## Best Practices
**Create grading scales before creating Assessment Plans.** The Assessment Plan requires a linked Grading Scale before you can save it.
**Set your grade thresholds carefully.** The thresholds are applied exactly as entered. If you set B+ as "60–69%" and B as "50–59%", a student scoring exactly 60% will receive B+. Review the thresholds with your academic board before finalising.
**Name scales clearly.** Use names that identify the context - "B.Com Undergraduate Scale" is more useful than "Scale 1". When multiple scales are in use, clear names prevent confusion when setting up Assessment Plans.
**Always mark at least one grade as "Is Passing Grade = No."** The Final Assessment Grades report and progression decisions depend on knowing which grades indicate failure. If no grade is marked as failing, the system cannot identify students who need supplementary exams.
***
## Troubleshooting
**Grade is not appearing on results:** Check that the Assessment Plan has a Grading Scale linked to it. If the field is blank, grades will not be calculated.
**Student's grade does not match expectations:** Check the Grading Scale thresholds. The system applies the thresholds exactly. Verify the threshold ranges cover the full 0–100% range with no gaps.
**Cannot find a Grading Scale when creating an Assessment Plan:** Make sure the Grading Scale record has been saved. Only saved records appear in the dropdown.
***
## Related Pages
* [Assessment Plans](/education/examination/assessment-plans) - where you assign a Grading Scale to an exam
* [Result Entry](/education/examination/result-entry) - where grades are calculated against the Grading Scale
* [Reports & Dashboards](/education/reports-dashboards) - the Course Wise Assessment Report and Final Assessment Grades use grading scale results