West Coast University - Pass/No Pass Policy (2023)

FAQs

Does failing a pass no pass class affect your GPA? ›

A: In most cases, P/NP grading is a way of taking a class without worrying about your grade. As long as you satisfactorily complete the course at a level of C or better, you will receive a P grade and it will not impact your GPA.

"C" is the minimum grade in the General Education Program. “C+” is the minimum passing grade in the core Nursing and Dental Hygiene Programs.

Students who take a course P/NP receive grades that are equivalent to letter grades. At this school, students who receive a letter grade equivalent to an A - C receive a P on their transcript and course credit. A score of a D or F equivalent receives a NP on the transcript with no course credit.

At most schools, a D is the lowest passing grade. That means students who earn a D or higher receive credit for the course. However, some schools set special policies around D grades. For example, at Lehigh, a D counts as a passing grade but does not meet prerequisite requirements.

When you pass a pass/fail class, your GPA remains unaffected. This is a good thing! However, if you fail the class, you could potentially harm your GPA. Of course, this calculation varies by your university, so again, it's useful to consult directly with your advisor or read policies online.

In most cases, schools won't have a problem with it as long as it's a course outside your area of study. However, some universities may calculate P/NP into your GPA, and they will most likely replace a “Pass” with the lowest required grade to pass; which is a C.

Academic Senate P/NP regulations allow students in good academic standing to take up to 5 units P/NP during the quarter and up to 10 units if they have not taken a P/NP course in the previous term.

When I had this issue I was afraid that this would look bad on my college applications but colleges typically look at your complete transcript to get a good picture of what kind if student you are academically. So if you are an overall great student then this most likely won't have an effect on you.

What is a Pass/Fail course? Instead of a standard letter grading system, students who elect to change their grading basis to Pass/Fail will receive either a passing grade (PS) or a failing grade (F). A passing grade is not calculated into your GPA, but you will receive credit for taking the course.

These are deep questions, but important ones to consider so that you can be sure not to repeat the same mistake again. Ok, so let's assume you answered those deep existential questions, how do you “fix” the D? Now, know that you DO need to retake the class. A D is NOT considered a passing grade to colleges.

Is D considered failing? ›

D - this is still a passing grade, and it's between 59% and 69% F - this is a failing grade.

Many people wonder, “What is a passing grade in college?” Coming from high school, the grading system doesn't really change. In fact, a “D” is considered passing in both high school and college, as it's above 60%. While a passing grade may be as low as 60%, you will want to aim higher for many reasons.

Letter Grading

Grades A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- indicate passing grades; F indicates failure.

The meaning of each grade is as follows: A, A–, excellent; B+, B, and B–, good; C+ and C, competent; C–, continuation competency (the student has achieved the level of proficiency needed for the course to satisfy prerequisite requirements); D+, D, and D–, passing, but performance is not adequate to take any subsequent ...

Pass/fail classes operate on a binary grading system, meaning that no letter grade will be recorded on your college transcript. Instead, you will simply earn credit depending on whether you did satisfactory work in the class.

By that point, it was too late to avoid an F. But if you're failing a class early in the term, you can still pass — or at least make a plan if you do fail. Many college students find themselves falling behind at some point. And failing a class in college is more common than you might think.

The failing grade will NOT calculate in your GPA, but it will still show on your transcript.

CALCULATING GPA WITH P/F COURSES

Courses taken with a pass/fail grading mode, if they are not repeats, have no effect on GPA Hours and no effect on Quality Points.

If you receive a No Credit grade, you can retake the class another semester. But when you repeat the class, you have to take a letter grade and that grade will count toward your GPA. Letter grades do tend to “look better” on your academic record, as they better represent your progress in a course.

The answer should be fairly apparent: “Pass” is less informative than a specific letter grade. Now, as Tikhon Jelvis's answer says, most employers don't look at transcripts so having a P isn't going to matter - just like having a “W” (withdrawn) won't. Why?

What are the worst passing grades? ›

Grades A–F in the United States

In college and universities, a D is considered to be an unsatisfactory passing grade.

Grades of credit/pass or no credit/no pass will not be included in the calculation of high school GPA. The CSU expects and assumes that high school Pass (Credit) grades will represent work completed at the C- or higher level.

For previous-term deadline exceptions, see P/NP & S/U Grading Deadline Exceptions. An undergraduate student in good academic standing may request to take specific courses on a P/NP basis. Such requests must be submitted and confirmed by the 25th day of instruction (see calendar for possible COVID-19 exceptions).

Undergraduates may take one General Education Course Pass/No pass. Otherwise, no coursework taken Pass/No pass may be applied to the degree or the minor. No coursework may be taken Pass/No pass for minor programs.

Colleges have never relied on the grades from one semester to determine a student's eligibility for admission; they have always looked at the complete transcript to get the best picture of a student's academic performance.

That being said, failing a class does not mean your application is irrevocably doomed. While a failing grade on your transcript will certainly affect your chances of admissions, the degree to which it do so varies based on your individual circumstances.

As long as you continue to make satisfactory academic progress (SAP), electing the Pass/Fail option should not impact your financial aid. If you are presently on financial aid probation, it is recommended that you contact the Financial Aid Office before electing the Pass/Fail option for any of your classes.

Students who were taught using the pass-fail grading system perceived less stress and actually showed better cohesion than those students who were graded using the traditional grading system.

A 2.5 GPA corresponds to a C average, making it a common starting GPA for many colleges and universities, even some more competitive institutions — though acceptance at that level would be a long shot.

Does Harvard accept D students? ›

No, the truth is you don't necessarily require straight A's to get into Harvard. Harvard prefers all rounded students, who exhibit passion, hard-work, extraordinary achievements or potential for success.

Your senior year grades impact your overall high school academic career. From affecting your GPA to potentially changing your position on college waitlists, senior year grades play a serious role in your college prospects. Furthermore, you may have your hopes set on being the valedictorian.

Yes! During any semester students have the opportunity to raise their GPA by earning top grades or grades that are increase over previous semesters.

The best way to gauge how colleges might look at your grades is just to look at your GPA vs. average GPAs for that school. As a rule of thumb, one bad grade won't tank your chances in most places, though a D might substantially lower your GPA because it's adding such a low number to the average.

Undergraduate Grading System

* D (Poor): Indicates the student may not have achieved the minimal level of comprehension in carrying a more advanced course for which this course is a specific prerequisite. In addition, a grade of D may not satisfy some major degree requirements.

The normal grading range is from 55 to 100. The number grades correspond to letter grades as reflected in the chart below. The minimum passing grade is 70 (C). Any grades between 55 and 69 (D and F) are considered failing grades for which unit credit is not earned.

You'll usually need to receive a letter grade between A and D to pass a class, often the numerical equivalent of 65 percent or higher. Receiving an F—which stands for “fail”—indicates that you did not pass the class. The cutoff to receive an F is usually 64 percent.

In most colleges, 50% is a passing grade, so 60% is a comfortable pass.

Doesn't affect your GPA, but you still fail the class if you receive a NP, so same procedure if you fail a class you took with a letter grade.

Do failing grades count towards GPA? ›

Failing grades must be included in the GPA calculation unless the course has been retaken. Only include the most recent grade for any course repeated by the student.

The deadline to choose a grade option for Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters is the end of week 6. Your course work must be equivalent to C- or better to receive a P. P/NP courses count for unit requirements but not toward your GPA.

When I had this issue I was afraid that this would look bad on my college applications but colleges typically look at your complete transcript to get a good picture of what kind if student you are academically. So if you are an overall great student then this most likely won't have an effect on you.

What Is the Lowest GPA You Can Get? Most high schools measure grades on a scale of 0.0 to 4.0. The highest unweighted grade point average you can earn is a 4.0, which is an A average. While a 0.0 is technically the lowest GPA possible, with an F average, a 1.0 is generally considered the lowest passing grade.

Unofficially, 2.0 is the lowest GPA accepted into a standard college, so while there's a chance that college admission is possible, it's not likely at more than a few institutions.

Instead of a standard letter grading system, students who elect to change their grading basis to Pass/Fail will receive either a passing grade (PS) or a failing grade (F). A passing grade is not calculated into your GPA, but you will receive credit for taking the course.

A NP (No Pass) is also GPA-neutral; it appears on your transcript and does not affect your GPA; you also don't earn credits for the course. Once you request an NP, it will appear on your record even before grades are reported at the end of the quarter.

Courses offered on a Credit/No Credit basis or taken on a Pass/No Pass basis for which a mark of Incomplete is assigned will be lapsed with a mark of NC or NP and will not be calculated into the grade point average.