INTRODUCTORY OCEANOGRAPHY

EXAM AND COURSE GRADING CRITERIA

Each of the four regular exams listed above will be worth 100 points. A score on any one of these exams of 90 or higher = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D and less than 60 = F.

Your course grade will be based upon your total score for the four exams (400 points) plus your total score for your assignments (100 points). Out of a possible 500 points, your course letter grade will be based on the following fixed total cutoff scores:

Letter Grade
Range of Final Scores
Percentage Cut-offs
A+
485 & above
97
A
465-484
93
A-
450-464
90
B+
435-449
87
B
400-449
83
C+
385-399
77
C
365-399
73
C-
350-364
70
D+
335-349
67
D
315-349
63
D-
300-314
60
F
< 300
<60

Grades will not be curved. The fixed total cut-off scores are based on over twenty-five years of experience giving exams in this course, where I found that curved-grade cut-off's were almost always within two or three points either side of these fixed scores. Fixed grade cut-off's let you know exactly the grade you are earning at any point during the semester.

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