# why is there no E in the grading scale? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 30, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632 "2003-01-30T15:51:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ajbarks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@ajbarks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajbarks)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/1 "2003-01-30T15:51:42Z")
Why the jump from D to F? Just wondering. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![squid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@squid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squid)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/2 "2003-01-30T16:02:22Z")
It would have made it a lot easier for me to change an “E” to a “B” on my papers than changing the “D” or “F”. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/3 "2003-01-30T16:04:40Z")
It’s just as easy to change an F into a B… I think some schools do use E as a failing grade. But usually F stands for Fail. You normally have 4 passing grade levels so you end up with A, B, C, D, and Fail. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/4 "2003-01-30T16:27:33Z")
Some universities use E instead of F. For example, the University of Florida. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/5 "2003-01-30T16:39:34Z")
When I was in Elementary School, possible grades were E(xcellent), S(atisfactory), and U(nsatisfactory). When I graduated to Middle School and into the A-B-C-D-F grading system, I just figured that E was already spoken for, and they were trying to avoid possible confusion amongst the newly initiated 6th graders that might be pleased to earn an “E”. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/6 "2003-01-30T16:44:51Z")
But there was once an “E” in school! I have an old report card of my father, from elementary school in the 1950’s, which shows a grading scale of: 90-100: A 80-89: B 70-79: C 60-69: D **50-59: E** Below 50: F So, at least at his school, there was once an “E” used. This may have happened elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![squid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@squid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squid)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/7 "2003-01-30T17:04:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scr4 \* > \*\*It’s just as easy to change an F into a B. \*\* I beg to differ. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/8 "2003-01-30T17:05:34Z")
Plus, F can easily be turned into an “A+” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/9 "2003-01-30T17:10:20Z")
It takes a pretty steady hand to change an F or E to a B, especially if the letter was originally typed. However, changing and F to an E only requires on very small straight line. That was a reason it was dropped. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/10 "2003-01-30T17:16:15Z")
When I was in elementary school, the conventional wisdom held that if you tried hard and just couldn’t cut it you could get an “E for effort.” I never knew anyone to actually receive such a grade, though. ---
**Author:** ![Hamish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Hamish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamish)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/11 "2003-01-30T17:20:24Z")
My high school used “E” for a failed midterm grade, and “F” for a failed final grade. This was in Esquimalt, a suburb of Victoria, British Columbia. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/12 "2003-01-30T17:32:37Z")
Have you ever noticed around here that 99% of the time when someone asks a question like, “Why don’t they ever…?” the answer is, yes, they do too. I remember that report cards in my school system used to have "E"s. _I_ never got one, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/13 "2003-01-30T17:47:14Z")
In Michigan(where I am), I’ve never seen F’s. We only have A-E. This goes for the elementary, middle, high schools, and colleges. ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/14 "2003-01-30T18:20:23Z")
I had F’s in my Michigan high school (well, not _me_, but they were there…). The reasoning for my school to skip over the E’s was that anything below a D was a failing grade, so it didn’t matter if you got an E over an F, because you wouldn’t get credit for it anyway. I think the F just got used instead of the E because it’s the lowest, failing score. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/15 "2003-01-30T18:28:22Z")
We used to have "E"s on our report cards when I was a kid, too. That was the 1960s. My guess is that few Es were ever given out – a “D” is pretty bad, and an “F” is a Fail or Flunk. My guess is that they didn’t need that many gradations, and the lowest non-failing wasn’t used. “F” was retained instead of “E” because it’s the first letter of “Fail” (or “Flunk”). ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/16 "2003-01-30T18:33:19Z")
My high school had A-B-C-D-E. E was failing. My college had A-B-C-D-F. F was failing. I always assumed that someone decided that “F stands for **F** ail” trumped the logic of 5 consecutive letters. Since the other four letters don’t stand for any words, I thought that was silly. Still do, in fact. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/17 "2003-01-30T18:46:34Z")
I don’t think it has anything to do with grade changing. If your gonna change an E to a B then F is just one straight line away. I think it has to do with E being used for Excellent in many elementary schools. There is also the benefit of a clear seperation between passing and failing. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/18 "2003-01-30T21:10:07Z")
Here’s a better question. Other than American stubborness and “tradition,” why the fark are we still using letters? Why not the same number system Europe uses? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/19 "2003-01-30T21:20:57Z")
My elementary school used **E** for a grade, and the best grade at that. We had **E** (for Excellent), **S** (for Satisfactory) and **N** (for Needs Improvement). This was mid- to late-1970s in South Carolina. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632/20 "2003-01-30T21:45:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zagadka \* > \*\*Here’s a better question. Other than American stubborness and “tradition,” why the fark are we still using letters? Why not the same number system Europe uses? \*\* And Canada! We use percentages. All of _my_ marks are 90’s, of course. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-e-in-the-grading-scale/151632.md?page=2)