Pass/Fail Courses

a hand turning wooden cubes, changing the word 'failed' to 'passed'

Courses may use a Pass/Fail (P/F) grading model instead of numeric (%) grades. Where this is the case, there are additional considerations to keep in mind when creating a clear and effective course outline.

In This Section

Key Differences Between Numeric and Pass/Fail Courses

NUMERIC COURSES (%)

  • Final grade results in a percentage (%) out of 100.
  • Final grade impacts GPA.
  • Each assessment may have a different weighting on the course grade (e.g. a test worth 15% and a case study worth 25%).
  • Often a passing grade is 50% (Note this may differ based on the course/program and should be highlighted in the evaluation notes).
  • Numeric courses should not have P/F assessments.

PASS/FAIL COURSES

  • Final grade is either pass or fail based on student performance.
  • Final grade impacts GPA only if the student fails.
  • Each assessment is worth the same amount (i.e. each counts as one (1) assessment) with the same impact on the weighting.
  • A passing grade could require passing each individual assessment, or a specific number of them,
    • The specific requirements should be highlighted in the evaluation notes.
  • P/F courses do not have any assessments graded with numerics.

Adaptations to the Evaluation Plan

Within the evaluation criteria, each unique assessment will be presented in the outline using a consistent format, with slight adaptations to the process, outlined below.

Steps in Coursedog

1

Choose the appropriate evaluation type based on the Coursedog Evaluation Categories (see below for evaluation definitions).

2

Indicate that the assessment is Pass/Fail (P/F). There should not be numeric items in your evaluation plan.

3

Indicate which week(s) the assessment is due.

4

Provide a brief description of the assessment.

5

For each assessment, add aligned CLOs and EESs.

6

If you have a scaffolded assignment, indicate the due dates for each component, assign separate weightings, and label each part clearly in the title (e.g., Case Study Analysis – Part 1: Literature review – 10%; Case Study Analysis – Part 2: Framework – 5%; Case Study Analysis – Part 3: Final report – 15%).

1.

Choose the appropriate evaluation type based on the Coursedog Evaluation Categories (see below for evaluation definitions).

2.

Indicate that the assessment is Pass/Fail (P/F). There should not be numeric items in your evaluation plan.

3.

Indicate which week(s) the assessment is due.

4.

Provide a brief description of the assessment.

5.

For each assessment, add aligned CLOs and EESs.

6.

If you have a scaffolded assignment, indicate the due dates for each component, assign separate weightings, and label each part clearly in the title (e.g., Case Study Analysis – Part 1: Literature review – 10%; Case Study Analysis – Part 2: Framework – 5%; Case Study Analysis – Part 3: Final report – 15%).

Note

Courses that are numeric based should NOT have P/F assessments, and Pass/Fail courses should NOT have numeric (%) assessments. Courses that are Pass/Fail may use numerics as a framework or in a rubric to equitably assess individual assignments, which are then converted to P/F according to the expectations outlined in the assessment description and/or Evaluation Notes.

Additions to the Evaluation Notes

In addition to the content outlined in the Evaluation Notes section, instructors teaching a Pass/Fail course must clearly communicate the criteria students need to succeed in the course.

Key Questions to Consider

  • Are students required to pass all the assessments to successfully pass the course?
    • If not, what proportion or combination of assessments must be completed successfully to receiving a passing grade.
  • What metric is used to determine a passing grade for each assessment?

These answers will provide insight into the additional content which needs to be provided for clarity in the course outlines.

Note

Students should be able to clearly identify what is required to achieve a passing grade in the course by using the details provided in the evaluation plan and notes.