Grade Free Scheme

The Grade-free scheme, in the form of Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory (S/U) option, aims to provide a supportive and enabling environment for NUS undergraduates to make a successful transition into the academic and social culture of university life. It serves to facilitate a transformation in students’ mindsets towards grades and learning in the university setting, as well as enable students to leverage opportunities for a holistic education. The Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory (S/U) option is also intended to encourage students to pursue their intellectual interests, without undue concern that exploring a new subject area may adversely affect their GPA.

At the end of a semester, letter grades for courses will be released to students. Under the S/U mechanism, students may choose to retain the letter grade and have it factored into the computation of their Grade Point Average (GPA), or choose to exercise the S/U option on a course, in which case the letter grade will not be shown on the transcript nor computed towards the GPA.

An ‘S’ grade is assigned if the student receives a ‘D’ grade or above for the course. Conversely, the student will receive a ‘U’ if the grade obtained is an ‘F’ grade. Units will be earned only if a ‘Satisfactory’ (S) grade is attained.

S/U declaration is to be conducted upon the release of examination results and will end by a stipulated deadline. Students must exercise their S/U option during the period for any course that permits the S/U option. Thereafter, the student’s decision will be considered final.

Courses not eligible for S/U include those dropped with an ‘F’ grade and those in which the students had committed plagiarism.