In the U.S. there are strict requirements on class attendance at the university/college level. Almost all courses are compulsory in terms of attendance, unless you have an approved excuse from your coach, a doctor, etc. Teachers use a continuous assessment of each student’s performance, results, and assessments from many different areas: exams, projects, reports (called assignments) practicals, attendance, and student interest. Usually, a percentage or letter scale is used for grading. You will be able to find your classes grade scale in your class syllabus. Be sure to read this fully for each class at the start of each semester, it is a very important document!

GPA stands for Grade Point Average and is a very common term in the American educational system. It is a point average for all classes included in the student's graduation. Most schools use a scale of 0-4. You can figure out a GPA by adding up all the points for each course (for example, an A in a course is 4 points, a B gives 3 points, etc.) and then divide by the number of courses taken.

Some schools also use the + and - together with letters in grading (e.g., A-, B +, etc.).

Students who reach the highest GPA in the class are often offered scholarships and will be recognized in different ways. Many universities offer Honors which means a special award based on grades achieved by the student. Honors come in different levels and often have classic names such as summa cum laude, magna cum laude, cum laude, etc.