Grading Policy

P.O. Box 19210, Portland, OR 97280 | FAX: 971-722-4988 | enroll@pcc.edu | Office hours: 8am-6pm Monday-Thursday, Friday 8am-4pm

Registration Helpline: 971-722-8888, Option 2 | Helpline hours: 9am-5pm Monday-Thursday, 9am-4pm Friday

Grading Options

Students taking credit classes choose between three grading options:

  1. Letter Grades (A-F)
  2. Pass/No Pass (P/NP)
  3. Audit (with instructor's written permission)

When registering, PCC students taking credit classes can choose between receiving traditional letter grades (A-F) and Pass/No Pass (P/NP), provided the department has permitted both options for a course. If you do not select a grading option, you will automatically have the default grading option for that course. The default option is generally a letter grade, but could be pass/no pass.

How to choose your grading option:

  • Choose when you register for classes - either online or in person. (See example)
  • You can change your grading option in MyPCC within the first 80% of the course - see Academic Calendar for term dates. (See example)
  • Once an instructor has posted a grade, changing the grading option will no longer be available.

Issues to consider when choosing your grading option:

  • There is a limit to the number of Pass credits that can apply towards a degree or certificate. Check with an academic advisor regarding the limit set for your degree or certificate.
  • There are also a limited number of Pass credits that will transfer to other college/universities. For more information, check with an academic advisor at the institution you plan to transfer to.
  • Read the Academic Standards and Practices Handbook: Grading Guidelines for the complete grading policy.

Auditing a Class

With the instructor's written permission, some courses may allow students to attend a course without receiving a grade or credit for the course. In order to audit a class, you must:

  • Contact the instructor to see if an Audit is allowed for the course
  • Obtain a Registration & Change form at any Registration Office
  • Have the instructor teaching the course sign the audit section of the form
  • Return signed form to Registration Office. Your request must be processed by the Registration Office by the drop deadline for the course - for full-term courses, this is usually the first Friday of the term
  • You cannot change your grading option (e.g., from audit to a letter grade) after the drop deadline
  • Full tuition for the course must be paid - financial aid does not cover audited classes

Instructors are expected to state on their course handouts any specific audit requirements. Auditing a course does not satisfy requirements for entry into courses where prerequisites are specified.

Are you 62 years of age or older?

See the Senior Option page for more information about auditing a course via our Senior Option.