Grade Inflation

Grade inflation occurs when students receive higher grades than their actual performance warrants over time, making A's and high marks more common than in the past. This trend can diminish the meaning of good grades, affecting the accuracy of assessing student achievement and readiness for future academic or career opportunities. It can result from various factors, such as changing standards, grade competition, or institutional pressures to retain students and improve reputation. Ultimately, grade inflation challenges the credibility of academic evaluations and can hinder meaningful measurement of student success.