How grading works at Cal Poly Pomona
CPP grades on a 4.0 scale: A (4.0), B (3.0), C (2.0), D (1.0), and F (0). Plus and minus grades are granted at the instructor's discretion and add or subtract 0.3 from the base value — A- (3.7), B+ (3.3), B- (2.7), C+ (2.3), C- (1.7), D+ (1.3), D- (0.7). There is no A+ — A itself, at 4.0, is the top of the scale.
Source: Policy 1601 - Grading System (3.0 Grade Point System; grade-point table) — verified Aug 2026
How your GPA is calculated at Cal Poly Pomona
Grades of CR/NC (Credit/No Credit) and W (Withdrawal) are not included in your GPA. An Incomplete (I) stays out of your GPA while pending; if it isn't resolved within a year, it converts to IC (Incomplete Charged), which is then counted as a failing grade.
A WU (Withdrawal Unauthorized) — an unofficial withdrawal where course requirements weren't completed — is "equivalent to an F" for GPA purposes. RP (Report in Progress) and RD (Report Delayed) are provisional placeholders that only affect your GPA once a final grade replaces them.
Source: Policy 1601 - Grading System (CR/NC; Incomplete; IC; RP; W; WU; RD) — verified Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
What grading scheme does California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (CPP) use?
Where does this CPP grade scale come from?
Does Cal Poly Pomona award an A+?
No. Policy 1601's grade-point table tops out at A = 4.0, with no A+ variant anywhere in the policy.
Source: Policy 1601 - Grading System (grade-point table) — verified Aug 2026
Does Cal Poly Pomona award a D-?
Yes. D- is printed directly in Policy 1601's grade-point table at 0.7.
Source: Policy 1601 - Grading System (grade-point table) — verified Aug 2026
Do CR/NC grades affect my GPA at Cal Poly Pomona?
No. "Grades of CR/NC are not included in the student's grade point average." Courses graded CR count only as units completed. Undergraduates need work equivalent to "C-" or better for CR; graduate students need "B-" or better.
Source: Policy 1601 - Grading System (CR/NC definitions; Section III) — verified Aug 2026
What happens to an Incomplete (I) grade at Cal Poly Pomona if it isn't finished in time?
An "I" (Incomplete Authorized) doesn't count toward your GPA while it's pending. If the coursework isn't completed within the instructor's deadline (up to one calendar year), the "I" converts to IC (Incomplete Charged), which "is counted as a failing grade for grade point average and progress point computation" — the same 0 points as an F.
Source: Policy 1601 - Grading System (Incomplete Authorized; IC) — verified Aug 2026
What's the difference between W and WU at Cal Poly Pomona?
W (Withdrawal) is an official, approved drop — it "carries no connotation of the student performance and is not used in calculating grade point average." WU (Withdrawal Unauthorized) is what's recorded when a student neither officially withdrew nor completed the course requirements — "for purposes of grade point average and grade point computation this symbol is equivalent to an 'F'."
Source: Policy 1601 - Grading System (W; WU) — verified Aug 2026
Do RP and RD grades affect my GPA at Cal Poly Pomona?
Not while they're outstanding. RP (Report in Progress, used for courses spanning more than one semester) and RD (Report Delayed, used when grade reporting is delayed through no fault of the student) are both provisional — units are "included in GPA only after final grade is assigned." Policy 1601 states directly that "an 'RD' shall not be used in calculating grade point average."
Source: Policy 1601 - Grading System (RP; RD) — verified Aug 2026
