How grading works at DVC
Diablo Valley College grades on a 4.0 scale with five evaluative letter grades: A (4), B (3), C (2), D (1), and F (0). DVC does not use plus or minus grades — there is no A+, A-, B+, or any other +/- variant anywhere in the catalog.
Pass/No Pass courses use P and NP instead of a letter grade, and noncredit courses use SP (Satisfactory Progress). None of these carry a grade-point value.
Source: DVC 2026-2027 Catalog — Grading (Evaluative Symbols/Grading Scale) — verified Aug 2026
How your GPA is calculated at DVC
Only the five evaluative letter grades (A, B, C, D, F) carry grade points and count toward your GPA. Everything else is excluded: P and NP ("units awarded not counted in GPA"), SP (noncredit), I (Incomplete), IP (In Progress), RD (Report Delayed), and W (Withdrawal, including Military and Excused Withdrawal) all carry no grade-point value.
Source: DVC 2026-2027 Catalog — Grading (Evaluative/Non-Evaluative Symbols) — verified Aug 2026
Academic standing and alert at DVC
Students who have completed at least 12 letter-graded units must maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average or be placed on academic alert. Students remain on alert until their GPA rises to 2.0 or higher; after two consecutive terms on academic alert without the most recent term's GPA reaching 2.0, students are subject to academic dismissal and may be prohibited from attending DVC for up to two consecutive terms.
Source: DVC 2026-2027 Catalog — Alert and Dismissal Policy (Academic alert; Academic dismissal) — verified Aug 2026
Academic and graduation honors at DVC
Students who complete at least 12 letter-graded units in a term with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher receive academic honors recognition on their transcript. Students who maintain a 3.5 GPA in all college work (excluding non-degree-applicable and upper-division courses) through the term they apply to graduate receive graduation honors and are eligible for the DVC Honors Medallion.
Source: DVC 2026-2027 Catalog — Grading (Academic honors; Graduation honors) — verified Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
What grading scheme does Diablo Valley College (DVC) use?
Where does this DVC grade scale come from?
Does DVC use plus/minus (+/-) grading?
No. DVC's catalog defines exactly five evaluative letter grades — A, B, C, D, and F — each with a printed grade-point value. No plus or minus variant of any letter grade appears anywhere in the catalog.
Source: DVC 2026-2027 Catalog — Grading (Evaluative Symbols/Grading Scale) — verified Aug 2026
Does a Pass/No Pass (P or NP) grade affect my GPA at DVC?
No. P ("at least satisfactory – C or better") and NP ("less than satisfactory or failing") units are "not counted in GPA," though P units still count toward the 60 units required for an associate degree.
Source: DVC 2026-2027 Catalog — Grading (Pass/No Pass) — verified Aug 2026
Do Incomplete (I), In Progress (IP), or Withdrawal (W) grades affect my GPA at DVC?
No. None of these carry a grade-point value. An Incomplete (I) converts to an alternate grade if not resolved by the deadline; In Progress (IP) and Report Delayed (RD) are explicitly excluded from grade-point calculations; Withdrawal (W), including Military and Excused Withdrawal, carries no grade point either.
Source: DVC 2026-2027 Catalog — Grading (Non-Evaluative Symbols) — verified Aug 2026
How does repeating a course affect my GPA at DVC?
If you repeat a course once, the earlier grade is dropped from your GPA calculation (though both grades still appear on your transcript). If you repeat the same course two or more times, only the two prior grades may be disregarded from the GPA calculation.
Source: DVC dvc.edu — Improving Grade Point Average (Course Repetition) — verified Aug 2026
