How grading works at El Camino College
El Camino College grades on a straight 4.0 scale with five evaluative letter grades: A, B, C, D, and F. El Camino does not use plus or minus grades — there is no A+, A-, B+, or any other +/- variant anywhere in its grading policy.
Pass/No Pass courses use P and NP instead of a letter grade, and neither carries a grade-point value.
Source: Grading Policies — Grades, Grade Points, and Grade-Point Average; Grading Symbols table — verified Aug 2026
How your GPA is calculated at El Camino College
Your grade-point average equals the total grade points earned divided by the total units attempted in credit courses where a letter grade (A, B, C, D, or F) was assigned.
Several notations are never counted toward your GPA: P and NP (Pass/No Pass), I (Incomplete), IP (In Progress), W (Withdrawal), MW (Military Withdrawal), EW (Excused Withdrawal), and RD (Report Delayed). An excessive number of withdrawals or No Pass grades can still affect course-repetition limits and probation or dismissal status, even though they carry no grade-point value themselves.
Source: Grading Policies — GPA calculation rule; P/NP, I, IP, W, MW, EW, RD definitions — verified Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
What grading scheme does El Camino College (ECC) use?
Where does this ECC grade scale come from?
Does El Camino College use plus/minus (+/-) grading?
No. El Camino's grading policy 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 its policy.
Source: Grading Policies — Grading Symbols table — verified Aug 2026
Does a Pass/No Pass (P/NP) grade affect my GPA at El Camino College?
No. "Unit credit earned in P/NP courses will not be considered when calculating grade-point average." A P grade still counts toward units needed for graduation if the course is degree-applicable, but neither P nor NP carries a grade-point value.
Source: Grading Policies — P/NP section — verified Aug 2026
Do Incomplete (I), In Progress (IP), or Withdrawal (W) grades affect my GPA at El Camino College?
No. None of these carry a grade-point value. An Incomplete ("I") converts to a default grade if the required work isn't finished by the sixth week of the next regular semester; "IP" (In Progress) and "W" (Withdrawal) are both explicitly excluded from grade-point-average calculations, along with Military Withdrawal ("MW"), Excused Withdrawal ("EW"), and Report Delayed ("RD").
Source: Grading Policies — I, IP, W, MW, EW, RD sections — verified Aug 2026