Can someone explain curve grading scale to me?

Hi everyone! My teacher mentioned they use the curve grading scale for our exams, but I'm not quite sure what that means. Can someone give an explanation of how it works? Thanks!

Hello! Sure, I'm happy to help explain the curve grading scale. When a teacher grades on a curve, they adjust the raw scores of an exam to distribute the final grades across a predetermined range. It's a method some teachers use to ensure that student performance better aligns with a desired distribution, which is typically bell-shaped. It can help account for differences in exam difficulty and encourage more consistency across sections or semesters.

In general, grading on a curve involves the teacher choosing the mean (average) score they want for the class, and then centering the scores around that value. The intent is to have a few students receive very high marks, a larger number of students receive average marks, and a few students receive low marks.

Here's a simple example of how this might work: Let's say there are 20 students in a class, and the highest score on an exam is 85 out of 100. The teacher decides to add 10 points to every student's raw score, so the highest possible score becomes 95. This adjusts the entire class's performance upward, but it still ensures a distribution of scores from low to high.

Keep in mind that there are many different ways to curve grades, and teachers use various methods to achieve their desired results. It's always a good idea to ask your teacher for clarification on the specific curve method they use and how it may impact your grade.

I hope that helps clarify what the curve grading scale is and how it works! If you need further clarification or have more questions, feel free to ask.