Pass/Fail, Credit/No-Credit & Withdrawal Policies
Non-traditional grades like P/NP, S/U, CR/NC, W, WP, and WF are handled differently than letter grades. Here's how they affect your GPA — and how application services treat them.
Pass/Fail (P/F) and Pass/No-Pass (P/NP)
When you take a course P/F, you receive either "Pass" or "Fail" instead of a letter grade:
- Pass (P): You earn the credits, but the grade is excluded from GPA calculation at most schools.
- Fail/No Pass (NP, F): Typically excluded from GPA but you don't earn credits. Some schools count NP as 0.0.
Credit/No-Credit (CR/NC) and Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U)
These are equivalent to P/F under different naming conventions. The effect is the same — credits earned but no GPA impact for passing grades.
Non-Traditional Grade Summary
| Grade | Credits? | Affects GPA? | AMCAS | LSAC | CASPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P / CR / S | Yes | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded | = C (2.0) |
| NP / NC / U | No | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded | = F (0.0) |
| W | No | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded |
| WP | No | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded |
| WF | No | = F (0.0) * | = F (0.0) | = F (0.0) | = F (0.0) |
* WF handling varies — some schools treat it as W (excluded). Always verify with your registrar.
Withdrawal Grades
W (Withdrawal)
A "W" on your transcript means you officially dropped the course after the add/drop period but before the withdrawal deadline. It does not affect your GPA.
However, too many W's can look bad to admissions committees and may affect financial aid (satisfactory academic progress).
WF (Withdrawal Failing) — The Dangerous One
A WF means you withdrew while failing the course, or stopped attending without formally withdrawing. At most schools, WF counts as an F (0.0) in your GPA. Application services (AMCAS, LSAC, CASPA) all treat WF as an F.
WP (Withdrawal Passing)
WP means you were passing when you withdrew. Like a regular W, it is excluded from GPA calculation.
Strategic Considerations
When to Use P/F
- Electives outside your major that you find challenging
- When your school allows a limited number of P/F courses
- If you're confident you'll pass but unsure about the letter grade
When Not to Use P/F
- Major or prerequisite courses (grad schools want to see letter grades)
- If you're confident of an A or B (you'd miss the GPA boost)
- If applying to PA school — CASPA converts P to C (2.0), which hurts
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