School Report Cards and Grading Scales: A Practical Guide
Report cards are where parents judge a school. A good process is simple: consistent marks, one grading scale, a clear approval step, and a clean printout. Here is how to get each part right.
1 · Split continuous assessment and exam
Most schools combine class work (continuous assessment, CA) with an exam — for example 30 or 40 marks for CA and the rest for the exam. Set the split once so every teacher enters marks against the same maxima, and reject anything above the limit at entry.
2 · Choose one grading scale
- Letter grades: A–F by percentage.
- WAEC-style: A1–F9 bands, common in West Africa.
- Your own bands: any grade and remark per range — for example CBC-style EE/ME/AE/BE.
MSMS's country presets include the usual scale for each country; you can edit the bands any time.
3 · Positions, ties and comments
Class and subject positions should handle ties fairly (two students on the same total share a position). Add a class-teacher and principal comment, behaviour and skill ratings, and attendance, so parents see the whole child.
4 · Approve before parents see anything
Teachers enter marks; the admin reviews and publishes. Until then nothing reaches parents. If you find a mistake, unpublish, fix it and publish again.
5 · Print or save as PDF
Report cards print cleanly or save as PDF straight from the browser. Parents can also see them in their portal, or check results with an admission number and date of birth on the public result checker.
See all MSMS features or the grading scale used in your country.
Quick answers
Can I use my own grading scale?
Yes — choose A–F, WAEC-style A1–F9 or build your own bands and remarks, and set your own CA and exam split.
Can parents see results before I publish?
No. Results are only visible to students and parents once the administrator publishes them.
