Yes, 50% is a passing grade at the University of Victoria (UVic) in Canada.
UVic uses a percentage scale to grade courses, with a passing grade of 50% or higher. This is the same grading scale used at most other universities in Canada.
It is important to note that a passing grade does not necessarily mean a good grade. A grade of 50% is considered to be a marginal achievement of the course objectives, and it is not likely to be competitive for graduate school or other post-secondary programs.
Students should aim to achieve grades that reflect their best possible work, and they should seek help from their instructors or TAs if they are struggling to meet the course requirements.
o help ensure academic quality and support our students’ success, as well as to alleviate stress during these unprecedented and challenging times, the university is offering grading options for students this term. Upon receipt and review of their final grades, a student may:
- Keep the course grade as assigned by the instructor;
- Keep the course but select a Pass/Fail option that would appear on their transcript (not counted toward GPA calculations); or
- Drop the course without academic penalty.
Consistent with the UVic academic calendar, for percentage grades, 50% or higher constitutes a passing grade for undergraduate courses, and 73% or higher constitutes a passing grade for graduate courses.
Advising resources are being developed to help students make informed choices about their grades. Information will be shared once it is available and students will be encouraged to access their faculty’s advising resources or the advising centre for guidance on what option is best for their academic goals. Considerations that might impact a grading decision include accreditation requirements, program and progression requirements, prerequisites for professional programs or future studies, or other factors. Please note that there will be no refund for dropping a course.
Faculty and instructors have until May 15 to submit grades. Following this deadline, students will have some time to indicate their individual grade decisions, and we will communicate more on this in the coming weeks. Thank you for your patience while we finalize details on this new process.
This flexible approach responds to the concerns we’ve heard from many students, faculty and staff and applies to all undergraduate and graduate for-credit courses completed this term. Please continue to check the UVic website for updates related to the COVID-19 situation.