Every parent and student has a dream – good marks in exams. But, in a historic decision, the world’s most prestigious Harvard University has limited ‘A’ grades in undergraduate courses. From 2027, only 20% students in any class will get ‘A’ grade. 458 faculty members voted in favor of it, while 201 were against it. The argument is that due to grade inflation, marks are no longer a reliable measure of true ability. If everyone has ‘A’ grades then how will we identify extraordinary talent? In fact, about 24% of Harvard students’ grades in 2005 were in the ‘A’ category. This figure will go above 60% in 2025. Last academic year, 55 students tied for the highest GPA award. That means there were so many ‘toppers’ that it became difficult to identify the ‘real topper’. ‘A’ and ‘A minus’ grades at Yale reached 80%. Two-thirds of students at Brown University were in ‘A’ grades. That means ‘extraordinary’ gradually became normal. In the last two decades, pressure has increased on universities to ensure that students remain happy, so that course evaluations are good and the institutions do not lag behind in the competition. As such, the grading became increasingly soft. Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker says grade inflation makes universities a joke. Professors were under pressure that if standards were not relaxed, students would be turned away from their courses. At the same time, Harvard economists Jason Furman and David Labson say, ‘Most teachers wanted strict grading, but were afraid to do so alone. Poor feedback and low enrollment of students could have affected their career. So the entire faculty made the rule. According to him, easy ‘A’ grades reduce motivation to learn. When mark sheets no longer differentiate students’ talent, employers look to factors like influence and internships. This benefits privilege rather than merit. AI can make even average work seem ‘perfect’. Educators argue that if the university is unable to recognize genuine proficiency, originality and analytical thinking, trust in its degrees will be undermined. Interestingly, Princeton University had implemented a similar policy in the 2000s, but had to remove it in 2014 under pressure from students and faculty. Even in Harvard, students are not happy with this decision. In a survey, 94% students expressed opposition. Students argue that limited ‘A’ grades will poison the competition. Students will avoid taking difficult subjects amid the risk of low grades. Harvard will review this policy after three years. Grade inflation, marksheet is not given importance in job. The effect of grade inflation is visible in the job market. According to the PLoS One study, higher grades are weakening the ‘signaling value’ of GPA. Employers cannot understand whether the student has truly achieved mastery or simply benefited from easy grading. Companies are looking at skills beyond mark sheets. According to a NACE survey, 90% of employers want problem-solving abilities and 80% want evidence of teamwork.
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