Relative grading is a method where students’ results are assessed in comparison with the performance of their classmates rather than against fixed score thresholds. Instead of assigning grades based on standard cut-off marks, relative grading considers how each student performs relative to others in the same class.
Table Of contents
What Is Relative Grading?
How is Absolute Grading Different?
Benefits of the Relative Grading System
Normalization and Relative Grading Explained
How is Normalization Leveraged?
Evaluating how well students perform in exams is an important part of education. Traditional exams and result systems only measure learning, but they don’t always reflect a student’s true achievement, especially when assessments vary in difficulty or context. To solve this problem, educators use different grading approaches, with relative grading emerging as an effective method for fair evaluation.
In this system, the highest score in the class is often used as a benchmark. Students are then assigned grades depending on how close their performance is to this best score. The approach also includes peer comparison techniques in some settings, where classmates evaluate each other’s work against common standards or rubrics.
This method is used in a variety of educational environments, from schools to universities, and helps tailor evaluation to the actual performance level of each group.
How is Absolute Grading Different?
Absolute grading assigns grades based on fixed score ranges
For example:
90–100 = A
80–89 = B
70–79 = C
below 60 = F
In absolute grading, every student is measured against the same standard, regardless of overall class performance. While simple to apply, this approach can be unfair when exams vary in difficulty or when student groups have different ability levels
Benefits of the Relative Grading System
Reduces Bias
Since relative grading puts a student’s score in the context of peer performance, it reduces unfair advantages or disadvantages caused by rigid score limits. Students are assessed fairly based on how well they did compared to others students.
Better Feedback
Relative results help students understand where they stand among their peers, highlighting strengths and areas needing improvement. This contextual knowledge is more useful than just numbers.actionable than raw numbers.
Healthy Motivation
When students know that their performance is being compared to that of their classmates, it can motivate them to learn more actively and work harder to get better results. This creates healthy competition.
Clearer Class Rankings
Relative grading makes it easier to rank students transparently based on their overall achievement within the group, helping teachers identify top performers and those needing extra support.
Holistic Assessment
Because it considers everyone’s performance together, relative grading gives a broader view of how students performed rather than judging individuals solely against fixed standards.
Flexible and Customizable
This approach can be shaped to fit the needs of different classes or institutions. It adapts to various assessment goals and learning outcomes instead of sticking to one standard system
Accounts for Improvement Over Time
Relative grading can show how much a student has grown compared to their classmates, not just how well they did on a test. This means that progress is recognized even if the overall scores aren't very high.
Relative Grading in Online Assessments
Relative grading is especially helpful for online tests now that digital and remote learning are becoming more popular. One way to do this is to figure out percentile scores, which show how well a student did compared to the other people who took the test. For example, if a student is in the 75th percentile, it means they did better than 75% of their classmates.
Normalization and Relative Grading Explained
Every institution will seek to evaluate students in a manner that is fair, equitable, and based upon their representative performance.
While the concept of absolute grading is relevant and easily applicable when assessing a single examination, it becomes increasingly difficult to do so for multiple examinations. This is simply because raw scores may not always be an accurate depiction of a student’s true performance.
Example:
An engineering student scores 69 on a science paper, 75 on a language paper, and 72 on a mathematics paper. The class averages for each are 45, 70, and 85 respectively. Which is the best score? It’s science—‘69’—because ’the student’s performance is higher relative to the rest of the class.
To make such comparisons, scores need to be converted to a common scale. This is where normalization and relative grading come in.
How is Normalization Leveraged?
Normalization adjusts values measured on different scales to a common scale. This ensures fairness regardless of exam duration, faculty, or difficulty.
Camu applies the Z-score formula:
Z = (X - M) / S
Where:
Z = Normalized score
X = Individual raw score
M = Population means
S = Standard deviation
Conclusion
Relative grading provides a fair and transparent way for assessing student performance, particularly when compared to absolute grading methods. By putting student success in the context of their group, it helps with fair evaluation, accurate feedback, and a better understanding of what they learned.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is relative grading in education?
Relative grading is an evaluation method where a student’s performance is assessed by comparing it with the performance of their classmates instead of using fixed cut-off marks. Grades are assigned based on relative standing within the group, making the evaluation more contextual and fair.
How is relative grading different from absolute grading?
Absolute grading assigns grades using predefined score ranges such as A, B, or C, regardless of how other students perform. Relative grading, on the other hand, evaluates students based on peer performance, which helps balance variations in exam difficulty and assessment standards.
Why is relative grading considered fairer than traditional grading systems?
Relative grading accounts for differences in exam difficulty, teaching methods, and evaluation styles. By comparing students within the same cohort, it reduces bias and provides a more accurate representation of a student’s academic performance.
How are grades calculated in a relative grading system?
Grades are usually calculated by taking the highest score in the class as a reference point and assigning grades based on how close other students’ scores are to it. In many cases, institutions use percentiles or statistical methods like normalization to distribute grades fairly.
What role does normalization play in relative grading?
Normalization converts raw scores from different exams into a common scale using statistical formulas such as the Z-score (Z = (X − M) / S). This ensures fair comparison when exams differ in difficulty, duration, or evaluation patterns.
Is relative grading suitable for online and remote assessments?
Yes, relative grading works especially well in online exams. It often uses percentile-based evaluation, which shows how a student performed compared to others, making it ideal for large-scale digital assessments with varied difficulty levels.
Does relative grading recognize student improvement over time?
Yes. Relative grading highlights a student’s progress in comparison to peers, not just final scores. This allows steady improvement and consistent effort to be recognized, even if overall marks are not very high.
