Refer China: Peking University Announces Complete Abolition of GPA System

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Peking University Announces Complete Abolition of GPA System

In a groundbreaking move, Peking University (PKU) has announced the full cancellation of the Grade Point Average (GPA) system for undergraduates, beginning with the Class of 2025.

The university released the official notice titled "Further Improving Undergraduate Academic Evaluation" on July 25 via its internal portal, igniting heated discussion and shooting the topic to the top of China's trending searches.

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What's Changing?

According to the announcement:

GPA will no longer be used in any academic evaluations.

Course results will be recorded using either a percentage-based system or a grade-based system—with no conversion to GPA.

Courses will no longer have a target percentage of students achieving top marks.

Students can select one course outside their core or major curriculum to be evaluated on a Pass/No Pass (P/NP) basis, encouraging exploration and cross-disciplinary study.

Beyond GPA: A National Trend

PKU's reforms are part of a broader wave among top Chinese universities seeking to dismantle GPA-centered evaluation. Tsinghua University began the shift in 2015 by replacing GPA with a 12-level grade system. Other elite institutions like Fudan and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have followed suit, adopting composite evaluation models. The shared goal: to de-emphasize numerical competition and restore education's core purpose—learning.

Years in the Making

The move by PKU is not sudden. The School of Life Sciences began piloting grade-based evaluations as early as 2022. A 2025 report from the university highlighted growing student anxiety around GPA and proposed changes to foster a more inclusive and flexible learning environment. Professors like Wang Shiqiang, awarded for his role in the reform, have observed a noticeable shift: students spend less time chasing perfect scores and more on research and passion projects.

Will This Really End Academic Pressure?

Though many celebrate the reform, some remain skeptical. At top-tier schools like PKU and Tsinghua, over 80% of undergraduates pursue further education—GPA has long been a key metric for graduate admissions, both domestically and abroad. Consequently, GPA obsession led students to retake classes for tiny score bumps, prioritize easy "grade-boosting" courses, and cram for tests at the expense of real learning.

Life Sciences student Chen Jialu notes that GPA fears limited her academic freedom: "I love math-heavy courses, but I avoided them to protect my GPA."

Critics like China Education Online's editor-in-chief Chen Zhiwen argue that as long as education remains utilitarian, students will simply shift to new forms of "involution"—overcompensating in other areas like volunteerism or research when GPA is removed.

A Balancing Act

While not a cure-all, the reform represents a meaningful step toward more holistic education. As student Ma Qiwei says, "The grade system lifts a weight. I can now better balance academics and research—and have more pathways whether I stay in China or go abroad."

Still, questions linger online: How will awards and recommendations be decided? Without quantification, is fairness at risk?

As with any major academic policy shift, time will tell. But one thing is certain—China's top universities are rethinking what student success truly means.

Source: 上观新闻