Is 89 an A or a B?
An 89% is a B+ on the standard plus/minus grading scale, and a B on a standard 10-point scale without plus/minus.
Mathematically, 89.0% falls just one percentage point below the standard 90.0% cutoff for an A- (or A). It earns 3.3 grade points on a 4.0 GPA scale.
How This Is Calculated
On standard North American collegiate and secondary school grading scales, the B+ grade band spans from 87.0% to 89.9%. Because 89.0% is within this interval, it is classified as a B+ unless a teacher applies an unweighted curve or rounds half-points.
The critical question for many students with an 89% involves decimal rounding. If your raw score is 89.5% or higher, most institutions that round to the nearest whole integer will round your final grade to 90.0%, bumping your mark to an A- (or solid A).
However, if the syllabus explicitly enforces truncation or strict cutoffs without rounding, an 89.99% will remain a B+. Always verify your course syllabus rounding policy.
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Teacher Policy Note: Scores like 89.5% round up to 90% (A-) under 0-decimal standard rounding, but remain in the B+ band under unrounded truncation. Always check your syllabus policy.
Grade Comparison & Reference Table
Grade band comparison around the A/B cutoff threshold.
| Percentage Range | Standard (+/-) Grade | Simple 10-Pt Grade | 4.0 GPA Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93.0% – 100% | A | A | 4.0 |
| 90.0% – 92.9% | A- | A | 3.7 |
| 87.0% – 89.9% | B+ | B | 3.3 |
| 83.0% – 86.9% | B | B | 3.0 |
| 80.0% – 82.9% | B- | B | 2.7 |
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Related Grade Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an 89.5 round up to an A?
In most high school and college courses with standard mathematical rounding, 89.5% rounds up to 90.0%, earning an A- (or A). However, if your syllabus states that grades are not rounded, 89.5% remains a B+.
How many more points do I need to turn an 89 into an A?
To reach a 90% (A-), you need exactly 1.0 additional percentage point on your overall course grade, which equates to 10 points on a 1,000-point total syllabus scale.