Does OptomCAS Include Plus/Minus Grades? The Grading Scale Explained

The Standardization Machine

You attend a massive state university that uses a flat grading scale. An 'A' is a 4.0, a 'B' is a 3.0, and a 'C' is a 2.0. There are no pluses or minuses.

Your friend attends a private college that uses a highly granular plus/minus system, where a B+ is a 3.3 and a B- is a 2.7.

When both of you apply to Optometry school through the OptomCAS portal, how does the system fairly compare your transcripts?

The OptomCAS Standardized Scale

To create a level playing field, OptomCAS runs every single transcript through a universal standardization algorithm.

If your university issues plus/minus grades, OptomCAS WILL honor them and calculate them into your GPA using the standard weightings:

A = 4.0

A- = 3.7

B+ = 3.3

B = 3.0

B- = 2.7

C+ = 2.3

C = 2.0

The A+ Controversy

There is one massive exception that frustrates thousands of applicants.

If your undergraduate institution issues an 'A+' (often weighted as a 4.3 on your local transcript), OptomCAS will cap it at a 4.0.

OptomCAS refuses to allow any student to have a GPA higher than a 4.0. They argue that because most universities do not offer an 'A+', honoring it would give an unfair mathematical advantage to a small subset of students.

The Danger of the B-

If you attend a university with plus/minus grading, you must fight ruthlessly for the margins.

Many Optometry schools have strict prerequisite cutoffs: "You must earn a 'C' or higher in Organic Chemistry."

If you earn a 'C-' (1.7) at your university, you might assume it rounds up to a 'C'. It does not. OptomCAS will lock it in as a 1.7, the optometry school will flag it as a failed prerequisite, and your application will be rejected. You must treat a 'C-' as a failing grade in the world of graduate medical admissions.