whanlon
Grading Freak
Good infromation from 'The Report CArd' email sent out by BGS.
Why is my 9.5 a 9?
This is a real question we get from time to time. A customer will get a card back that is an overall grade of 9. The subgrades are 10 centering, 9.5 Corners, 9.0 Edges and 8.5 Surface. If you averaged the 4 subgrades you get 9.25. So why is the overall grade a 9 and not “rounded up” to a 9.5?
The answer is the overall grade is not simply an average of the subgrades. The overall grade is calculated using an algorithm.
What is an algorithm? According to merriam-webster, an algorthim is a procedure for solving a mathematical problem in a finite number of steps that frequently involves repetition of an operation ; broadly : a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end especially by a computer.
This basically means that our programmers entered in all the different combinations of grades into our system and when the subgrades are entered in, the overall grade is calculated based on the different grade combinations and values.
There are different values since subgrades do not carry equal weight when calculating the overall grade. Centering and corners weigh more than edges and surface.
Sound complicated? On our end it may be but that’s the magic of computers! Our algorithm ensures consistency in our grading system.
So the next time you get a BGS card and you want to know why the card received the overall grade it did, remember it is not simply an average of the subgrades because not all subgrades are equal.
- Andy Broome, BGS Grading
Why is my 9.5 a 9?
This is a real question we get from time to time. A customer will get a card back that is an overall grade of 9. The subgrades are 10 centering, 9.5 Corners, 9.0 Edges and 8.5 Surface. If you averaged the 4 subgrades you get 9.25. So why is the overall grade a 9 and not “rounded up” to a 9.5?
The answer is the overall grade is not simply an average of the subgrades. The overall grade is calculated using an algorithm.
What is an algorithm? According to merriam-webster, an algorthim is a procedure for solving a mathematical problem in a finite number of steps that frequently involves repetition of an operation ; broadly : a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end especially by a computer.
This basically means that our programmers entered in all the different combinations of grades into our system and when the subgrades are entered in, the overall grade is calculated based on the different grade combinations and values.
There are different values since subgrades do not carry equal weight when calculating the overall grade. Centering and corners weigh more than edges and surface.
Sound complicated? On our end it may be but that’s the magic of computers! Our algorithm ensures consistency in our grading system.
So the next time you get a BGS card and you want to know why the card received the overall grade it did, remember it is not simply an average of the subgrades because not all subgrades are equal.
- Andy Broome, BGS Grading
