Should Medical School Grading Be Tiered or Pass/Fail? A Scoping Review of Conceptual Arguments and Empirical Data

Medical school grading has implications for student well-being, motivation, equity, and residency selection. However, despite more than 50 years of debate, there remains no consensus on whether grading should be tiered or pass/fail, particularly in core clerkships. This scoping review examines conceptual arguments, empirical data, and knowledge gaps regarding tiered versus pass/fail grading in medical school.