Origins | PBS Why Do We Get Grades in School? | Origins WKNO | By Savannah Smith Published August 4, 2022 at 5:00 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Will you get a B+, C, an A-, a D+ or the dreaded F? We’ve all had that moment of sheer panic while waiting for your report card. But when you step back, it’s worth asking why do we get letter grades at all? And whatever happened to E?