Grade Replacement Policy: The Essentials
- Undergraduate students can replace grades unless your specific school prohibits it for major, minor, or certificate requirements.
- You are allowed to replace a grade for up to 3 courses or 10 credits total—whichever comes first.
- You can replace the same course more than once, but every attempt counts against your total limit.
- Grades received due to academic misconduct cannot be replaced.
- You must get official approval within 24 hours after grades are due during your graduation semester.
- Only the new grade counts toward your GPA. The old grade is replaced by an “X” on your transcript (visible only to internal staff).
- This only applies to courses taken in Fall 2001 or later.
- Policies vary by school; always double-check with your academic advisor, records office or school’s website.
For a complete list of regulations, please see below:
Bloomington Faculty Council Action
(05/03/1994. Last updated: 04/08/2025)
vpfaa.indiana.edu/policies/bl-aca-h30-grades-grading
X (retaken/replaced). For undergraduates only: A letter grade may be changed to an “X” when a student has retaken a course.
- Students shall be allowed to replace the grade in any course unless a unit decides that it will not allow its students to replace grades in courses required for a major, minor, certificate, honors program, or other recognition by the unit.
- The “X” shall replace the original grade and be recorded on the student’s transcript for the term in which the course was taken the first time. The letter grade shall be recorded on the transcript for the term in which the course was retaken. The terms do not have to be contiguous.
- The student is required to obtain consent to replace a grade from the principal administrator of the student’s unit no later than 24 hours after grades are due in the semester the student graduates.
- The grade replacement option may not be exercised if the original grade was assigned as a result of the student’s academic misconduct.
- Only the grade earned on retake shall be reported on the student’s transcript and counted toward grade point average. The previous grade shall be changed to an “X” on the student’s transcript and the credit hours for the previous grade shall not be counted. The previous grade shall not appear on the transcript but must be retained as an internal grade by the student’s unit and the campus registrar.
- A student may exercise the grade replacement option for any letter grade received.
- A student may exercise the grade replacement option for up to three courses or courses that total no more than 10 credit hours. If a student transfers between campuses with different policies, or takes courses on multiple campuses, eligibility for grade replacement is determined by the policy of the student’s degree- granting campus.
- A student must receive a letter grade upon retake in order to change the previous grade to an “X.” The previous grade remains on the transcript if the student receives a “W,” “I” or “NC” in the retaken course.
- The course that the student retakes must be the same course as the previous one but need not be offered by the same instructor. The principal administrator of the unit offering the original course shall determine whether the course is the same.
- A student may exercise the grade replacement option for the same course more than once, but each replacement counts toward the maximum courses or credit hours allowed.
- Only courses attempted during or after the Fall 2001 term will be eligible for replacement.
- A student may not request reversal after asking for and applying the GPA exclusion.
Bloomington Faculty Council Action
University Faculty Council (Last amended: 04/08/2025)
See also:
University Policy – Grades and Grading (ACA-66)
policies.iu.edu/policies/aca-66-grades-and-grading