Topics Map > Academics > Grades, GPAs, Class Standing, Class Rank, and Academic Honors
Pass-Fail Option
JD students are eligible to elect up to two Pass-Fail Options on eligible courses pursuant to Law School Rule 2.03 throughout their Law School careers. Review the following for information about how electing the Pass-Fail Option impacts the grade recorded on transcripts and more.
NOTE: the faculty amended Rule 2.03 in December 2025. The amended version of the rule applies to students who matriculated in Fall 2025 and later. Students who matriculated prior to Fall 2025 are subject to the previous iteration of the rule -- any differences are indicated below.
Eligibility to Elect Pass-Fail Option
Student Eligibility
JD students are eligible to elect the Pass-Fail Option. JD students may elect a maximum of two Pass-Fail Options, and both may be used in the same semester or summer term.
LLM and SJD students are not eligible to elect the Pass-Fail Option.
Non-Law graduate students are eligible to exercise the Pass-Fail Option, so long as they submit a letter from their faculty advisor indicating the approval of the department or school in which they are enrolled as a graduate student.
Course Eligibility
Courses that are eligible for the Pass-Fail Option are listed on the course schedule as "PF Option" under the "Pass/Fail" column.
Courses in the First-Year Curriculum are not eligible for the Pass-Fail Option.
Deadline to Elect Pass-Fail Option
The deadline to elect the Pass-Fail Option is the last day of class. The deadline may be different if the course is not in the regular session (e.g., the course ends early or starts late).
Deadlines will be communicated via email, and they are firm.
Impact of Electing Pass-Fail Option
Diploma Privilege and Graduation
Choosing the Pass-Fail Option does not impact graduation or Wisconsin Diploma Privilege progress.
Dean's List, Order of the Coif, and Graduation Honors
Choosing the Pass-Fail Option may affect eligibility for Dean's List, Order of the Coif, and graduation honors, as all of these academic honors require a certain number of graded credits.
Review Academic Honors for more information about eligibility criteria for Dean's List, Order of the Coif, and graduation honors, along with Law School Rule 8.04, Law School Rule 8.05, and Law School Rule Appendix D.
Mandatory Pass/Fail Courses
Mandatory pass/fail courses (shown as "PF only" on the course schedule) do not count as exercising the Pass-Fail Option.
Instructors & Grade Distribution
Instructors do not know whether a student has exercised the Pass-Fail Option in their course(s) until the grading process is complete.
The underlying letter grade reported by the instructor is the grade that is factored into the course's average grade distribution (i.e., curve) required under Law School Rule 2.07.
Effect on Transcript
Students Who Matriculated in Fall 2025 and Later
| Law School letter grade reported by instructor | Grade recorded on transcript if use Pass/Fail Option | Factored into GPA? | Counts as Graded Credits? | Counts as Exercising a Pass-Fail Option? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B+, A-, A, or A+ | S+ | No |
No |
Yes |
| C, C+, B-, or B | S | No | No | Yes |
| D-, D, D+, or C- | S- | No | No | Yes |
| F | U | No | No | Yes |
Students Who Matriculated Before Fall 2025
| Law School letter grade reported by instructor | Grade recorded on transcript if use Pass/Fail Option | Factored into GPA? | Counts as Graded Credits? | Counts as Exercising a Pass-Fail Option? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B+, A-, A, or A+ | B+, A-, A, or A+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| C, C+, B-, or B | S | No | No | Yes |
| F, D-, D, D+, or C- | F, D-, D, D+, or C- | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Electing the Pass-Fail Option for a Course
To elect the Pass-Fail Option, visit the Pass-Fail Option Election portal and select the eligible course by the listed deadline.
After logging in with your NetID and password, you will see:
- Course(s) ELIGIBLE for Pass-Fail Option:
- These are the courses that you are eligible to choose the Pass-Fail Option for this semester only. Your instructor determines whether a course is eligible for the Pass/Fail Option.
- Course(s) APPLIED for Pass-Fail Option:
- These are course(s) that you have already chosen as a Pass-Fail Option for this semester only.
- If you choose the Pass-Fail Option for a course this semester and it appears here as "applied," that means it's been applied to the course and your option is confirmed (and you will NOT receive any further confirmation).
- If you choose the Pass-Fail Option for a course, you may cancel it until the deadline. If canceled, you may re-request the Pass-Fail Option until the deadline.
- Course(s) PREVIOUSLY CONFIRMED for Pass-Fail Option:
- These are course(s) you chose as a Pass-Fail Option in a previous semester, if applicable.
- If you haven't chosen any Pass-Fail Options in your Law School career, you will see "No previous pass-fail confirmations found."
If you have any technical issues, please contact the Law School Help Desk at help@law.wisc.edu.
The process outlined above is the only way to exercise the Pass-Fail Option for a Law course; you cannot do so through MyUW and/or the Course Search and Enroll App as you can for non-Law courses.