Differences between point, grade, and mark

I do not know how they are different when they are used as a grading system ? Can I say a pointing system or a marking system?

Solution 1:

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, gives one definition of the verb mark as "to evaluate (academic work) according to a scale of letters or numbers; grade." In this sense a grading system and a marking system are equivalent. Similarly, in the United States you will hear regional variations where a grading period in one area is the same as a marking period elsewhere.

But the verb point is not synonymous with the verb grade. So a pointing system is not the same as a grading system.

However, the noun point is synonymous with the noun grade. From the same dictionary, one of the definitions of the noun point is "a numerical unit of academic achievement equal to a letter grade." Similarly, the noun mark is defined as "a number, letter, or symbol used to indicate various grades of academic achievement."

Therefore, grade, mark, and point are synonyms when used as nouns. But only grade and mark are synonyms when used as verbs.