The top of
each scale.
| House | Top grade | Next | 9.5 | Half grades |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | Gem Mint 10 | Mint 9 | No | 2.5 to 8.5plus Fair 1.5 |
| BGS | Pristine 10Black Label: all four sub-grades 10 | Gem Mint 9.5 | Yes | All the way down |
| CGC | Pristine 10 | Gem Mint 10 | YesMint+ 9.5 | 1.5 to 9.5 |
| SGC | Pristine 10 | Gem Mint 10 | YesMint+ 9.5 | 1.5 to 9.5 |
| TAG | Pristine 10 | Gem Mint 10 | No | 1.5 to 8.5 |
| ACE | Gem Mint 10 | Mint 9 | No | Nonewhole grades only |
Every grade,
every house.
"—": the house has no such grade. "✓": the house gives that half grade.
| Grade | PSA | BGS | CGC | SGC | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Pristine | — | Pristine 10Black Label: four 10 sub-grades | Pristine 10 | Pristine 10 | Pristine 10TAG Score 990–1000 | — |
| 10 | Gem Mint 10 | — | Gem Mint 10 | Gem Mint 10 | Gem Mint 10950–989 | Gem Mint 10 |
| 9.5 | — | Gem Mint 9.5 | Mint+ 9.5 | Mint+ 9.5 | — | — |
| 9 | Mint 9 | Mint 9 | Mint 9 | Mint 9 | Mint 9900–949 | Mint 9 |
| 8.5 | ✓ | ✓ | NM/Mint+ 8.5 | NM/MT+ 8.5 | NM MT+ 8.5 | — |
| 8 | NM-MT 8 | Near Mint/Mint 8 | NM/Mint 8 | NM/MT 8 | NM MT 8 | Near Mint-Mint 8 |
| 7.5 | ✓ | ✓ | Near Mint+ 7.5 | NM+ 7.5 | NM+ 7.5 | — |
| 7 | NM 7 | Near Mint 7 | Near Mint 7 | NM 7 | NM 7 | Near Mint 7 |
| 6.5 | ✓ | ✓ | Ex/NM+ 6.5 | EX/NM+ 6.5 | EX MT+ 6.5 | — |
| 6 | EX-MT 6 | Excellent Mint 6 | Ex/NM 6 | EX/NM 6 | EX MT 6 | Excellent-Mint 6 |
| 5.5 | ✓ | ✓ | Excellent+ 5.5 | EX+ 5.5 | EX+ 5.5 | — |
| 5 | EX 5 | Excellent 5 | Excellent 5 | EX 5 | EX 5 | Excellent 5 |
| 4.5 | ✓ | ✓ | VG/Ex+ 4.5 | VG/EX+ 4.5 | VG EX+ 4.5 | — |
| 4 | VG-EX 4 | Very Good/Excellent 4 | VG/Ex 4 | VG/EX 4 | VG EX 4 | Very Good 4 |
| 3.5 | ✓ | ✓ | Very Good+ 3.5 | VG+ 3.5 | VG+ 3.5 | — |
| 3 | VG 3 | Very Good 3 | Very Good 3 | VG 3 | VG 3 | Good 3 |
| 2.5 | ✓ | ✓ | Good+ 2.5 | Good+ 2.5 | Good+ 2.5 | — |
| 2 | Good 2 | Good 2 | Good 2 | Good 2 | Good 2 | Fair 2 |
| 1.5 | Fair 1.5 | ✓ | Fair 1.5 | Fair 1.5 | Fair 1.5 | — |
| 1 | Poor 1 | Poor 1 | Poor 1 | Poor 1 | Poor 1 | Poor 1 |
Slide the table sideways to see every house.
Centering for
the top grades.
Front and back, as each house writes it.
| House | Top grade | Next grades |
|---|---|---|
| PSA | Gem Mint 10: approximately 55/45 front, 75/25 back | — |
| BGS | Pristine 10: 50/50 front, 60/40 or better back | Gem Mint 9.5: 50/50 one way and 55/45 the other, 60/40 backMint 9: 55/45 both ways, 70/30 back |
| CGC | Pristine 10: 50/50 | Gem Mint 10: approximately 55/45 front, 75/25 back |
| SGC | Pristine 10: 50/50 | Gem Mint 10: 55/45 or betterMint 9: 60/40 or better |
| TAG | Not given as a ratio on its scale page | TAG scores every card from 100 to 1000 |
| ACE | Gem Mint 10: better than 60/40 | Mint 9: 65/35 front, 70/30 back |
A 55/45 card has one border a little wider than the other. Houses also leave room for eye appeal, so a card right at the limit can go either way.
What makes
each scale different.
PSA
Whole grades from Poor 1 to Gem Mint 10, plus Fair 1.5. Half grades from 2.5 to 8.5 for cards that are high-end for their grade. No 9.5: PSA goes from Mint 9 straight to Gem Mint 10. A qualifier such as OC (off-center) can follow a grade; a qualified card can't get a half grade.
BGSBeckett
Half grades all the way down. Most service levels add four sub-grades on the label: centering, corners, edges and surface. The top is Pristine 10; with all four sub-grades at 10 it gets the Black Label (modern cards only). Gold labels go to Pristine 10 and Gem Mint 9.5, silver to the rest.
CGC
Pristine 10 above Gem Mint 10, then Mint+ 9.5 and half grades down to 1.5. Pristine 10 asks for 50/50 centering and gets its own label. CGC's older Gem Mint 9.5 now reads as Gem Mint 10; the old Perfect 10 is a retired grade that keeps its Perfect 10 status.
SGC
Pristine 10 above Gem Mint 10, then Mint+ 9.5 and half grades down to 1.5. Pristine 10 asks for 50/50 centering; Gem Mint 10, 55/45 or better.
TAG
Every grade comes with a TAG Score from 100 to 1000. Pristine 10 is 990 to 1000, Gem Mint 10 is 950 to 989. Half grades on every level except between 9 and 10, so no 9.5.
ACE
Whole grades only, from Poor 1 to Gem Mint 10. A Gem Mint 10 needs centering better than 60/40.
PSA, BGS, CGC, SGC, TAG and ACE are trademarks of their owners; PredicTCG is not affiliated with them.
Grading scale questions.
Does PSA give a 9.5?
No. PSA goes from Mint 9 straight to Gem Mint 10. Its half grades run from 2.5 to 8.5, and Fair is 1.5.
Does TAG give a 9.5?
No. TAG gives half grades on every level except between 9 and 10.
What is a BGS Black Label?
A BGS Pristine 10 with all four sub-grades at 10: centering, corners, edges and surface. Beckett gives it a black label, for modern cards only.
What is the difference between Pristine 10 and Gem Mint 10?
At CGC, SGC and TAG, Pristine 10 sits above Gem Mint 10. CGC and SGC ask for 50/50 centering for Pristine; TAG gives it to a TAG Score of 990 to 1000.
What happened to CGC Perfect 10 and Gem Mint 9.5?
CGC changed its scale. A legacy CGC Gem Mint 9.5 now reads as Gem Mint 10. Perfect 10 is a retired grade that keeps its Perfect 10 status.
Does ACE give half grades?
No. ACE grades in whole numbers, from 1 to 10.
What centering does a PSA 10 need?
Approximately 55/45 or better on the front and 75/25 on the back, as PSA writes it. PSA may allow a small variance for eye appeal.
How does PredicTCG show grades?
Every graded card keeps its house and grade, on that house's official scale. Prices are shown grade by grade, up to 13 grades per card.
