As a parent, teacher, sponsor, or someone financially responsible for a student, it can be challenging to find out how they are doing academically without sounding confrontational or putting pressure on them.
Grades are a crucial factor in evaluating academic performance and identifying areas for improvement.
To avoid asking the traditional ‘How’s your grade?’ Below are 15 funny ways to ask about someone’s grade in the form of a game, psychic reading, or casual conversation.
The examples provided will demonstrate how to ask follow-up questions in a friendly and engaging manner to get the information you need about the grades.
Let’s begin!
15 Funny Ways to Ask Someone About Their Grade in School
Let’s run through 15 funny ways you can ask someone about their grade to get them to reveal their grade in school:
- ‘On a scale from A+ to F, what letter would describe your performance in science class this year?’
- ‘If I guess your math grade right on the first try, you have to tell me – is it a B+?’
- ‘What’s the password? Hint: it’s your actual grade for English class this semester.’
- ‘Before we go out, I need you to fill out this questionnaire: Question 1 – What is your current overall GPA?’
- ‘I’m taking a survey for the school newspaper: What was your most recent grade on a history test?’
- ‘If your Spanish grade could talk, what would it say right now?’
- ‘I Want to play true confessions? I’ll go first: What’s your real grade in biology?’
- ‘Let’s play two truths and a lie! Which of these is NOT your true grade in algebra – A, B-, or C?’
- ‘I’m practicing my psychic abilities. Quick – what pops into your mind when I say ‘chemistry grade’?’
- ‘If I can guess your physics grade in 3 tries, you have to tell me if I’m right. Is it a C? B? A?’
- ‘Don’t you hate it when people ask about your grades? Speaking of that, what’d you get on your last French quiz?’
- ‘We’re playing Jeopardy! Your category is ‘My Academics.’ I’ll take ‘Art Class Grade’ for $500.’
- ‘Let’s say you’re on a game show and the grand prize is $1 million. The million dollar question – what’s your grade in P.E.?’
- ‘Don’t laugh but I’m training to be a psychic and I’m sensing your music theory grade was…am I close?’
- ‘Before I let you copy my homework, first you gotta answer this math problem: what’s your current grade in geography?’
Let’s discuss each method in more detail and other examples to help you understand how to use them.
1. ‘On a scale from A+ to F, what letter would describe your performance in science class this year?’
Students are graded on a scale from A to F in school depending on their performance in assessment tests and exams. Asking someone about their grades can be sensitive, but using an A+ to F scale can be an effective and non-confrontational way to ask.
Please do not limit yourself to science class only; you could ask about their music, art, or any other class to learn more.
- ‘Where would you rank yourself – closer to the A or F end of the scale this semester?’
- ‘On a scale of A to F, what’s your favorite subject or course grade this session?’
2. ‘If I guess your math grade right on the first try, you have to tell me – is it a B+?’
The guessing game is a fun way to get them to tell you about their grade without asking directly. This is because each wrong guess gets you closer to the correct grade. Give yourself a set number of guesses—say, 5 tries—to correctly guess your grade from the past session or exams.
Make logical guesses based on what you know about their ability in that subject or school in general. Celebrate when you finally guess the correct grade; even if you didn’t get it, they should be moved to tell you the right grade after all.
- ‘You got a C in math; was I close with my guess or off?’
- ‘What’s one thing that brought your grade down in math?’
3. ‘What’s the password? Hint: It’s your actual grade for English class this semester.’
Pretend you forgot your phone password and the only hint in your memory is your grade on a recent test. Ask if their score from the last history exam would unlock your phone as the password clue. Makeup reasons why your fictional password has to relate to your grade. This convinces them to admit the grade without directly asking.
- ‘Should I try guessing the password, or do you just want to tell me?’
- ‘Was that grade what you expected, or were you surprised?’
4. ‘Before we go out, I need you to fill out this questionnaire: Question 1 – What is your current overall GPA?’
You could ask them to fill out a questionnaire that asks, ‘What is your current overall GPA? And you could get the information you’re looking for. You could ask in a fictional manner while smiling, and they’d get the hint that you want to know about their grades, not a solid survey as you painted it.
- ‘On a 4.0 scale, is your GPA above or below a 3.0?’
- ‘Do you know which classes brought your GPA down the most?’
5. ‘I’m taking a survey for the school newspaper: What was your most recent grade on a history test?’
Casually say you are conducting an anonymous survey for the school paper about student grades. Ask them, ‘What was your most recent grade on a history test?’ Pretend you need information for your data.
After they answer, admit there wasn’t a survey—you just wanted to know their grade! The undercover survey ruse tricks them into revealing it. You both may just have a good laugh about how you con them to get their actual grade.
- ‘Would you say that’s typical for your history tests or unusual?’
- ‘What was the test on, and what do you think affected your grade?’
6. ‘If your Spanish grade could talk, what would it say right now?’
Casually ask how they did on the last Spanish test. If they give a vague answer, keep rephrasing the question while complimenting their Spanish skills. Say you’re sure they aced it because they speak Spanish well. The flattery will eventually prompt them to reveal their natural grade to prove your compliments were correct.
- ‘Would your Spanish grade be excited, disappointed, or indifferent?’
- ‘What’s one thing you think your Spanish grade wishes you did more of?’
7. ‘Want to play true confessions? I’ll go first: What’s your real grade in biology?’
Say you will confess an embarrassing secret if they confess a recent grade. This is like a trade-by-barter system where you exchange something for another thing of value to you.
You can go first and admit something slightly revealing but not too personal. Then, ask about their grade in school. Come up with creative, true confessions to show you are willing to be vulnerable, too. This builds trust so they will be honest with you about their grades.
- ‘Is that the grade on your last test or your overall exam grade?’
- ‘What’s the main challenge you face in biology class? Did you do well in it?’
8. ‘Let’s play two truths and a lie! Which of these is NOT your true grade in algebra – A, B-, or C?’
Give them three potential grades for their last assignment or an exam they have taken. Please ensure the grades are realistic, but one should be entirely made up.
Then, ask the person to guess which grade is false, not their actual grade. Once they identify the wrong grade, the remaining choices should help you determine their natural grade.
This process of elimination will reveal the truth while making the activity fun. It is recommended to use A, B, and C as grading options since it is simple and reduces confusion.
Once they remove one, you will be left with two grades, giving you an idea of their performance without knowing their grades. For example, if they are left with A and B, you should know they are doing well in their studies.
- ‘What is your real algebra grade then?’
- ‘What does your teacher do that helps or makes algebra hard?’
9. ‘I’m practicing my psychic abilities. Quick – what pops into your mind when I say ‘chemistry grade’?’
Tell them you are practicing the psychic abilities you just realized you had and will try to guess their exact grade in school using your mind-reading powers.
Whether you guess right or not, it’s a fun way to get them talking about what their actual grade was and get them to reveal their correct grade to you without them even realizing it after laughing at you for getting it wrong in the first place.
- What pops into your mind when I say chemistry? 70% or 30%?’
- ‘What’s one thing that confuses you in chemistry?’
10. ‘If I can guess your physics grade in 3 tries, you have to tell me if I’m right. Is it a C? B? A?’
Open a challenge by telling the person you’ll guess their grade in three attempts, and if you fail after the third attempt, they will tell you the correct grade.
This is a fun way to get the correct information from the person you’re asking instead of asking directly about the grades. Still, this way, you’ll catch them unaware.
- ‘You got a D in your exams. Is this correct?”
- ‘Do you think your physics grade reflects your effort, or is the class just hard?’
11. ‘Don’t you hate it when people ask about your grades? Speaking of that, what’d you get on your last French quiz?’
Acting annoyed and saying, ‘ Ugh, it’s so rude when people ask me about my grades! I would never ask about yours…’ It can be an excellent way to get them to let their guard down from the fact that you’re still asking about their grades.
After pausing for a second, you can follow up with ‘…but what DID you get on that science test?’ Using this way may make them more likely to reveal their correct grade since they won’t think you care too much.
- ‘Was that quiz score better or worse than usual?’
- ‘What did you score in that French class? Everyone is talking about you.’
12. ‘We’re playing Jeopardy! Your category is ‘My Academics.’ I’ll take ‘Art Class Grade’ for $500.’
Pretend you are playing the game show Jeopardy. Pick a class name or test/assignment as the ‘category’ and their grade as the ‘answer.’’ Like say ‘Welcome to Academic Jeopardy! Let’s go to the History Class for $500.
That’s your grade on yesterday’s test. Keep up the Jeopardy act by asking for different monetary amounts. It’s a fun way to frame wanting to know their grade as winning game show money.
- ‘Is your grade in art class improving, getting worse, or staying the same?’
- ‘What art projects do you wish you could spend more time on?’
13. ‘Let’s say you’re on a game show and the grand prize is $1 million. The million dollar question – what’s your grade in P.E.?’
Tell them to imagine a scenario where they are participating in a T.V. game show, and their ultimate goal is to win a million dollars. The final and most exciting trivia question between them and the grand prize is surprisingly simple – their current overall GPA.
You can create a drum roll or mimic a game show announcer’s voice to add to the excitement. Even though there might not be actual million dollars at stake, this scenario can still capture their imagination and tell you their grade.
- ‘Are you confident you know your P.E. grade, or would you need to guess?’
- ‘Do you think your effort matches your P.E. grade?’
14. ‘Don’t laugh but I’m training to be a psychic and I’m sensing your music theory grade was…am I close?’
Say you are practicing to become a professional psychic and want to test your abilities. Ask them to think very hard about their grade on the last exam. Pretend to do a dramatic mind-reading ritual for a minute, then guess their grade.
Whether it’s right or wrong, you can laugh about the whole charade while they tell you about the correct grade.
- ‘What challenges have you faced learning music theory concepts?’
- ‘Do you think your music theory grade reflects how hard the class is?’
15. ‘Before I let you copy my homework, first you gotta answer this math problem: what’s your current grade in geography?’
If they need your help, offer to let them study with your notes or copy your homework if they tell you their current grade first. Make your notes and homework sound like a fantastic study resource they can’t turn down.
- ‘Has your grade in geography improved or declined lately?’
- ‘Did you do well in the exam, or do you wish you didn’t write in the first place?’
Wrapping Up
Asking about someone’s grades funnily and creatively helps take the pressure off them or make you seem confrontational. Using any of the ways I mentioned in this article makes the conversation more interesting rather than an interrogation.
While grades don’t define a person, they offer an insight into the academic strengths and weaknesses of the person in question. Asking follow-up questions in a supportive way shows you care about them.
The questions and examples above are your best bet for learning about the grades of someone close to you while building trust and understanding.