This study aims to examine perceptions of the pending subject grade reform amongst upper secondary school students. Due to the criticised course-based system of today, a new reform was proposed. The reform will be implemented in the end of 2024 and applied in the autumn semester of 2025. 

In the present study, the course-based system and the subject grade system will be reviewed and analysed. The analysis will focus on following variables; motivation, learning, grades and stress. Initially, surveys were conducted with 69 first grade students and 66 third grade students. The survey measured student’s feelings and thoughts about the above-mentioned variables. In addition, interviews were made as a complement to the survey in order to make the study valid and reliable. The results indicate that first grade students are in general more in favour of the upcoming subject grade system than third grade students. Third grade students are more indecisive in terms of which grade system they would prefer. 

Whereas this study measures perceptions in a small selection, it indicates that most students think that subject grades are a welcomed change in Swedish school forms. 

As the present system is accused for not being adequate to either student nor teachers, it would be interesting to investigate teachers’ perceptions of the subject grade reform for further research.