The PSA grading scale
What a card has to look like for each grade, from 10 to 1.
The short answer
Ten grades, and what earns each
PSA grades a card from 10, Gem Mint, down to 1, Poor. Four things decide the grade: centering, corners, edges and surface. Centering is the most a card can be off: 60/40 is a border that takes 60% of the space to the other side's 40%.
| Grade | Name | Centering, front | Centering, back | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | Gem Mint | 55/45 | 75/25 | Virtually perfect card. Four perfectly sharp corners. Sharp focus and full original gloss. Free of staining of any kind. Slight printing imperfection allowed if it doesn't impair overall appeal. |
| PSA 9 | Mint | 60/40 | 90/10 | Superb condition card. Only one minor flaw allowed. Very slight wax stain on reverse acceptable. Minor printing imperfection acceptable. Slightly off-white borders acceptable. |
| PSA 8 | NM-MT | 65/35 | 90/10 | Super high-end card that appears Mint 9 at first glance. Very slight wax stain on reverse acceptable. Slightest fraying at one or two corners. Minor printing imperfection acceptable. Slightly off-white borders acceptable. |
| PSA 7 | Near Mint | 70/30 | 90/10 | Slight surface wear visible upon close inspection. Slight fraying on some corners. Picture focus may be slightly out-of-register. Minor printing blemish acceptable. Most original gloss retained. |
| PSA 6 | EX-MT | 80/20 | 90/10 | Visible surface wear or printing defect. Very light scratch detectable upon close inspection. Corners may have slightly graduated fraying. Some loss of original gloss. Very slight notching on edges acceptable. |
| PSA 5 | Excellent | 85/15 | 90/10 | Very minor rounding of corners becoming evident. Surface wear or printing defects more visible. Minor chipping on edges. Loss of original gloss more apparent. Several light scratches may be visible upon close inspection. |
| PSA 4 | VG-EX | 85/15 | 90/10 | Corners may be slightly rounded. Surface wear noticeable but modest. Light scuffing or light scratches. Some original gloss retained. Light crease may be visible. |
| PSA 3 | Very Good | 90/10 | 90/10 | Some rounding of corners, though not extreme. Surface wear apparent with possible light scuffing. Much of original gloss lost. Borders may be somewhat yellowed/discolored. Crease may be visible. |
| PSA 2 | Good | 90/10 | 90/10 | Corners show accelerated rounding. Surface wear becoming obvious. Scratching, scuffing, light staining, or chipping on obverse. Several creases possible. Original gloss may be completely absent. |
| PSA 1.5 | Fair | 90/10 | 90/10 | Corners show extreme wear, possibly affecting picture framing. Advanced stages of wear including scuffing, scratching, pitting. Picture possibly quite out-of-register. One or more heavy creases. Card must be fully intact to achieve this grade. |
| PSA 1 | Poor | N/A | N/A | Defects advanced to serious stage. Eye appeal nearly vanished. May be missing one or two small pieces. Major creasing nearly breaking through all layers. Extreme discoloration or dirtiness throughout. |
Beside the grade
Half points, qualifiers and cards PSA won't grade
- Half points. They run from 2 to 9, for a card at the top of its grade.
- Qualifiers. OC, ST, PD and the rest are a flaw noted beside the grade.
- No grade. N1 to N9 are PSA's reasons for sending a card back without one.
- NM-MT. Near mint-mint is the name of a PSA 8.
More
The other companies, and sending a card in
The grading guide compares PSA with BGS, SGC, CGC and TAG and works out whether a card is worth grading. How to get a card graded goes through it step by step.