[Guides](https://cardinal-app.ai/guides/) # The PSA grading scale, explained PSA grades trading cards from 1 (Poor) to 10 (Gem Mint), with half grades from 1.5 to 8.5 — there is no PSA 9.5. A 10 needs four sharp corners, full original gloss, no staining and front centering of about 55/45. The grade matters for price: on the most valuable Pokémon cards in the Cardinal catalog, a PSA 10 typically sells for 6.2× a PSA 9. Updated 2026-10-18 · Grading standards from psacard.com Every grade ## What each PSA grade means. Centering is the maximum off-centre ratio PSA allows for the grade, front and back, as published on its grading standards page. | Grade | Name | Front centering | Back centering | |---|---|---|---| | 10 | Gem Mint | about 55/45 | 75/25 | | 9 | Mint | about 60/40 | 90/10 | | 8 | Near Mint–Mint | about 65/35 | 90/10 | | 7 | Near Mint | about 70/30 | 90/10 | | 6 | Excellent–Mint | 80/20 | 90/10 | | 5 | Excellent | 85/15 | 90/10 | | 4 | Very Good–Excellent | 85/15 | 90/10 | | 3 | Very Good | 90/10 | 90/10 | | 2 | Good | 90/10 | 90/10 | | 1.5 | Fair | about 90/10 | about 90/10 | | 1 | Poor | — | — | PSA allows a 5% leeway on the front centering minimum for cards that grade 7 or better when the card's eye appeal is good, and graders may make a judgment call on eye appeal. In early 2025 PSA's page changed the Gem Mint front standard from "55/45 to 60/40" to "approximately 55/45". The top three ## 10, 9 and 8 in PSA's own words. - **PSA 10 Gem Mint:** "a virtually perfect card" — four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss, free of staining, with an allowance for a slight printing imperfection that doesn't impair the card's appeal. - **PSA 9 Mint:** a superb card with only one minor flaw — a very slight wax stain on the back, a minor printing imperfection, or slightly off-white borders. - **PSA 8 Near Mint–Mint:** looks like a 9 at first glance, but on closer inspection shows the slightest fraying at one or two corners, a minor printing imperfection, and/or slightly off-white borders. ### Half grades Cards between PSA 2 and PSA 9 that show high-end qualities for their grade can get a half-point increase, with a clear focus on centering. That gives 2.5 to 8.5. PSA 1.5 (Fair) is its own grade, and there is no 9.5. Labels you might see ## Qualifiers and "Authentic". | Code | Meaning | |---|---| | OC | Off Center — the card either carries OC, or gets the grade that matches its centering. | | ST | Staining, under the same either/or rule. | | PD | Print Defect, same rule. | | OF | Out of Focus or out of register, same rule. | | MK | Marks — writing, ink or pencil marks, or the impression left by writing. | | MC | Miscut — an atypical cut, with part of the card cut off or more than one card visible. | | Authentic | PSA certifies the card is genuine but gives no number. | | Authentic Altered | Genuine, but altered — trimmed, recoloured, restored or cleaned — so it can't receive a grade. | PSA lists OC, ST, PD and OF as optional qualifiers you can choose on the submission form instead of a lower grade. Why cards miss a 10 ## The usual suspects. - **Centering** — anything worse than about 55/45 on the front, or 75/25 on the back, rules out a 10. - **Corners** — a 10 needs four perfectly sharp corners; fraying at one or two is typical of an 8. - **Surface** — staining, lost gloss, print imperfections and scratches. - **Focus** — a 10 needs sharp focus; out-of-register cards get OF or a lower grade. Cardinal's [pre-grade](https://cardinal-app.ai/pre-grading/) reads centering, corners, edges and surface from your phone before you submit. To compare PSA with the other graders, see [PSA vs CGC](https://cardinal-app.ai/guides/psa-vs-cgc/). Sources - PSA grading standards: [psacard.com/gradingstandards](https://www.psacard.com/gradingstandards) - Centering wording change (reported): [Cardlines](https://cardlines.com/psa-centering-standards-change/) ## Will yours make a 10? Scan it for a pre-grade across centering, corners, edges and surface. Free on iPhone and Android. --- Get Cardinal, free: [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/cardinal-tcg-scan-grade/id6810442266) · [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ai.cardinal.app)