Grades matter for Child and Teen Sims. They affect allowance, future scholarships (if you have Discover University), and just make life easier at home.
Click on your Sim and look at the Simology panel, grades are shown as a letter (F through A+) with a needle gauge.
You can also check grades from your Sim’s phone/tablet under the household or school menu.
A report card moodlet pops up periodically to show progress.
Kids and Teens bring home homework on school days (shown by a book icon over their head).
Completing homework raises the grade meter. Skipping it or doing it poorly can lower it.
Grades also drift slightly just from attending school regularly.
Skipping school, or being sent home can hurt grades.
Here’s how the system works and the fastest ways to raise a struggling Sim’s grade.
Do Homework Immediately
Have your Sim do homework using either:
Any homework object (book) placed on a surface, or
A computer. Using “Do Homework” on a computer is faster than the book.
The sooner it’s done after school, the better. Leaving it too long risks the Sim going to bed or getting distracted.
Emotional state changes both the speed and quality of homework results. The Focused moodlet is ideal because it improves success chance and shortens the time needed.
Ways to get Focused:
Drink coffee (Teens and up)
Use a Focused-inducing activity, like playing chess or certain hobby items
Wear Formal attire in some cases
Have traits or aspirations that lean toward being logical/studious
Avoid doing homework while Sad, Angry, Uncomfortable, or Exhausted. It takes longer and can fail.
Keep Needs High
Make sure your Sim is well-rested, fed, and has used the bathroom before homework.
A tired or hungry Sim studies slower and is more likely to get a bad moodlet mid-task, which tanks efficiency.
Take Extra Credit Assignments
Occasionally a Sim will get an Extra Credit opportunity (shown as a special task, sometimes tied to a school project). Completing these gives a solid grade boost. Always prioritize them when they appear.
Building relevant skills (like Logic or Creativity) doesn’t directly raise grades, but it:
Speeds up related homework tasks
Helps with school projects that reward skill-building
Keeps kids in a good mood, indirectly helping study sessions go smoothly
Use the Good Schools Lot Trait
If you have City Living, the Good Schools lot trait increases school performance, making it easier for children and teens to earn better grades.
If you own the Parenthood Game Pack, having your Sim complete school projects is one of the fastest ways to improve their performance. School projects can be purchased in Build/Buy mode, so you can have your Sims work on one whenever you want.
Getting help from a parent (asking them to help with homework) can speed things up and improve outcomes.
Send Your Sim to School Alone
Another tip that many players swear by is to send your Sim to school alone once their performance meter is full.
Many players report that this is when the game finally awards the grade increase.
If you have Seasons, you can also create a custom holiday to give your students an extra day to focus on schoolwork.
For example, adding a “Teacher’s Planning Day” every other Wednesday gives your teen Sim more time to complete homework, build skills, and finish school projects before returning to class.
This can make it much easier to maintain straight A’s.
Teen Sims with Level 4 Programming can hack their school grades using a computer, giving them an instant academic boost.
Pro tip
The single biggest lever is emotional state. A Focused Sim doing homework on a computer, right after school, with full needs, will almost always finish fast and get a grade boost.