CGC Grading Scale for Trading Cards

CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) grades trading cards on a 1-10 scale with 0.5 half-point increments. CGC 10 Gem Mint is the top standard grade. CGC also awards a Pristine label for essentially flawless cards. Optional sub-grades for centering, corners, edges, and surface are available at an additional cost. No annual membership is required to submit to CGC.

Pre-screen your cards with AI before submitting to CGC. Know your expected grade from photos.

Pre-Screen My Cards Free

The Complete CGC Grading Scale

Grade Label Description PSA Equivalent
10 Pristine Pristine Essentially flawless. Perfect centering, no detectable defects. Above PSA 10
10 Gem Mint Outstanding quality. Sharp corners, clean edges, no surface defects. PSA 10
9.5 Gem Mint+ Near perfect with very minor imperfections under close inspection. PSA 10
9 Mint Excellent condition with minor imperfections only visible on close inspection. PSA 9
8.5 Near Mint-Mint+ Very slight imperfections visible to the naked eye. PSA 8-9
8 Near Mint-Mint Minor flaws on close examination. Light corner wear or minor scratches. PSA 8
7.5 Near Mint+ Light wear visible. Between Near Mint and Near Mint-Mint. Between PSA 7-8
7 Near Mint Light play wear. Card has been handled but remains solid. PSA 7
6 and below Excellent-Mint and lower Visible wear. Typically not cost-effective to grade for resale. PSA 6 and below

CGC Sub-Grades: Optional Detail

CGC offers optional sub-grades for centering, corners, edges, and surface. Unlike BGS where sub-grades are included at no extra cost with every submission, CGC sub-grades are an add-on service. This gives collectors the choice: pay more for detailed feedback, or save money and get just the overall grade.

Sub-grades are particularly useful if you are trying to understand why a card graded lower than expected. If your card received a CGC 9 when you expected a 10, knowing the sub-grades tells you whether the issue was centering (fixable before the next submission by selecting better candidates), corners (handling-related), or surface (storage-related).

When to Add Sub-Grades

  • When you want to understand condition in detail
  • When selling to buyers who care about individual criteria
  • When building a reference for future submissions
  • When grading cards for personal collection tracking

When to Skip Sub-Grades

  • When submitting lower-value bulk cards
  • When the overall grade is all that matters for resale
  • When minimizing cost is the priority
  • When submitting cards you already pre-screened with AI

CGC vs PSA vs BGS: Scale Comparison

Feature PSA BGS CGC
Scale 1-10 whole numbers 1-10 in 0.5 steps 1-10 in 0.5 steps
Sub-Grades None Included (free) Optional (extra cost)
Top Grade Label Gem Mint Pristine / Black Label Gem Mint / Pristine
Gem Rate Under 10% About 5% for BGS 10 About 12%
Membership Required Yes ($99/year) No No (free tier)
Base Cost $25+ $25+ $15+
Market Premium Highest Second (Black Label exceeds PSA 10) Growing, lower than PSA

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the CGC grading scale and how it works.

What is the CGC grading scale?
CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) uses a 1-10 grading scale with 0.5 half-point increments, similar to BGS. CGC offers optional sub-grades for centering, corners, edges, and surface. CGC 10 Gem Mint is the highest grade. CGC also awards a CGC Pristine label for cards that achieve perfect condition across all criteria. The CGC scale is more granular than PSA because it includes half-points.

What is CGC Pristine vs CGC 10?
CGC 10 Gem Mint and CGC Pristine are both top-tier designations. CGC 10 is the standard top grade. CGC Pristine is awarded to cards that are essentially flawless with perfect centering and no detectable defects under any examination. The CGC Pristine label is rarer than a standard CGC 10. Both command strong premiums but Pristine carries a higher premium in the market.

Does CGC offer sub-grades?
Yes. CGC offers optional sub-grades for centering, corners, edges, and surface. Unlike BGS where sub-grades are included with every submission, CGC sub-grades are an add-on that costs extra. For collectors who want detailed condition breakdowns without paying the BGS premium, CGC with sub-grades is a competitive option.

How does CGC compare to PSA on the grading scale?
Both CGC and PSA use a 1-10 scale, but CGC adds half-point grades (so CGC 9.5 exists, while PSA only gives 9 or 10). CGC 10 Gem Mint is roughly equivalent to PSA 10 Gem Mint in terms of condition required. However, PSA-graded cards typically sell for 10-30% more than CGC equivalents on the secondary market, meaning a PSA 10 and CGC 10 of the same card will have different resale values.

What is CGC's gem rate compared to PSA?
CGC has a slightly higher gem rate than PSA. Approximately 12% of CGC submissions receive a CGC 10, compared to under 10% for PSA 10. This means CGC 10s are slightly more accessible than PSA 10s, which is one reason PSA 10s often command higher premiums. The higher scarcity of PSA 10s drives market demand.

Pre-Screen Before Sending to CGC

AI grading predicts your CGC grade from photos. Find out if your card is a CGC 10 candidate before spending $15+ to find out the hard way.

Pre-Screen My Cards Free

2 free grades · No credit card required · No subscription