Gakumas Rank Guide: A+, S, and the True End — Rating Thresholds for Every Rank

Quick answer

A Gakumas produce run's final rank (C → S5) comes down to one number: the season's total rating. Each rank has a fixed minimum rating threshold hard-coded in the engine (S sits at 13,000, SS at 16,000, SSS at 20,000, S5 at 35,000…) — hit or clear that number and you get the rank. Total rating accumulates from exam placement points, end-of-season stats (times a multiplier), and a converted final-exam score. Since you can't know your final-exam score in advance, the Produce Rank Calculator works backward: enter your stats and current placement, and it returns the final-exam score you need for each target rank. This guide walks through the threshold table and how to read it; "True End" isn't a fixed number itself but tied to hitting a high rank in a given scenario — see the FAQ.

The rating threshold table for every produce rank

The minimum rating thresholds (TARGET_RATING_BY_RANK, the same table the calculator uses), low to high:

C: 3,000 · C+: 4,500 · B: 6,000 · B+: 8,000 · A: 10,000 · A+: 11,500
S: 13,000 · S+: 14,500 · SS: 16,000 · SS+: 18,000 · SSS: 20,000 · SSS+: 23,000
S4: 26,000 · S4+: 30,000 · S5: 35,000 (top rank)

How to read it: each number is a FLOOR, not a ceiling — hitting exactly 13,000 or 13,500 both land you at S rank (S+ only starts at 14,500). So if your goal is "just get S," there's no need to overshoot the threshold by a lot; if your goal is the next rank up, leftover points above the lower threshold don't carry over toward the higher one.

Where the total rating comes from

Total rating accumulates from three sources across a regular-difficulty produce run:

Exam placement points — 1st place +1,700, 2nd +900, 3rd +500, 4th +0 (RATING_BY_PLACE).
End-of-season stats — Vocal+Dance+Visual total (after adding the placement bonus: +30/+20/+10/+0) times a 2.3 multiplier.
Final exam score — the actual score you play out in the final exam, converted through a stepped (non-linear) formula — the higher your score climbs, the less each additional point converts to.

Since the final-exam portion carries the most weight and is hardest to predict ahead of time, that's exactly the problem the Produce Rank Calculator solves: give it your stats and current placement, and it works backward to the final-exam score you need.

Note: this is the regular produce formula. The H.I.F chapter uses a very different one (2.1 multiplier, separate round 1/round 2, a 3,200 stat cap) — see the dedicated H.I.F guide; don't apply this table to H.I.F.

Using the Produce Rank Calculator to work out your target score

Three steps to use /gakumas/produce-rank:

Enter your current (or projected end-of-season) Vocal/Dance/Visual stats and pick the difficulty (Regular 1000 / Pro 1500 / Master 1800 / Legend 3000 is the stat cap per difficulty).
Enter the actual placements you've earned in your midterm exams (1st–4th) — this decides the placement points already added to your rating going into the final exam.
Read the results table: the tool lists EVERY target rank (C through S5) alongside the final-exam score needed to hit it. Pick the row matching your goal (say A+ or S) and aim for that exact score when you play the final exam.

Because the final-exam conversion formula is a non-linear step function, a small ratings gap near a rank threshold can demand a much bigger score difference than the same gap would at a lower score range — which is exactly why it's worth using the tool instead of guessing.

A+ and other commonly targeted thresholds

A+ (threshold 11,500) sits just below S — many newer players set A+ as their first goal because it's high enough to prove a run went well, without demanding the deep optimization that SS and above need. On Regular difficulty (stat cap 1,000), the maxed three-stat total only contributes roughly 1000×3×2.3 ≈ 6,900 rating points (before placement bonuses) — meaning to reach A+ or S, the final exam still has to carry a meaningful share, especially if your stats aren't maxed.

S (13,000) is the threshold most commonly used as shorthand for "a good produce run" in the community. SSS (20,000) and S5 (35,000) require near-optimal performance across all three score sources at once: strong placements in every exam, stats near the cap, and a high final-exam score.

True End: rank isn't the same as the story

"True End" is community shorthand for the best ending/story branch of a given produce scenario (hajime, N.I.A, H.I.F, …), usually tied to reaching a high rank in that scenario's final exam. This is a STORY concept, distinct from the C→S5 rating threshold table above, which applies to the general produce rank. GameVika does not yet have first-party confirmation of the exact rank cutoff that unlocks the True End for each scenario/character, so this guide won't give a specific "you need exactly this rank" number — to avoid guessing.

What we can confirm and safely rely on: the higher your rank (S and above, especially SS/SSS), the better your odds of hitting the good story outcomes, simply because reaching a higher rank already means clearing tougher rating thresholds in the same exam stages (midterms, final) the story ties its ending to. Aiming for the highest rank you reasonably can, using the table above, is the right kind of preparation — just not a guaranteed promise about which story branch you'll get.

Related tools

Produce rank calculator

Frequently asked questions

How much rating do I need for S rank?

13,000 or more (the first-party TARGET_RATING_BY_RANK threshold). Below that you land at A+ (11,500).

Does this threshold table apply to H.I.F?

The rank threshold numbers (C→S5) are shared, but the WAY rating is calculated in H.I.F is quite different from regular produce (2.1 multiplier instead of 2.3, separate round 1/round 2). See the H.I.F guide to calculate it correctly.

How much final-exam score do I need for my target rank?

It depends on your stats and midterm placements, so there's no single fixed number for everyone. Use /gakumas/produce-rank: enter your stats and current placements, and it works backward to the exact score you need for each rank.

Does hitting S or SSS guarantee the True End?

GameVika does not yet have first-party confirmation of the exact rank that unlocks the True End for every scenario/character, so we won't claim certainty. What holds true: a higher rank means better odds of the good ending, since it requires clearing the same tough rating thresholds in the exams the story hinges on.