Within the theme of student reactions to specifications grading, three primary subthemes emerged: focus on learning, the transparency of the grading system, and stress and anxiety. These subthemes are derived from 1) anecdotal data from instructor observations, conversations with students, and quotes pulled from final evaluations and 2) solicited feedback from students through surveys that were not validated instruments. These subthemes are tied to goals of specifications grading according to Nilson: to shift student focus from points to learning, to provide a transparent grading scheme, and to reduce student stress and anxiety.