First look in the tail notch

Then how the meat is coming off the backbone over the short ribs.

Look at protrusion of the short ribs and how bumpy the backbone is at the front of the short ribs.

BCS 4 or 4.5

The tail notch is quite sunken in both.

The curve of the meat off the backbone is downwards. A BCS 4 the meat falls straight off the backbone like this.

On a BCS 4.5 the meat still curves downwards but not straight off the backbone.

Here you can see the meat coming straight off the backbone. The short ribs are very visable and the backbone is bumpy. This is BCS 4.

In a BCS 4.5 the short ribs aren’t protruding and the backbone isn’t bumpy. But you still see the meat curving downwards off the backbone.

BCS 5 cows have only got a slightly sunken tail notch.

The meat doesn’t curve down off the backbone and can sometimes curve upwards.

There is plenty of cover over the backbone and short ribs.

BCS 5.5 cows have an almost full tail notch.

The meat off the backbone is flat or curving up.

The short ribs are completely covered.

BCS 6 cows are bulging fat everywhere!