Overview of Calculating Category Averages

This topic describes how gradebook category averages are calculated. A student's category average is calculated by dividing the sum of the weighted assignment scores earned by the total weighted points possible. Note that both an individual assignment's earned score and its possible points value are multiplied by the assignment's weight.

Example: For four homework assignments, a student has the following scores:
 
HW1 score of 10 out of 10 points available, assignment weight = 1
HW2 score of 0 out of 10 points available, assignment weight = 2
HW3 score of 40 out of 60 points, assignment weight = 1
HW4 score of 8 out of 10 points, assignment weight = 1
 
total score for all assignments: (10 x 1) + (0 x 2) + (40 x 1) + (8 x 1) = 58
total points possible: (10 x 1) + (10 x 2) + (60 x 1) + (10 x 1) = 100
Average = 58/100 or 58%.

If an assignment's due date has not yet been reached, it is not included in a student's average (even if a score has been entered). If you have chosen to drop the lowest score for a category, the assignment with the lowest score is excluded from the average calculation. In the example above, if the zero score was dropped/excluded, the student's HW category score would be 58/80 or 72.5%.

Note: If you checked the Calculate Average Using Total Points box on the Categories tab, your averages for marks will not be calculated based on weights for categories (however, individual assignments can still be weighted). Refer to the Total Category Points section of the Calculate the Mark to Load from Gradebook topic for more information on how the averages are calculated based on total points.

Calculating Category Averages using Assignment Percentages: A category's average is calculated by dividing the sum of the weighted assignment scores earned by the total weighted points possible. If you want assignment scores to be displayed as the percentage correct for each assignment, define each assignment to have a possible points score of 100, and then enter the assignment's score as the percentage correct.  For example, if 7 out of 10 was the score for assignment 1, enter total possible points of 100 and a score of 70. Thus, if a student earned scores 7 out of 10 and 20 out of 20, you would enter 70 out of 100 and 100 out of 100. The student's average will be (70 + 100) / (100 + 100) = 170/200 or 85%.