In Canvas, a grading scheme allows you to set criteria that maps to specific levels of achievement. The most common grading scheme is letter grades and converts percentages to specific letter grades (for example, an 85% to a "B").
Instructors are in charge of their own grading scheme as there is no UCSB standard grading scheme. Canvas has a "default" grading scheme but please be sure to implement and update the grading scheme in your Canvas course so that it matches your course syllabus.
This article will describe:
- How to Enable a Course Grading Scheme
- The "Canvas Default" Grading Scheme
- How one can use Grading Schemes in their course.
1. In the Canvas course site, click Settings in the left-side Course Navigation Menu
2. Scroll down to the Grading Scheme: setting. Check the box for "Enable course grading scheme."
3. The "Canvas Default Grading Scheme" will appear. You can add a new course grading scheme by clicking Manage All Grading Schemes
5. Here, you can edit the course grading scheme. Click Save when complete.
- Edit the lower bounds of a letter grade by entering in the new value to the right of the letter grade
- For example, if in your syllabus an "A" corresponds to a 93% - 100%, enter "93" into the value to the right of "A"
- You can enter values of up to two decimal places.
- Hover above or between two values and click Insert here to create a new range between those two values.
- Click the X next to a range to delete it from the grading scheme.
- The gradebook will only support letter grades specified in the grading scheme. For example, if your letter grade scheme does not include an "A+", you will not be able to enter a score of an "A+" in the gradebook.
6. Confirm the grading scheme is correct. Then, click Close
7. Choose the grading scheme created above from the Grading Scheme dropdown:
8. Scroll to the bottom of the setting page and click Update Course details.
When enabling a course grading scheme, Canvas uses the "Default Grading Scheme" That default is listed below and should be edited to match your grading scheme as outlined in your course syllabus. See the section above for instructions on how to enable and edit the grading scheme:
| Name | Range | |
| A | 100% | to 94% |
| A- | < 94% | to 90% |
| B+ | < 90% | to 87% |
| B | < 87% | to 84% |
| B- | < 84% | to 80% |
| C+ | < 80% | to 77% |
| C | < 77% | to 74% |
| C- | < 74% | to 70% |
| D+ | < 70% | to 67% |
| D | < 67% | to 64% |
| D- | < 64% | to 61% |
| F | < 61% | to 0% |
Once a grading scheme has been enabled and edited to match the course syllabus, you can use it in several places in Canvas:
End-Of-Course Grades: The grading scheme is applied to the students' final grades in the gradebook. These grades can be exported and submitted to eGrades through these steps here: How do I submit my grades to eGrades from Canvas?
Assignment Level Grades: Once enabled, grading schemes can be applied specifically to individual assignments so that it displays letter grades in the gradebook and on student Grade pages. In the Assignment settings, set Display Grade as to "Letter Grade":
Then, you will be able to enter and view grades as a letter grade.
- Note, when entering an assignment score as a letter grade, the percentage score for the assignment is the upper limit of the range assigned to that letter grade in the grading scheme. For example, your course grading scheme indicate that an "A-" letter grade reflects a range from 90% - 93%. Entering an "A-" for an assignment assigns a percentage of 93%. If you want students to receive a specific percentage for an assignment, enter the assignment score as a percentage.
Performance-Based Grading Schemes: In addition to a letter grade grading scheme, grading schemes can also be created and used to indicate performance (for example a scheme that ranges from Excellent to Fail. These performance based grading schemes can be used on an assignment or course level basis. More information about how to create and use performance-based grading schemes can be found here: How do I add a grading scheme in a course?