Skip to main content

Create Gradebook Extra Credit Items

Learn 3 methods for creating extra credit items in the gradebook

Updated over 5 months ago

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate three ways for adding extra credit items in a Moodle course

Note

If you use Drop lowest in a Gradebook category, you cannot place extra credit items inside that category

Procedures

Click the arrow to show each section.

First method: Manually created item

This method is used to create a single extra credit item that will be applied either to a category total or to the course total. It will not have any negative impact on student grades

  1. From your course homepage, click on Grades

    Course tabs with a red arrow pointing to the Grades tab

  2. Click on the dropdown and select Gradebook setup

    Grader report dropdown menu with Gradebook setup option selected

  3. At the top of the page click on Add grade item

    Red arrow pointing to a button labeled Add grade item

  4. Complete the following sections:

    A. Enter an Item name

    B. Type in the Maximum grade you will potentially award for this extra credit


    C. Modify other assignment properties, as needed

    D. Click on the dropdown for Grade category to select the category the extra credit will be added to

    E. Put a checkmark in the box next to the field called Extra credit
    ​

  5. Click Save changes at the bottom of the page
    ​

New grade item input options including item name, maximum grade, Extra credit checkbox, and grade category

Note

Extra Credit assignment does not add any points to the category total. Also, remember that your extra credit points will be weighted if you have chosen to apply weights to your categories.

Second method: Extra Credit Category

This method creates an Extra credit category. All grade items placed inside this category will automatically become extra credit.

  1. From your course homepage, click on Grades

    Course tabs with red arrow pointing to the Grades tab

  2. Click on the drop-down and select Gradebook setup

    Grader report dropdown menu with Gradebook setup option highlighted

  3. At the top of the page click on Add category

    Red arrow pointing to a button labeled Add category

  4. Enter a name for the category (Such as, “Extra Credit”) and click Save changes

  5. Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Click on Edit to the right of your newly created category. Click on Edit settings from the dropdown menu

    Dropdown menu with a red arrow pointing to the Edit settings option

  6. Open the Parent category dropdown and put a checkmark in the box to the left of the Extra credit field

  7. Click Save changes
    ​

Red arrows pointing to Parent category, Extra credit check box, and button labeled Save changes

Notice that all assignments within the Extra Credit category do not contribute to the course total
​

List of extra credit items scored at 100 points each

Third method: Extra credit at the course level

This method allows you to add individual entries of extra credit to the course total

  1. From your course homepage, click on Grades

    Course tabs with a red arrow pointing to the Grades tab

  2. Click on the drop-down and select Gradebook setup

    Grader report dropdown menu with Gradebook setup option selected

  3. Click on Add grade item

    Red arrow pointing to button labeled Add grade item

  4. Name your item and click Save changes

  5. Scroll down to your newly created item within the Gradebook setup page and click on Edit. Choose Edit settings from the drop-down menu

    Dropdown menu with a red arrow pointing to the Edit settings option

  6. Scroll to the bottom of the page under Parent category and put a checkmark in the box next to Extra credit

  7. Click Save changes

Red arrows pointing to Parent category, the Extra credit checkbox, and a button labeled Save changes

Notice that the Course total is not affected by the Extra credit

Red arrows pointing to the extra credit total and the course total

Did this answer your question?