Skip to main content

Create Gradebook Extra Credit Items

Learn 3 methods for creating extra credit items in the gradebook

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 right of the page click Add and then Add a grade item.

    Add button with two options in the dropdown menu.

  4. In the window that appears, fill out the following items:

    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 at the bottom of the page.

New grade item with extra credit box check and max grade assigned.

Note

An 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 and Add category.

    Add button with add category option highlighted.

  4. Enter a name for the category such as Extra Credit and click Save.

    Category named extra credit with visible save button.

  5. Scroll down to the Extra Credit category. Click on the three horizontal dots to the right of your newly created category. Click on Edit category from the dropdown menu.

    Three horizontal dots with menu options including edit category.

  6. Put a check mark next to Extra credit and Save your changes.

Extra credit box checked.

Assignments within the Extra Credit category do not contribute to the course total.
​

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 Add and Add grade item.

    Add button with two menu options.

  4. Name your item and click Save.

  5. Scroll down to your newly created item within the Gradebook setup page and click on the three horizontal dots across from the grade item. Select Edit grade item.

    Edit grade item option selected.

  6. Place a check mark next to Extra credit and Save your changes.

Extra credit box checked with save button visible.

The course total will not be affected by the extra credit.

Did this answer your question?