Override Grades

About override grades

The roles of instructor, teaching assistant, and grader can change grades in a course. When you change grades, the new data is automatically figured into existing weighted, total, or calculated grade columns. Each time you change a grade, an entry is made in the grade history.

More on grade history

Sometimes a grade change results in an override grade. A true override grade is applied to attempt-based Grade Center items only—tests and assignments. An override grade takes precedence over all other grade entries, including attempts a student submits after you assign an override grade.

For example, a grade is based on the average of multiple assignment attempts. But, you want to add a grade for a certain student that is one other than the average. For that student, you can assign an override grade that takes precedence over all other grades and future attempts.

Grades for the interactive tools—journal and blog entries, wiki page saves, and discussion posts—aren't attempt-based, but rather activity-based.

When you override a grade, the Override icon appears in the cell.

When you assign a grade to a cell with no attempt for an assignment or a test, it's an override grade. The Override icon appears in the grade cell. You can assign a grade for an interactive tool's gradable activity when no activity exists, but no icon appears in the grade cell. You also won't see an icon if you override a grade from a rubric.

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Override a grade in a cell

You can type an override grade in a Grade Center cell for a test or assignment attempt where you allowed multiple attempts.

Example: Assignment with two attempts allowed

You can assign a grade for the first attempt on the Grade Assignment page. Then you type in the cell for the second attempt and that's an override grade. If you go on to grade the second attempt from the Grade Assignment page, the override grade still supersedes the second attempt grade you assign. Therefore, avoid assigning grades in Grade Center cells for assignments and tests without considering the ramifications first.

If you allowed only one attempt, you can type in the Grade Center cell and that is not an override grade.

If you typed a grade in the Grade Center cell and want to add feedback for the user or notes for yourself, see the next section.

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Override a grade on the Grade Details page

We recommend that you assign an override grade from the Manual Override tab on the Grade Details page. You can add feedback for the user and notes for yourself about the grade change. You'll have a record of why you chose to override any future attempts.

The only way to assign on override grade for gradable journal and blog entries, wiki page saves, and discussion posts is on the Manual Override tab. However, you can edit an override grade from an interactive tool's grading panel and disallow its precedence.

1. In the Grade Center, locate the cell with the student's graded test or assignment grade to override and access its menu.
2. Select View Grade Details.
3. On the Grade Details page, select the Manual Override tab and type a new grade in the Override Grade box.
4. Optionally, type Feedback to User and Grading Notes for yourself. Use the options in the editor to format the text and upload files, images, and multimedia.
5. Select Save.
6. Select Return to Grade Center to go back to the main Grade Center page.

More on attaching files

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Revert an override grade

You can use the Revert option to clear an override grade and display the previously assigned grade if one exists. Otherwise, the Needs Grading icon appears.

1. In the Grade Center, locate the cell with the student's override grade to revert and access its menu.
2. Select View Grade Details.
3. On the Grade Details page, select Revert in the Current Grade section. Confirm the action.
4. Select OK. The override grade is cleared. The action is recorded on the Grade History tab on this page.
5. Select Return to the Grade Center to go back to the main Grade Center page.