You can allow students to submit more than one attempt for an assessment.

Multiple attempts can help students stay on track, raise the quality of their work, and ultimately improve student success and retention. For assignments, students can submit drafts and earn credit on improvements. Inform students which assignments allow multiple attempts, and what the expectations and grading policies are for each attempt.

Example: Research Paper Assignments

In one assignment with four attempts, a student can submit file attachments for these items:

  1. Outline
  2. Bibliography
  3. Rough draft
  4. Final paper

You can provide feedback at each stage. You can assign grades as each attempt is submitted but only use the grade for the final paper as the assignment's grade.

Alternatively, if you want to provide four grades—one for each portion of the research paper process—you can create separate assignments for each. Next, set up a calculated column in the gradebook. Add the points for each assignment to produce a final score for the research paper.

You can also allow groups to submit their assignments more than once and receive feedback and a grade for each submission.

To allow multiple attempts for an assessment, open the assessment and select the Settings button. 


Grade assessments with multiple attempts

When you select a student's name in the gradebook, a panel appears that displays each attempt, along with the dates they were submitted. Select an attempt to view the submission.

To view only the attempt that needs grading, from the Submissions page, select Needs Grading for the Grading status filter.

Reminder: When you post grades, students can view them and any feedback you provided. All feedback for all attempts, even ungraded attempts, shows to students.

If you used a rubric or questions that are scored automatically, the grade may already exist for the attempt.

The Attempt Logs report provides detailed information about an assessment including the date and time of the start and answers to each question, submission receipt number, final grade, attempt grade, and more. Attempt logs can validate if students have encountered issues while taking an assessment and help identify signs of academic dishonesty.

Give feedback on submission attempts

To provide feedback, select the feedback button next to the attempt to open the feedback panel. You can scroll through the assessment and add overall feedback and a grade.

From the feedback panel, select Add to attach additional content, such as an embedded audio/video recording, to your feedback. Students can watch or listen to your feedback alongside any text you include. NOTE: This feature isn't supported on all browsers. For the best experience, use Chrome or Firefox.

When you post grades, students can view them and any feedback you provided. All feedback for all attempts, even ungraded attempts, shows to students.

The Student's submission page is open with 1) an highlighted selected attempt, 2) the a highlighted "Feedback" icon, and 3) the feedback for a particular student panel displayed.

Final grades

In the panel that lists a student's attempts, the final grade appears when attempts are graded, based on the Grade Attempts setting you chose in the settings panel for the assessment.  For example, if the final grade is calculated based on the highest graded attempt, the final grade appears immediately after at least one attempt is graded. The grade may change as you continue grading more attempts.

After you finish grading attempts, you can post the final grade for the student to see.

What do students see?

Assessments with multiple attempts list the number of attempts allowed, as well as how the final grade is calculated. Students view this information on the Details & Information page before they begin. When grades are posted, students can view grades for each of their attempts, as well as the final grade. If you decide to override the final grade, a message appears to let the student know.