what do weighted assignments mean

Weighting Grades, Giving Extra Credit, and Other Tips on Managing Assignments and Grades in Canvas

by Cecilia Lo | Aug 20, 2018 | Canvas , Canvas Features/Functions , How-tos

Canvas provides a fully functional gradebook that can help both instructors and students to keep track of their progress in a course. Once you figure out its few quirks, you will be able to manage grades with ease.

I. Some Terminology: Assignment Groups vs. Assignments, & How They Relate to Gradebook Columns II. Weighting Grades III. Muting Grade Notifications IV. Grade History – Who Changed The Grade When? V. Using Grading Schemes VI. Curving Grades VII. Giving Extra Credit VIII. Tools and Course Setup for Multiple TAs IX. Excluding an Assignment from the Course’s Final Grades X. Filtering by Modules, Automatic Late Policies, & Other New, Helpful Functions in the New Gradebook XI. Resources

I. Some Terminology: Assignment Groups vs. Assignments, & How They Relate to Gradebook Columns

There are two common sources of confusion in understanding and using Canvas assignments and gradebooks. One is the distinction between Assignment Groups and Assignments. Assignment Groups are categories of assignments, such as problem sets, papers, quizzes, exams, presentations, and participation. They are important for organizational purposes and particularly important if you want to weight grades. Assignments are individual assessment items that receive grades, as, for example, first paper, second paper, or final paper. Assignment Groups and assignments are created separately. You can move assignments into different Assignment Groups by dragging them on the Assignment Index page or editing the Assignment.

Assignment groups vs Assignments

A second common source of confusion is how to create gradebook columns. In Canvas, assignments are tightly integrated with the Gradebook and the only way to create a gradebook column is to create and publish an assignment . This may seem unintuitive at first glance, as not all assignments require online submissions (e.g. attendance and participation or assignments done on paper). However, instructors can choose different submission types when they create an assignment— No Submission, Online, or On Paper . The one-to-one correspondence between the number of assignment items and the number of gradebook columns ensures that grading policy is transparent to the students and that both instructors and students always see the same number of assessment items.

II. Weighting Grades

You can have Canvas automatically calculate weighted grades in just a few clicks: on the Assignment Index page, click Options , select Assignment Group Weight , then enter the percentages for each Assignment Group. For example, in a course where the grades are determined as follows:

The process for weighting grades is:

To weight grades, go the the Assignments page, click on the Options button, select Assignment Groups Weight , select the Weight final grades based on assignment groups check box, enter the weights, and click Save .

How Canvas Calculates Weighted Grades for an Assignment Group

Canvas determines weighted grades by calculating:

• the grade (in percentage) of individual Assignment Groups (sum of points scored divided by total possible points);
• the total grade (sum of Assignment Group grades multiplied by their respective weights).

In the example for “Paper Assignments” Group above, there are 4 assignments, each worth 20 points; together they add up to 80 points. The Assignment group counts 30% towards the total grade. If a student scores 18, 16, 10, and 15 respectively, then

The subtotal grade for “Paper Assignment” is: (18 + 16 + 10 + 15)/80*100% = 73.75% The contribution of “Paper Assignment” to the Total grade is: 73.75% * 0.3 = 22.13%

Weighted Grades within an Assignment Group

In the above example, because each assignment has the same maximum points (20 points), each assignment contributes equally within the Assignment Group. If you wish a particular assignment to weigh more, just make sure it has a higher number of total points, or assign it to a separate Assignment Group.

Tips : If you have many assignments (about 10 or more) in one Assignment Group, and the total points for each assignment vary by one or two points, then by arithmetic the assignments contribute essentially equally to the Assignment Group grades, as the difference between each assignment after multiplying by the weighted percentage would be relatively small. (e.g. 1 point in an Assignment Group with a total of 100 points and which counts as 30% of the total grade is 0.3 points of the total grade.)

How Weighted Grades Appear in the Gradebook

In the Canvas Gradebook, each gradebook column (with linked heading) shows the raw points for an assignment (unless you have applied grade curving to it); the Assignment Group column (with black heading) shows the percentage a student scored for that Assignment Group; and the Total column shows the final, weighted grade.

In the example above, the Assignment Group column for “Paper Assignment (30.00% of grade)” is 73.75%.

NB : If a student didn’t submit a particular assignment, be sure to give it zero points. If you leave the score blank ( – ), Canvas will treat it as excused and ignore it in its calculation of the Assignment Group subtotal and Total scores.

For more about weighting grades, see: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10059-415267002

III. Muting Grade Notifications

When instructors enter grades into Canvas’ gradebook, a notification is sent to the student automatically . Some students are prone to panic if they find that their peers have received their grades but they have not. You can release grades to all students simultaneously if you select Mute Assignment and stop notifications from going out until you “unmute” the assignment. Muting assignments allows you time to review and make grade adjustments without sending students multiple notifications.

To mute an assignment, go to Grades, click on the options dropdown for the assignment, and select Mute Assignment:

Mute Assignment link in Canvas Gradebook

NB : Canvas does not include muted assignments in the Assignment Group and Total grade calculations—if it did, students would be able to calculate backwards and figure out what their grades are. Be sure to unmute assignments when you have finished grading them so that the gradebook calculations are correct.

For more about muting assignments, see: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-12961-4152724339

IV. Grade History – Who Changed The Grade When?

From time to time you may wish to track how a student’s grade for a particular assignment changes over time, especially when there are multiple instructors or TAs giving grades in a course. Canvas’ Grade History tool can be helpful in such cases.

To access Grade History, click on the Options (gear) icon in Grades and select View Gradebook History . (In the New Gradebook, select the Gradebook dropdown, then “Gradebook History…”.)

To view grade history in the old Gradebook, select View Gradebook History from the gear icon on the Grades page, enter filter parameters and click the Filter button.

How to read Gradebook History

• The Before column shows the grade before the change at a particular date and time (row).
• The After column shows the grade after the change at a particular date and time (row).
• The Current column always shows the latest grade; it is the grade a student has now.

Example of Grade History

In the example above, on Jun 27, 2018 at 4:25pm, the Before column is empty because it is the first time a grade (0/20) is entered. On Aug 16, 2018, this grade is changed from 0/20 to 20/20. The Current grade for all rows is 16/20 because on Aug 17, 2018, the last time this grade was edited, the grade has been changed from 20/20 to 16/20.

NB : The dropdown selection can take a few seconds to display, especially if there are many students in a course. Be sure to click the maroon Filter button at the end to filter the results. You can filter for more than one category; for example, you can filter for student name and assignment name simultaneously.

V. Using Grading Schemes

You can apply a specific grading scheme to your assignment and/or overall course grade so that each letter or performance grade corresponds to a specific numeric grade range (e.g. A/Excellent = 91% to 100%; A-/Good = 88%-90%; etc). Once you have created a grading scheme, it can be reused in other courses you teach with just a few clicks.

Select Grading Scheme for an Assignment

To display letter grade for an assignment, edit the assignment, choose Letter Grade under the Display Grade as dropdown menu.

• Choose the appropriate grading scheme (see “Choose/Create New Grading Schemes” below).

Choose/Create New Grading Schemes

Click on the View Grading Scheme link under Display Grade as to choose the appropriate grading scheme.

Click on the Select Another Scheme link at the top right to select another grading scheme.

• To create a new grading scheme, click manage grading schemes link at the bottom right, then click the Add grading scheme button on the right.

Use Grading Scheme for the Total Grade in Your Course

You can display the Total grade of your course as a letter/performance grade by going to Settings > Course Details > Select the check box for Enable course grading scheme > Choose the appropriate grading scheme > Click the Update Course Details button at the bottom of the page.

To enable grading scheme for the course total grade, go to course Settings , check the Enable course grading scheme box, click the Select grading scheme link, then select the appropriate grading scheme, click Done , then click the maroon Update Course Details button.

For more information, see:

• [Overview] How do I use grading schemes in a course? https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-13067-4152206341
• How do I add a grading scheme to an assignment? https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10216-415282270
• How do I enable a grading scheme for a course? https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-12906-415257089
• How do I add a grading scheme in a course? https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10313-415257090

VI. Curving Grades

You can use the Canvas Gradebook to curve grades for individual assignments. When you enter a desired average grade, Canvas will automatically adjust the scores as a bell curve 66% around the average curve.

Grade curving is available for assignments only ; if you wish to curve the total grade of a course, you will need to do so manually. Grade curving cannot be undone (although you can use Gradebook History to view pre-curved grades) and is advisable in courses where only a certain number of students can pass, or when you require a fixed distribution of grades distributed throughout the class.

Step-by-step instructions on curving grades are available at: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-12832-415255003

VII. Giving Extra Credit

Do you want to give extra credit to students but are unsure how get Canvas Gradebook to recognize it? There are a few ways to do this:

Method 1: Add Extra Points to an Existing Assignment/Quiz

You can give extra credit to a particular assignment by adding the extra points to the total points a student scored, even if the student received a perfect score. Canvas allows you to give points greater than the highest possible points.

For example, If an assignment is worth a total of 100 points, a student earned a perfect score of 100, and you want to reward them with 5 extra credit points, you can enter 105 as the grade for the assignment.

If you use Canvas’ SpeedGrader for grading, you can enter the extra points in SpeedGrader. If you use rubrics in conjunction with SpeedGrader, you can add the extra points either to an existing rubric criterion or to an “Extra Credit” criterion. If you decide to add an “Extra Credit” criterion, make sure that the assignment point total excludes the total maximum extra credit points (i.e. the rubric is worth more points than the assignment) so that the actual assignment points are not affected by whether a student receives extra credit or not.

For example, if your rubric has four criteria with 4 maximum points each, and an “extra credit” criterion with 2 points each, then the maximum point total for your rubric is 4×4 + 2 = 18 points. But your assignment point total should be 16 points.

You can give extra credit in Quizzes as well. To adjust the point value for an entire quiz, use fudge points .

Method 2: Grant Extra Points in a Stand-alone “Extra Credit” Assignment and Gradebook Column

If you want to keep track of extra credit for the course as a whole, you can create a stand-alone extra credit assignment and gradebook column and adjust a student’s points as needed.

If you don’t weight your grades , you can create a separate assignment with 0 points. Any extra points given in this gradebook column will be added to the total points for the course.

If you weight your grades with assignment groups, you will need to create an extra credit assignment group with a weight greater than 0% and an assignment with greater than 0 points in order for Canvas Gradebook to calculate the total score correctly. All the assignment groups in your course plus the extra credit assignment group should weigh more than 100% in total.

One example of a correct setup for assignment groups with a maximum of 10% (or 10 points) extra credit for the course is:

Notice that the first 4 assignment groups, containing assignments that all students are assessed on, total to 100%. This ensures that any assignment placed within the Extra Credit assignment group will have either a positive or neutral effect on your students’ overall grade.

• If you are weighting your assignment groups, please pay attention to how weighted groups can affect the Gradebook if assignments are worth zero points.
• If you have drop rules set in an assignment group, adding extra points may affect your students’ scores.

For a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to give extra credit within Canvas, see: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-9940-415278195

VIII. Tools and Course Setup for Multiple TAs

If you have multiple TAs working from the same Canvas course site and they are each assigned to a specific group of students, Academic Technology Solutions can help you set up your course site so that they only see the grades of the students they are responsible for. To get started, email the URL of your course site and a brief description of your needs to [email protected] .

IX. Excluding an Assignment from the Course’s Final Grades

If you wish to provide feedback for assignments without the assignment counting toward Gradebook calculations, you can exclude the assignment in the final grade calculation. (Note: this excludes the grade for all students. If you want to assign an assignment to a specific group of students, you should specifically assign course sections , assign individual students , or assign course groups to the assignment.)

For step-by-step instructions, see: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10120-4152618765

Alternatively, you can have Canvas automatically drop the lowest (or highest) grade in an assignment group. See https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-9880-4152232976 for step-by-step instructions.

X. Filtering by Modules, Automatic Late Policies, & Other New, Helpful Functions in the New Gradebook

In January 2018, Canvas released the New Gradebook, which offers a number of enhanced features, such as filtering by modules, automatic late policies, and customizable coloring. The current gradebook is expected to be deprecated and replaced by the New Gradebook sometime in the second half of 2018. For more information on how to opt-in and use the new features, see ATS’ “ Introducing the New Gradebook ” blog post.

XI. Resources

You can see the complete Instructor Guides for the topics discussed above at:

• Assignments
• Discussion Forums
• Online Quizzes
• Speedgrader

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• Grade Calculators

Weighted Grade Calculator

Assignments

Assignment 1

Assignment 2

Assignment 3

Assignment 4

Assignment 5

Assignment 6

Assignment 7

Assignment 8

Assignment 9

Assignment 10

Your Grade Average:

To determine what grade you need to get on your remaining assignments (or on your final exam), enter the total weight of all of your class assignments (often the total weight is 100). Then enter the desired grade you would like to get in the class.

Enter Desired Grade

Enter Class Total Weight

Instructions

You can use the calculator above to calculate your weighted grade average. For each assignment, enter the grade you received and the weight of the assignment. If you have more than 10 assignments, use the "Add Row" button to add additional input fields. Once you have entered your data, press the "calculate" button and you will see the calculated average grade in the results area.

If you want to calculate the average grade you need on your remaining assignments (or on your final exam) in order to get a certain grade in the class, enter the desired grade you would like to get in the class. Then enter the total weight of all your class assignments. Often the total weight of all class assignments is equal to 100, but this is not always the case. Press either the “Calculate” button or the “Update” button and you will see your average grade for the class and the results will be displayed in the results area.

Video Instructions

How to calculate weighted grade average?

• First multiple the grade received by the weight of the assignment. Repeat this for each completed assignment.
• Then add each of the calculated values from step 1 together.
• Next add the weight of all the completed assignments together.
• Finally, divide the calculated value from step 2 above by the value calculated from step 3. This gives you the weighted grade average.

Weighted Grade Formula

Weighted Grade = (w 1 x g 1 + w 2 x g 2 + w 3 x g 3 + …) / (w 1 + w 2 + w 3 + …)

Example Calculation

Here is an example. Let's say you received a 90% on your first assignment and it was worth 10% of the class grade. Then let's assume you took a test and received an 80% on it. The test was worth 20% of your grade.

To calculate your average grade, follow these steps:

• Multiple each grade by its weight. In this example, you received a 90% on the first assignment and it was worth 10%. So multiply 90 x 10 = 900. You also received an 80% on the test and it was worth 20% of the class grade. So multiply 80 x 20 = 1600.
• Add the calculated values from step 1 together. We now have 900 + 1600 = 2500.
• Add the weight of all the completed assignments together. To do this, add 10% for the first assignment and 20% for the second assignment. That gives us 10 + 20 = 30.
• Finally, divide the value from step 2 by the value from step 3. That gives us 2500 / 30 = 83.33. Therefore our weighted grade average is 83.33%.

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What Is a Weighted Score?

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After you've finished taking a test, and your teacher hands back your test with a grade you're certain is going to take you from a C to a B on your final score, you probably feel elated. When you get your report card back, however, and discover that your grade is in fact still a C, you may have a weighted score or weighted grade in play.

So, what is a weighted score? A weighted score or weighted grade is merely the average of a set of grades, where each set carries a different amount of importance.

How Weighted Grades Work

Suppose at the beginning of the year, the teacher hands you the syllabus . On it, he or she explains that your final grade will be determined in this manner:

Percentage of your grade by category

• Homework: 10%
• Quizzes: 20%
• Essays: 20%
• Midterm: 25%

Your essays and quizzes are weighted more heavily than your homework , and both your midterm and final exam count for the same percentage of your grade as all of your homework, quizzes and essays combined, so each one of those tests carries more weight than the other items. Your teacher believes that those tests are the most important part of your grade! Hence, if you ace your homework, essays and quizzes, but bomb the big tests, your final score will still end up in the gutter.

Let's do the math to figure out how the grading works with a weighted score system.

Student Example: Ava

Throughout the year, Ava has been acing her homework and getting A's and B's on most of her quizzes and essays. Her midterm grade was a D because she didn't prepare very much and those multiple-choice tests freak her out. Now, Ava wants to know what score she needs to get on her final exam in order to get at least a B- (80%) for her final weighted score.

Here's what Ava's grades look like in numbers:

Category averages

• Homework average: 98%
• Quiz average: 84%
• Essay average: 91%
• Midterm: 64%

To figure out the math and determine what kind of studying efforts Ava needs to put into that final exam , we need to follow a 3-part process.

Set up an equation with Ava's goal percentage (80%) in mind:

H%*(H average) + Q%*(Q average) + E%*(E average) + M%*(M average) + F%*(F average) = 80%

Next, we multiply the percentage of Ava's grade by the average in each category:

• Homework: 10% of grade * 98% in category = (.10)(.98) = 0.098
• Quiz average: 20% of grade * 84% in category = (.20)(.84) = 0.168
• Essay average: 20% of grade * 91% in category = (.20)(.91) = 0.182
• Midterm: 25% of grade * 64% in category = (.25)(.64) = 0.16
• Final: 25% of grade * X in category = (.25)(x) = ?

Finally we, add them up and solve for x:

• 0.098 + 0.168 + 0.182 + 0.16 + .25x = .80
• 0.608 + .25x = .80
• .25x = .80 – 0.608
• .25x = .192
• x = .192/.25
• x = .768
• x = 77%

Because Ava's teacher uses weighted scores, in order for her to get an 80% or a B- for her final grade, she'll need to score a 77% or a C on her final exam.

Weighted Score Summary

Many teachers use weighted scores and keep track of them with grading programs online. If you're unsure about anything related to your grade, please go talk with your teacher. Many educators grade differently, even within the same school! Set up an appointment to go through your grades one by one if your final score doesn't seem right for some reason. Your teacher will be glad to help you out! A student who is interested in getting the highest possible score he or she can is always welcome.

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Created by the Great Schools Partnership , the GLOSSARY OF EDUCATION REFORM is a comprehensive online resource that describes widely used school-improvement terms, concepts, and strategies for journalists, parents, and community members. | Learn more »

Weighted Grades

Weighted grades are number or letter grades that are assigned a numerical advantage when calculating a grade point average , or GPA. In some schools, primarily public high schools, weighted-grade systems give students a numerical advantage for grades earned in higher-level courses or more challenging learning experiences, such as honors courses , Advanced Placement courses, or International Baccalaureate courses. In many cases, the terms quality points or honor points may be used in reference to the additional weight given to weighted grades. In the case of students who have completed courses considered to be more challenging than regular courses, the general purpose of a weighted grade is to give these students a numerical advantage when determining relative academic performance and related honors such as honor roll or class rank .

In some weighted-grade systems, for example, a grade in a higher-level course may have a “weight” of 1.05, while the same grade in a lower-level course has a weight of 1.0. In this system, a grade of 90 in an honors course would be recorded as a 94.5 or 95, while a 90 in a similar “college-prep” course would be recorded as a 90. An alternate system might add five “quality points” to grades earned in honors courses (90 + 5 = 95) and eight quality points to all grades earned in Advanced Placement courses (90 + 8 = 98). In another variation, an A in a higher-level course may be awarded a 5.0, for example, while an A in a lower-level course is awarded a 4.0. Lower grades in weighted courses would also receive the same one-point advantage—a grade of C, for example, would be assigned a 3.0, while a C in a regular course would be assigned a 2.0. In yet another variation, .33 may be added to all grades earned in Advance Placement courses, so that an A (4.0) would be recorded as a 4.33. While the examples above represent a few common formulations, grading systems and GPA scales may vary significantly from one school or school district to the next.

Given that weighted-grade systems may be calculated in dramatically different ways from school to school, reporters should investigate how weighted grades are calculated, what rationale is being used to support them, and what advantages or disadvantages may result for students.

While the term weighted grades typically refers to the practices described above, it is important to note that weighting may also refer to different levels of “weight” given to particular assignments within a course. For example, a final test may be given more “weight” in determining a course grade—say, 20 percent of the final grade—than an individual homework assignment, which may reflect only a small percentage of the final grade

In addition, some colleges and universities may ask high schools to provide both weighted and unweighted GPAs on student transcripts so that admissions offices can evaluate the differential effect of weighted grades—i.e., how certain course selections and weighted grades affected the GPA calculation.

The fundamental rationale for weighting grades is that the practice provides an incentive for students to challenge themselves academically. By assigning greater value to grades earned in more challenging courses, weighted grades remove a potential disincentive posed by tougher courses—i.e., students worrying that a lower grade in a tougher course might adversely affect their GPA or class rank. In addition to providing incentives to students, advocates may argue that weighted grades deservedly reward students who take tougher courses, recognize higher levels of academic accomplishment, and provide a more fair or balanced system of grading in schools with multiple academic tracks.

Critics of the practice tend to make the following arguments:

• Weighted grades discourage students from taking certain classes that may be educationally valuable but that may present a numerical disadvantage when calculating GPA and class rank. Art and music classes are rarely weighted, for example, so students may not consider art and music courses out of fear that such courses will adversely affect their GPA and class standing.
• Weighted grades are not academically meaningful unless the grades are based on a single set of learning standards that are evaluated consistently from course to course. In other words, unless schools can verify that a grade of A in one course actually represents greater academic accomplishment than an A earned in another course, the use of weighted grades can be misleading. For example, it’s possible that a course labeled “college prep” may actually be more challenging than a course labeled “honors.”
• Weighted grades may actually act as disincentives, rather than incentives, for students. While weighted grades may make challenging courses seem less “risky” to students, it’s also possible that students, once enrolled in the course, may not work as hard because they know that a lower grade is worth as much as a higher grade in another course. In addition, students enrolled in lower-level courses know that their efforts are being assigned less value by the grading system, so even if a student works hard and earns a good grade in a college-prep course, that effort will still be assigned a lower value than grades earned by students in higher-level courses.
• Weighted grades can devalue certain courses and reinforce cultural divisions within a school. Because both teachers and students know that lower-level courses are assigned a lower value, the practice of weighting grades reinforces the prestige associated with higher-level courses and the stigma associated with lower-level courses—for both teachers and students. Consequently, teachers may not want to teach lower-level courses, and students may feel embarrassed or ashamed to take them.
• Weighted grades create opportunities for students to manipulate the grading process. In this view, weighted grades focus students on superficial outcomes—peer completion and higher numerical scores—rather than on more substantive outcomes, such as mastering new skills, exploring new ideas, learning from failure, or enjoying and appreciating the learning process, for example.

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Weighted Grade Calculator

Use our weighted grade calculator to calculate a course grade that is averaged for various components such as assignments, projects, quizzes, and exams.

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How to Calculate a Weighted Grade

Understanding how to calculate a weighted grade is essential for both students and educators. In many educational settings, not all assignments or exams carry the same importance in the overall class grade .

Some might be worth more of the overall grade than others. For instance, a final exam often contributes more to a final grade than a single homework assignment. This is referred to as a weighted grade .

A weighted grade is essentially a weighted average , and you can calculate it using a formula based on the weighted average formula.

Weighted Grade Formula

To calculate a weighted grade, you can apply the weighted average formula:

Thus, a weighted grade is equal to the sum of the products of each grade and its weight, divided by the sum of the weights.

The total weight is typically the sum of all weights, which often equals 1 (or 100% if you’re working in percentages).

For example, let’s consider a student who has taken three tests in a course. The first test is worth 30% of their final grade, the second test is worth 40%, and the third is worth 30%.

Let’s say the student scored 80% on the first test, 90% on the second, and 85% on the third. Here’s how you’d calculate the weighted grade:

Thus, the student’s weighted grade is 85.5%.

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Grade Calculator

Use this calculator to find out the grade of a course based on weighted averages. This calculator accepts both numerical as well as letter grades. It also can calculate the grade needed for the remaining assignments in order to get a desired grade for an ongoing course.

Final Grade Calculator

Use this calculator to find out the grade needed on the final exam in order to get a desired grade in a course. It accepts letter grades, percentage grades, and other numerical inputs.

Related GPA Calculator

The calculators above use the following letter grades and their typical corresponding numerical equivalents based on grade points.

Brief history of different grading systems

In 1785, students at Yale were ranked based on "optimi" being the highest rank, followed by second optimi, inferiore (lower), and pejores (worse). At William and Mary, students were ranked as either No. 1, or No. 2, where No. 1 represented students that were first in their class, while No. 2 represented those who were "orderly, correct and attentive." Meanwhile at Harvard, students were graded based on a numerical system from 1-200 (except for math and philosophy where 1-100 was used). Later, shortly after 1883, Harvard used a system of "Classes" where students were either Class I, II, III, IV, or V, with V representing a failing grade. All of these examples show the subjective, arbitrary, and inconsistent nature with which different institutions graded their students, demonstrating the need for a more standardized, albeit equally arbitrary grading system.

In 1887, Mount Holyoke College became the first college to use letter grades similar to those commonly used today. The college used a grading scale with the letters A, B, C, D, and E, where E represented a failing grade. This grading system however, was far stricter than those commonly used today, with a failing grade being defined as anything below 75%. The college later re-defined their grading system, adding the letter F for a failing grade (still below 75%). This system of using a letter grading scale became increasingly popular within colleges and high schools, eventually leading to the letter grading systems typically used today. However, there is still significant variation regarding what may constitute an A, or whether a system uses plusses or minuses (i.e. A+ or B-), among other differences.

An alternative to the letter grading system

Letter grades provide an easy means to generalize a student's performance. They can be more effective than qualitative evaluations in situations where "right" or "wrong" answers can be easily quantified, such as an algebra exam, but alone may not provide a student with enough feedback in regards to an assessment like a written paper (which is much more subjective).

Although a written analysis of each individual student's work may be a more effective form of feedback, there exists the argument that students and parents are unlikely to read the feedback, and that teachers do not have the time to write such an analysis. There is precedence for this type of evaluation system however, in Saint Ann's School in New York City, an arts-oriented private school that does not have a letter grading system. Instead, teachers write anecdotal reports for each student. This method of evaluation focuses on promoting learning and improvement, rather than the pursuit of a certain letter grade in a course. For better or for worse however, these types of programs constitute a minority in the United States, and though the experience may be better for the student, most institutions still use a fairly standard letter grading system that students will have to adjust to. The time investment that this type of evaluation method requires of teachers/professors is likely not viable on university campuses with hundreds of students per course. As such, although there are other high schools such as Sanborn High School that approach grading in a more qualitative way, it remains to be seen whether such grading methods can be scalable. Until then, more generalized forms of grading like the letter grading system are unlikely to be entirely replaced. However, many educators already try to create an environment that limits the role that grades play in motivating students. One could argue that a combination of these two systems would likely be the most realistic, and effective way to provide a more standardized evaluation of students, while promoting learning.

Grade Calculator

Use this weighted grade calculator to easily calculate the weighted average grade for a class or course. Enter letter grades (A, B-, C+, etc.) or percentage scores (75, 88, 92, etc.) achieved on all relevant exams, homework assignments, projects, verbal exams, etc. as well as their weights as percentages. Optionally, enter a final grade goal to estimate how much you need to score on your final exam in order to meet your goal.

Related calculators

• How to calculate your grade
• What grade do I need on my final?
• How to convert a grade to percentage?

    How to calculate your grade

With the help of this grade calculator you can calculate your current weighted grade or unweighted grade in terms of percentage, letter grade, or GPA. The tool will also output the weight of all remaining exams, and assignments and has the option of calculating the minimum score you need to obtain on a final exam in order to achieve a target overall grade for a class or course.

To use the calculator, enter the number of grades you currently have, then each grade as a percent or letter grade , and finally the weight each grade adds towards the overall. If no weights are entered, the weights are assumed equal and the calculator will output the unweighted average grade. Otherwise a weighted average grade will be produced in terms of percentage, GPA, and a letter grade.

    What grade do I need on my final?

If you haven't yet got a score on the final exam for a given class, you can use this tool as a final grade calculator. In order to achieve a given grade goal for the entire class, course, or semester, a given minimum grade is required on the final exam, depending on both the weighted average grade to that date, and the weight of the final on the overall grade. This minimum required score can be calculated using the following formula:

Required final score = (Grade Goal - Current Grade x (100% - Weight of Final(%))) / Weight of Final(%)

The current grade is calculated based on the weighted average of all marks to date. The weight of the final test is calculated as 100% minus the combined weight of all grades to date. Therefore, if the combined weight of the scores you enter is 65% then the final exam will have a weight of 100% - 65% = 35%.

    How to convert a grade to percentage?

Our grade calculator uses the following table to convert letter grades to percentages. Note that since this is not a universally applicable table, ideally one would want to know the exact percentage scores and use these as input for the calculator, otherwise the results may be slightly off.

Again, it is our recommendation that you check with your local school or college and enter percentage grades instead of letter grades for the most accurate calculation. Note that while U.S. colleges and schools are likely to use the above grading, educational institutions in other countries may use a vastly different GPA scale.

Cite this calculator & page

If you'd like to cite this online calculator resource and information as provided on the page, you can use the following citation: Georgiev G.Z., "Grade Calculator" , [online] Available at: https://www.gigacalculator.com/calculators/grade-calculator.php URL [Accessed Date: 18 May, 2024].

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E-Campus Faculty and Staff

Canvas gradebook: total points & weighted grades.

By:   Robyn Brown     

Canvas gradebook: grading systems.

Regardless of whether it is for a face-to-face, online, or hybrid course, or whether you are using Canvas, spreadsheet or pencil and paper, selecting the grading system you will use is the first step in building your course grade book. Grading systems dictate how the graded items in your course will calculate students’ final grades.

Graded items may include (but are not limited to):

• Participation scores
• Assignments (e.g. homework, readings, papers, labs, projects, presentations, etc)
• Discussions
• Quizzes/Exams

The two most frequently used systems are:

• Total Points: graded items are each worth a specific number of points that are combined to calculate the final grade
• Weighted Grades: graded items are assigned to categories; each category is assigned a percentage of the overall final grade totaling 100%

Total Points

In a Total Points system, each graded item is assigned a point value, any value. It is not necessary to use round or even numbers. Any figure will work.

To calculate individual student final grades, add up the total points earned on each graded item and divide that sum by the sum of the total maximum points assigned to each graded item. Multiply by 100 to get the percentage.

Student total points earned on graded items: 879 Maximum total points assigned to all graded items: 1019

879 points ÷ 1019 points = 0.8626 0.8626 x 100 = 86.26% Final Grade

There are several benefits to using a Total Points system for both student and instructor, including:

• Easy for students when they are looking at their overall course grade
• Easy for instructors to build their Gradebook

The most noteworthy drawback of a Total Points system is that it may impede flexibility if you are an instructor who likes to add graded items as you progress through a course. For example, let’s say that your class this term needs additional homework exercises in order to get more practice with the content. So, you add 5 more homework assignments. Depending on the value of points assigned, adding the extra homework assignments may significantly increase the influence of homework scores, and decrease the influence of exam scores, on the final grade. In other words, the proportions of graded assignments in calculating the final grade may no longer reflect the most important aspects of the course. You may also direct them to the What If? grade function in Canvas, which allows students to calculate their overall grade by entering hypothetical (aka What if...?) grades for assignments.

Additional Notes

• The sum of the maximum point values for all assignments combined does not need to equal 100 (in fact, it probably shouldn't to make it easier on you!), nor does it even have to be a nice, round number. Any maximum total point value for your class will work.
• Although it is not necessary to assign your graded items to 'categories' in a Total Points system, you may find it helpful to have the assignments categorized. Canvas shows grades based on individual assignments as well as categories. Looking at graded items and grades categorically may make it easier to identify areas of concern more quickly, as well as a quick way to examine distribution of points.
• One thing you need to ensure is that the maximum points assigned to each graded item reflects how much you want each item to be ‘worth’ in the big picture (aka. Final Grade). For example, if you were to assign a maximum points value of 50 points to each of your 20 homework assignments (for a total of 1000 points for homework), and a maximum points value of 100 points each to your mid-term and final exams (for a total of 200 points for exam grades), final grade scores in your course would be heavily skewed toward performances on homework as opposed to exams. In other words, the weight of a graded item in the calculation of the final grade is directly tied to the number of points assigned to that item in comparison to values assigned to the other items. It is important to be aware of how you’ve balanced the assignments across the gradebook.

Weighted Grades

In a weighted grading system, individual assignments are grouped into Assignment Categories. Each Category is worth a percentage of the Final Grade, combining to equal 100% of the final grade. e.g. Discussions 25%, Labs 15%, Papers 35%, and Exams 25% = 100% Final Grade Individual graded assignments in any category may be assigned any value of points, but their contribution towards the category they belong to, and the final grade, is the percentage value (weight) assigned to them.

You can weight final grades based on assignment groups. Selecting this option assigns a weight to each assignment group, not the assignments themselves. Within each assignment group, a percentage is calculated by dividing the total points a student has earned by the total points possible for all assignments in that group.

For example, if an assignment group included three assignments totaling 25 points, and a student's scores totaled 15 points, the student would earn 60% for the assignment group (15/25). This percentage is then multiplied by the selected group weight. Each assignment group calculation is added together to create the final grade.

There are several benefits to using a Weighted Grades system for both student and instructor, including:

• Helpful to students as they monitor performance through scores calculated within each assignment category.
• Greater flexibility to add or remove graded items as needed without affecting the overall point structure for the course.

Some may argue that one of the disadvantages of using Weighted Grades is that students may have trouble identifying which graded items are more ‘important’ if they are accustomed to a Total Points system in which more points equals more important. With a little bit of coaching, students may begin to understand how the system works. You may also direct them to the What If? grade function in Canvas , which allows students to calculate their overall grade by entering hypothetical (aka ‘What if...?) grades for assignments. Weighted Grades is also perceived as ‘complicated’ for the instructor. With some planning and thoughtful construction, grading in a Weighted Grading system is no different than in a Total Points system.

• Instructors may predetermine how much of the student’s final grade will come from each category - although this may also be structured using a Total Points system, Weighted Grades affords greater flexibility to add or remove graded items as needed without affecting the overall point structure for the course.
• Since it’s the category’s weight (combined %) and not that of an individual graded item’s value that informs the final grade, it is important to note that final grades are inaccurate until all the items in the category are graded. Therefore, it is difficult to share final grades with students before the end of a course.
• It is also possible to have a category weighted at 0% of the overall grade, which maybe useful for “no-stakes” engagements such as Module 0 or practice assignments.
• Extra Credit in a weighted system (managed in Canvas) is a bit persnickity. It is not as easy as simply adding an extra credit assignment worth 0 points as you can in a Total Points system. Rather, extra credit assignments may be housed within an existing assignment group that has at least one assignment worth more than zero points. Then, when the student completes the extra credit assignment, you may manually enter the points to the Gradebook.

List of all Canvas Guides related to the ‘Grades’ in Canvas

Video: Canvas Assignments Overview

Video: Canvas Gradebook Overview

Canvas Guide: What are Grades and the Gradebook?

Canvas Guide: How do I use the Gradebook?

Canvas Guide: How do I weight the final course grade based on assignment groups?

Canvas Guide: How do I add an Assignment group in a course?

Canvas Guide: How do I curve grades in the Gradebook?

Canvas Guide: How do I give extra credit in a course?

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Coursework/GPA

Most students think a lot about their GPA in high school. There's no doubt that GPA is one of the most important pieces of information colleges will consider in your application. However, GPA can vary drastically in the way it's calculated at different schools. Some high schools use unweighted GPAs and some use weighted GPAs. I'll give you an overview of the differences between the two and what each type of GPA might mean in the context of your personal experiences.

Basic Differences Between Weighted and Unweighted GPAs

So what are weighted and unweighted GPAs? In short, unweighted GPAs do not take course difficulty level into account and weighted GPAs do. Let’s unpack these differences below. 

Unweighted GPA

Traditionally, GPA is calculated on an unweighted scale. Unweighted GPA is measured on a scale of 0 to 4.0. It doesn't take the difficulty of a student's coursework into account. An unweighted GPA represents an A as a 4.0 whether it was earned in an honors class, AP class, or lower-level class.

Weighted GPA

Weighted GPA is often used by high schools to better represent students' academic accomplishments. Weighted GPA takes into account course difficulty rather than providing the same letter grade to GPA conversion for every student. Usually, weighted GPA is measured on a scale of 0 to 5.0 , although some scales go higher. An A in an AP class may translate into a 5.0 weighted GPA, while an A in a regular-level class would give you a 4.0 weighted GPA. Many schools also have mid-level classes (such as honors classes) where the highest weighted GPA you can earn is a 4.5.

Weighted vs Unweighted GPAs: Differences in Calculation

As you might expect, unweighted and weighted GPAs are calculated differently. In this section we give an in-depth explanation of how to calculate both GPA types.

Unweighted GPA is much simpler to calculate than weighted GPA. This is because you don't have to consider the levels of your classes in the calculations. Let's say you're taking five classes, and you have As in two of them and Bs in three of them. The two As will each translate to 4.0s, and the three Bs will each translate to 3.0s. If you add 4.0 + 4.0 + 3.0 + 3.0 + 3.0 and then divide by five, you'll get an unweighted GPA of 3.4.

If your grades aren't quite as simple as that, here's a quick letter grade and percentage to GPA conversion chart to make things easier.

Most schools more or less follow this scale for unweighted GPAs. Yours may be slightly different, but it shouldn't vary too much.

The calculations for weighted GPA can get a little more tricky because you may be taking a variety of courses at different academic levels. Going with the example that we used for unweighted GPA, let's say once again that you're taking five classes and getting As in two of them and Bs in three of them. But this time let's also say that one A is in a regular-level class, one A is in an honors class, two Bs are in AP classes, and one B is in an honors class.

How is your weighted GPA calculated? Well, each grade has to be considered in conjunction with class level. This means using the unweighted GPA conversion scale for grades in regular-level classes, adding 0.5 to the scale for mid-level/honors classes, and adding 1.0 for high level/AP classes. This means:

• The A in a regular-level class would still be a 4.0
• The A in an honors class would be a 4.5
• The two Bs in AP classes would each be 4.0s
• The B in the honors class would be a 3.5

If you add 4.0 + 4.5 + 4.0 + 4.0 + 3.5 and divide by 5, you get a 4.0 weighted GPA. Remember, not all schools will use this exact weighted GPA scale, but as you can see, there can be a big difference between the numbers you get for unweighted GPA and weighted GPA based on the types of classes you're taking.

Even if two students have identical grades, one might have a weighted GPA that's a full point higher than the other. Let's say you have a 3.2 unweighted GPA and are taking five classes. If even two out of the five classes are honors or AP and the rest are regular-level, your GPA would get bumped up to a 3.6 on a weighted scale. A slight difference in the levels of your classes can make a big difference in your weighted GPA.

Do Colleges Look at Weighted or Unweighted GPAs?

So, do colleges care more about your weighted or unweighted GPA? The short answer is that most colleges care somewhat more about weighted GPAs because they do a better job showing the difficulty of the classes you took.

However, colleges care more about your entire record of coursework than just your GPA out of context. They'll look to see which classes you took, how difficult those classes typically are, and what your class rank is. All of these factors are going to give them a better understanding of your GPA. So, when you're wondering which GPA is more important, the real answer is that colleges will look at all the information they're given to get the best idea of your academic skills. They won't just glance at your GPA and decide whether it's a good number or not without looking at other factors.

If your transcript shows increasing difficulty in your coursework, this will look impressive to colleges, even if your GPA isn't perfect. If you have a 4.0 GPA but took all the least challenging classes in high school, colleges will be less impressed since you didn't push yourself academically. This means you should continue working on taking difficult classes and getting high grades in them in order to be as impressive as possible.

The good news? We can help you ace your AP exams and improve your GPA! Through our AP Test Tutoring program , you can get one-on-one help from experts who aced the tests themselves. Whether you’re looking to get a great score in math, science, social science, or language, our experienced tutors can help you get there.

What Does All of This Mean for You?

Whether your school uses weighted or unweighted GPA can impact your class rank and experiences in the college admissions process . It’s important to know the differences and where your weighted and unweighted GPAs stand so you know how your application will stack up against other applicants’.

If Your School Uses Unweighted GPAs…

Admissions committees look at your coursework in conjunction with your GPA to reach conclusions about your academic potential. They understand that some schools do not take the difficulty of students' classes into consideration when calculating GPA. If you take challenging classes but don't have a perfect GPA, you will look better in the college admissions process than someone in regular-level classes who has a 4.0.

It may be harder for your GPA to stand out from your classmates’ when class difficulty is not a factor in the calculation, because more students will have GPAs that are at the same level.  If class rank is based purely on unweighted GPA, your class rank may not reflect the effort you expended. Students with a lot of AP classes can have lower unweighted GPAs than students who took less difficult classes despite being more academically driven.

Don't worry too much, though. College admissions officers are aware of the limits of the unweighted system, and they will look closely at your course record to determine whether your GPA is an accurate reflection of your academic potential.

If Your School Uses Weighted GPAs…

First off, you should know that having a 4.0 weighted GPA doesn't mean you can get into any college. A 4.0 may be the commonly accepted gold standard, but with weighted GPAs everything shifts upward. A truly elite GPA under the weighted system will actually be close to a 5.0 , so you will need to make sure you adapt your concept of what constitutes a high GPA to fit this model.

With a weighted GPA, your class rank is more likely to reflect your academic drive and ability because your GPA is a reflection of both your grades and the levels of the classes in which you earned them. You'll have a higher rank than someone who earns the same grades as you in lower level classes.

Weighted GPAs mean that you need to be careful because they can be deceptive. A lot of the advice that's out there is targeted towards unweighted GPAs, so you'll need to adjust your thinking to account for the size of the GPA scale at your school.

The bottom line is that colleges will look deeper than the raw numbers when evaluating your high school academic record regardless of whether your GPA is weighted or unweighted. Admissions officers will be able to tell which classes you took and how much you pushed yourself, so your GPA by itself becomes only one part of a much larger picture.

You will also be required to lift the weight of your GPA times 40 in order to walk at graduation, so start training. Why do you think valedictorians are always so ripped?

Your high school GPA may be measured on either an unweighted or weighted scale. The main difference between the two is that weighted GPAs take into account the difficulty of your coursework and unweighted GPAs don't. Most unweighted GPAs are recorded on a scale of 0 to 4.0, and most weighted GPAs are recorded on a scale of 0 to 5.0.

For the most part, whether your high school uses unweighted or weighted GPA shouldn't affect you in the college application process. Colleges will look at your GPA, but they will also consider the bigger picture. Their greatest concern is that you've managed to challenge yourself intellectually with your coursework. GPA is important, but proof of your determination and perseverance in the face of academic struggles is often more impressive than a 4.0.

It doesn’t have to be a struggle, though— our AP Test Tutoring program can help you get the AP scores you want so you can build up that GPA and stand out on your college applications. Get started with our expert tutors today!

What's Next?

Want more information about how to interpret your GPA in the college search process? Find out what it means to have a good or bad GPA for college.

Is your GPA above average? Do you need to work on bringing it up? Learn more about the average high school GPA.

Your college GPA may end up being very different from your high school GPA. Read this article about average GPAs in college to see what might be in store.

Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.

Ask a Question Below

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How to Calculate Weighted Average

Last Updated: April 30, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Mario Banuelos, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Megaera Lorenz, PhD . Mario Banuelos is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at California State University, Fresno. With over eight years of teaching experience, Mario specializes in mathematical biology, optimization, statistical models for genome evolution, and data science. Mario holds a BA in Mathematics from California State University, Fresno, and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of California, Merced. Mario has taught at both the high school and collegiate levels. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,428,131 times.

A weighted average, otherwise known as a weighted mean, is a little more complicated to figure out than a regular arithmetic mean. As the name suggests, a weighted average is one where the different numbers you’re working with have different values, or weights, relative to each other. For example, you may need to find a weighted average if you’re trying to calculate your grade in a class where different assignments are worth different percentages of your total grade. The procedure you use will be a little different depending on whether or not your total weights add up to 1 (or 100%).

Calculating Weighted Average When the Weights Add up to 1

• For instance, maybe your total grades are 82 for quizzes, 90 on your exam, and 76 on your term paper.

• In order to use these percentages in your calculation, you’ll need to convert them to decimal form. The resulting numbers are called “weighting factors.”

Tip: Converting a percentage to a decimal is simple! Place a decimal point at the end of the percentage value, then move it over 2 places to the left. For example, 75% becomes 0.75.

• For example, if your total quiz score is 82 and quizzes are worth 20% of your grade, multiply 82 x 0.2. In this case, x=82 and w=0.2.

• The weighted average for your quiz grades, exam, and term paper would be as follows: 82(0.2) + 90(0.35) + 76(0.45) = 16.4 + 31.5 + 34.2 = 82.1. This means you have a grade of 82.1% in the course.

Averaging Weights That Don’t Add up to 1

• For example, maybe you’re trying to figure out how many hours of sleep you get each night on average over the course of 15 weeks, but it varies from week to week. You may sleep 5, 8, 4, or 7 hours a night.

• 9 weeks when you slept 7 hours a night on average.
• 3 weeks when you slept 5 hours a night.
• 2 weeks when you slept 8 hours a night.
• 1 week when you slept 4 hours a night.
• The number of weeks associated with each number of hours is your weighting factor. In this case, you slept 7 hours a night during most weeks, while there were relatively few weeks when you slept more or fewer hours.

• The total number of weeks you looked at adds up as follows: 3 weeks + 2 weeks + 1 week + 9 weeks = 15 weeks.

• 5 hours per night (3 weeks) + 8 hours per night (2 weeks) + 4 hours per night (1 week) + 7 hours per night (9 weeks) = 5(3) + 8(2) + 4(1) + 7(9) = 15 + 16 + 4 + 63 = 98

• 98/15 = 6.53. This means you slept an average of 6.53 hours each night over the course of 15 weeks.

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• ↑ https://sciencing.com/calculate-weighted-average-5328019.html
• ↑ http://financeformulas.net/Weighted_Average.html
• ↑ Mario Banuelos, PhD. Assistant Professor of Mathematics. Expert Interview. 11 December 2021.
• ↑ https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/math/weighted-average-calculator.html
• ↑ https://www.mathsisfun.com/data/weighted-mean.html

About This Article

To calculate weighted average, first find the weight of each number you’re working with. For example, let’s say you’re trying to find the weighted average of your grades in a class. You got 82 on quizzes, 90 on exams, and 76 on your term paper. If quizzes are 20% of your grade, exams are 35%, and the final paper is 45%, that means the weight of 82 is 20%, the weight of 90 is 35%, and the weight of 76 is 45%. Convert the weights into decimals by moving the decimal point 2 places to the left. Now you have 0.2, 0.35, and 0.45. These decimals are called weighting factors. The next step is to multiply each number by its weighting factor. In our example, you would multiply 82 by 0.2, 90 by 0.35, and 76 by 0.45 and get 16.4, 31.5, and 34.2. Finally, add all of these products together to find the weighted average. 16.4 + 31.5 + 34.2 equals 82.1. Therefore, the weighted average of your grades is 82.1%. To learn how to calculate a weighted average when the weights don’t add up to 1, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Calculating weighted grades is an important part when the different numbers you’re working with have different values. In some cases, it is not enough regarding how to calculate grades to assess your academic performance since it doesn’t work for some educational establishments. They consider the figure reflecting a weighted grade to be more accurate and relevant since it reflects the weight of each and every academic assignment and activity. Such a request adds extra trouble to the applicant since the calculation is a bit challenging and tricky, but not too much. If you do not know how to calculate weighted grades, we are ready to help you. Read further to know the easiest approaches to the calculation. If that's an admission we're talking about, this might be risky. Best let  college admission essay writers  handle papers for you.

What Is Weighted Average: Definition

The main feature of the weighted average point is that it is a calculated student performance indicator that takes into account the importance of each type of work with an assigned value to it. How does it work? It is either a teacher or the administration of the educational establishment who sets the “ weight ” for each type of work, which is reflected further in the score calculation. In other words, teachers and professors sometimes assign more weight to some particular exams or assignments they consider more valuable. This means that those pieces of work contribute more to your final grade.  

Keep reading to find out how to estimate weighted grade or leave this job to StudyCrumb's weighted grade calculator . 

What Is the Difference between the Weighted Average and the GPA

Before we explain how to calculate weighted grades, let’s figure out the main difference between the GPA and the weighted average point. Although the two may seem to be the same, they have their own distinctive features. Looking how to calculate your GPA , simply remember it's the sum of all scores divided by their number. You can simply calculate your average test scores and figure out what your final grade will be. On the other hand, the weighted average score is calculated taking into account their weight, that is, the importance coefficient of each assignment. Thus, the figure is a more objective indicator of the academic performance of a student. The value can be selected between 1 and 10 and is supposed to display how important a particular assignment is. For example, the weight of the homework assignment is 2; course work has the value of 6; the weighting factor of quizzes is 8, while the same for an exam is 10.  

Not satisfied with the final result? Get expert help with essay writing or other academic assignments at StudyCrumb.  

How to Calculate a Weighted Average: The Easiest Way

Now we will show you how to calculate your average grade. Each type of academic activity/ task/ assignment has its own fixed weight. And it is this weight that is used in calculating average score. By default, all tasks have a standard weight of 1, and the system calculates the average score as the arithmetic mean . If you set the weight for any type of work other than 1, the system will calculate a weighted average score with a new value being reflected in the final result. You can calculate the weighted grade by using the suggested formulas:  

• The average score = “the sum of the multiplication of the academic activities to their weights” divided by “the sum of the weights”

In case the averaging weights don’t add up to 1 and you have a number of hours per every assignment/ activity, there is another weighted average formula for you to use:

• The average score = “the sum of the multiplication weighting factor to a number of hours” divided by “the sum of all the weights”

Note:  Compared to the grade curve , the average weighted score may be equal to the average score if all the work weights are equal. The average score is available in the grade record book if the administrators of the educational establishment have included it. If there is no such an indicator in the student’s home-school book, then either the weight of the work is not assigned to a particular task or the weighted average score is not used at all. Another reason could be limited access for parents and students to view the average score. In this case, parents need to contact the school administration. By the way, knowing  how to get good grades is something you should learn, too.

Calculating Weighted Grades: Example

So, let’s look at the example of calculating weighted average when the weights add up to 1. First, you should gather the numbers you would like to average. Let’s imagine that your total grades for quizzes are 74, 85 for exam, and 70 on your term paper. Then, to calculate weighted grade, you have to identify the weight value of each. All the weights should add up to 1 (or 100%). So, let’s suggest that quizzes you take in class are valued 25% of your total grade. The exam is worth 35%, and the term paper is 40% of your total grade. Consequently, you have to transform these percentages to use them in your calculations. To convert them all you have to do is to place a decimal point at the end of the percentage value, then move it over 2 places to the left. For example, 73% becomes 0.73. By converting your weight percentage to decimal form you will get weighting factors you will use in your calculations. According to this example, all your numbers will look like this:  

After that, you have to multiply each number by its weighting factor. If your total quiz score is 74, and it has a value of 25% of your total grade, then multiply 74 x 0.25. As a result, 74 x 0.25 = 18.5. Then, do the same action with exam and term  paper grades . Let’s look at the table for better understanding:  

The final touch is going to be adding the resulting numbers together to find the weighted average. 18.5 + 29.75 + 28 = 76.25 So, your final grade is 76.25% in the course. Now you know all the steps to calculate weighted average.  

What Are the Distinctive Features of Weighted Grades?

More and more educational establishments are starting assigning weighted grades to different types of academic tasks and activities. What is the reason for that? What purpose do these pursue? Targeted towards providing objective and 100% reasonable academic performance evaluation, teachers are gradually using the special grade system with weight criteria instead of the average grade point when calculating the final score for a particular course or class. By assigning weighted mean to a specific academic activity, the importance of different tasks is set up, which allows a teacher to evaluate a student’s work in a classroom, at home, and during an exam. Thus, maximum accuracy and objectivity are reached. What is more, by knowing the weight of each academic assignment, a student can prioritize his time more wisely.  

Calculating Weighted Grades: Final Thoughts

If you followed all the instructions, you probably noticed that calculating weighted grades is simple. Use one of our guides any time you have to calculate grades with percentages .

If you still do not know how to calculate weighted average without making a fatal flaw, then it is better you consult your teacher or ask our academic writing service for help. In the second case, you need to know all the weights of academic activities. Once you provide this data to our professionals, they perform all the necessary operations - and you get the figure in a few minutes. Zero involvement and efforts from your side are needed.  

Rachel R. Hill is a real educational devotee. She prides in writing exceptional general guides while listening to every need of students.

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Weighted grades

Weighted grades are used in college, university and even high school courses by educators in order to determine how tests, assignments, projects and other factors should count towards the final grade. For example, a teacher may choose to make the results of an exam worth 50 percent of a student’s total class grade, while assignments account for 25 percent and participation marks are worth another 25 percent.

Weighted grades refer to the different levels of importance a professor may assign to certain classwork. Weighted grades are seen to be a fair and equitable method for determining a student’s final mark, especially when the student is aware of how a particular class or course is being weighted. However, critics of weighted grades argue that knowledge of the course mark breakdowns may disincentivize students from trying to excel at aspects of coursework that count less towards their final mark.

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Teaching resources, more terms starting with w, web-enhanced classes, weighted grades.

Weighted Average Calculator

• Let's start from the beginning: what is a weighted average?

How to calculate a weighted average

Weighted average formula, weighted vs. unweighted gpa for high school, different averages: arithmetic, geometric, harmonic.

To understand how a weighted average calculator works, you must first understand what a weighted average is. Weighted average has nothing to do with weight conversion, but people sometimes confuse these two concepts. The typical average, or mean, is when all values are added and divided by the total number of values. We can compute this using our average calculator , by hand, or by using a hand-held calculator since all the values have equal weights.

But what happens when values have different weights , which means that they're not equally important? Below you will see how to calculate the weighted mean using the weighted average formula. Also, you'll find examples where the weighted average method may be used - like e.g. calculation of the GPA, average grade, or your final grade.

Prefer watching over reading? Learn all you need in 90 seconds with this video we made for you :

Let's start from the beginning: what is a weighted average?

Weighted average (weighted arithmetic mean) is a concept similar to standard arithmetic mean (called simply the average ), but in the weighted average, not all elements contribute equally to the final result. We can say that some values are more important than others, so they are multiplied by a coefficient called the weight .

For example, during your studies, you may encounter a situation where the grade from an exam is two times more important than the grade from a quiz - and that's exactly what we call the weighted average method. To define it in a more mathematical way, we can write the weighted average formula as:

where x 1 x_1 x 1 ​ , x 2 x_2 x 2 ​ ,…, x n x_n x n ​ are our numbers, and w 1 w_1 w 1 ​ , w 2 w_2 w 2 ​ ,…, w n w_n w n ​ are our weights - the importance of the numbers in averaging.

So, having an A from an exam and a C from a quiz, you'd get a B as a standard average, but assuming that the exam is two times more important, you should get a B+ .

🙋 If you're running a business, you may be interested in checking our WACC calculator , which concerns the Weighted Average Cost of Capital.

One type of average which is typically weighted is a grade point average. As the calculation of GPA may sometimes be tricky, we've created two dedicated tools: the high school GPA and the college GPA calculator — have you checked them yet?

Let's find out how to calculate a weighted average - the easiest way is to look at the simple example:

Suppose a student has two four-credit classes, a three-credit class, and a two-credit class. Assume that the grades of the courses are as follows:

• A for a four-credit class;
• B for the other four credit class;
• A for the three credit class; and
• C+ for the two credit class.

Then, we need to translate the letter grades into numerical values. Most schools in the US use a so-called 4.0 GPA scale, which is a 4-point grading scale. The table below shows a typical letter grade/GPA conversion system:

So from the table, we know that A = 4.0, B = 3.0, and C+ = 2.3. Now that we have all the information, we can have a look at how to calculate the GPA using a weighted average method:

• Sum the number of credits. 4 + 4 + 3 + 2 = 13 , that was a really easy step.
• Take the value assigned to the grade and multiply it by the number of credits. In our case, it will be:
• A · 4 credits = 4.0 · 4 = 16 ;
• B · 4 credits = 3.0 · 4 = 12 ;
• A · 3 credits = 4.0 · 3 = 12 ;
• C · 2 credits = 2.3 · 2 = 4.6 .
• Add all the values. 16 + 12 + 12 + 4.6 = 44.6 .
• Divide the sum by the total number of credits. So, for our example, it's equal to 44.6/13 = 3.43

We may write the whole weighted average formula as:

(4 · 4 + 4 · 3 + 3 · 4 + 2.3 · 2) / (4 + 4 + 3 + 2) = 3.43

Let's compare this result to an average that is not weighted. Then we don't take the credits into account, and we divide the sum of grades by its total number.

(4 + 3 + 4 + 2.3) / 4 = 3.33

Notice how the weighted average changed. Sometimes it may be a really significant difference - like a grade difference or even whether you pass or fail your course.

Let's repeat what the weighted average formula looks like:

But what does it mean? To figure out how to calculate a weighted average, we need to know the weight of each value. Typically, we present the weights in the form of a percentage or (in statistics) a probability of occurrence.

For example, let's suppose that exams, quizzes, and homework assignments all contribute to a class's grade. Each of the three exams is worth 25 percent of the grade, the quizzes are worth 15 percent, and the homework assignments are worth 10 percent. To calculate the average, you multiply the percentage by the grades and add them together. If the test scores are 75, 90, and 88, the quiz average is 70, and the homework grade is 86, the weighted average is as follows:

(0.25 · 75 + 0.25 · 90 + 0.25 · 88 + 0.15 · 70 + 0.10 · 86) / 1 = 82.35

Compare this to a non-weighted average of (75 + 90 + 88 + 70 + 86) / 5 = 81.8

In statistics, you will often encounter a discrete probability distribution that has values for x and their associated probabilities. Since the probabilities for each value of x will likely not all be the same, we can apply the weighted average formula. Simply multiply each x value by its probability of occurring and sum the values.

🙋 In case you need to estimate the geometric mean, Omni's geometric mean calculator will come in handy.

We often use a weighted average to calculate the so-called weighted GPA . It's a term that rarely appears in the context of college GPA (although college GPA is computed using a weighted average method, with courses credits as weights) but is usually used for high school GPA. Let's have a closer look at this topic.

The first thing we need to emphasize: you need to be precise about what you want to take into account during weighting - credits, course difficulty, or maybe both these factors ?

Course difficulty is taken into account in most weighted GPA calculations. It rewards you for taking classes of a higher level by adding extra points to your grade. There are a couple of types of more demanding courses which influence your weighted GPA score:

• AP Courses (Advanced Placement Courses) usually give you an additional 1 point to your standard GPA score;
• IB Courses (International Baccalaureate Courses) are also rewarded with 1 extra point;
• College Prep classes can also add 1 point to your grade; and
• Honors Courses most often give you an additional 0.5 points (although you can find examples of schools where it's awarded with 1 point).

So, what are the options for weighing in High school GPA calculations? Let's define:

Unweighted GPA , as the GPA where we DON'T care about course difficulty :

a) and we DON'T care about course credits:

High School GPA = Σ grade value / Σ courses

b) and we DO care about course credits:

High School GPA = Σ (grade value · credits) / Σ credits

Weighted GPA , as the GPA where we DO care about course difficulty :

High School GPA = Σ (weighted grade value) / Σ courses

High School GPA = Σ (weighted grade value · credits)/ Σ credits

It may look a bit overwhelming, but let's have a look at a hypothetical results sheet, and everything should be clear:

• 1 a) Unweighted GPA: we DON'T care about course difficulty and credits.

All the courses have the same grade scale and credits, no matter the course difficulty. So we may convert our grades into numbers:

Then, we can calculate the unweighted GPA as follows:

Unweighted High School GPA = Σ grade value / Σ courses

= (4.0 + 3.3 + 2.3 + 3.7) / 4 = 13.3 / 4 = 3.325 ≈ 3.33

Did you notice that it's a standard average? It's just summing all scores and dividing the result by the total number of observations (4 courses).

• 1 b) Unweighted GPA: we DON'T care about course difficulty, but we DO care about credits.

Things are getting more complicated when we consider the course credits. Some sources ignore the course's credits for unweighted GPA scores, but others keep them. So, if your classes have some credits/points, you can calculate the weighted average of grades and credits (but still, it's not the thing we usually name the weighted GPA ):

Then, the GPA will be equal to:

= (4.0 · 0.5 + 3.3 · 1 + 2.3 · 0.5 + 3.7 · 1) / (0.5 + 1 + 0.5 + 1)

= 10.15 / 3 = 3.38333… ≈ 3.38

The courses with higher credits value have better marks in our example, so the overall GPA is also higher.

• 2 a) Weighted GPA: we DO care about course difficulty and DON'T care about course credits.

Depending on the course type, the letter grades are translated to different numerical values:

Continuing with our example, now our four classes have the course type assigned:

As two courses are not standard classes, they get extra points ( A from Maths - 4.5 instead of 4.0, as it's an Honors course, A- from English - 4.7 instead of 3.7, as it's an AP course).

The formula for the calculation of weighted GPA is:

Weighted High School GPA = Σ (weighted grade value) / Σ courses

= (4.5 + 3.3 + 2.3 + 4.7) / 4 = 14.8 / 4 = 3.7 ,

where weighted grade value is a:

• grade value + 0 for Regular courses;
• grade value + 0.5 for Honors courses; and
• grade value + 1 for AP/IB/College Prep courses.

So we omitted the courses' credits, but we've considered the course's difficulty. And finally, we have

• 2 b) Weighted GPA: we DO care about course difficulty and DO care about course credits.

So if you're taking into account both credits and course difficulty, then the result is:

Weighted High School GPA = Σ (weighted grade value · credits) / Σ credits

= (4.5 · 0.5 + 3.3 · 1 + 2.3 · 0.5 + 4.7 · 1) / (0.5 + 1 + 0.5 + 1) = 11.4 / 3 = 3.8

That wasn't so hard, was it?

Now that you understood what a weighted average is let's compare different averages. We've prepared for you a table that sums up all the important information about four different means:

General formulas for means look as follows:

• Arithmetic mean:
• Geometric mean:
• Harmonic mean:
• Weighted mean

How to calculate my weighted average if my course work is worth 40%?

Assuming that your test score is worth 60% , and the coursework and test scores are expressed as fractions of 100 , follow these steps to calculate the weighted average:

• Multiply the coursework score by 2 and the test score by 3 .
• Add the results together and divide by the total of the weights: 5 .

How do I calculate weighted average?

To calculate the weighted average, follow these steps:

• Get the weight of each number.
• Multiply each number by its weight.
• Add all of the results from Step 2 together.
• Add all of the weights together.
• Divide the answer from Step 3 by the answer in Step 4 .

How do I calculate the weighted average of my purchases?

If you purchased three products of different quantities:

• 5 packs of acrylic paint at $19.99;
• 3 packs of paint brushes at $13.99; and
• 2 art canvases at $25.00.

Use the following steps to calculate the weighted average of your spending:

• Multiplying the price by the quantity: 5 × 19.99 = $99.95 3 × 13.99 = $41.97 2 × 25.00 = $50
• Find the total spent: 99.95 + 41.97 + 50 = $191.92
• Find the number of products sold: 5 + 3 + 2 = 10
• Find the weighted average: 191.92/10 = $19.19

What is the weighted averages of the cost of my stationary?

Assuming that you purchased:

• 3 packs of pencils at $5 each;
• 2 packs of paper at $10.00 each; and
• 5 packs of pens at $15.00.

Your weighted average is $11.

To calculate this, we find the total amount of money spent by following these steps:

• Find the amount of money spent.
• Find the total amount of items purchased.
• Divide the answer in Step 1 by the answer in Step 2.

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Weighted Average: Definition and How It Is Calculated and Used

What Is Weighted Average?

A weighted average is a calculation that takes into account the varying degrees of importance of the numbers in a data set. A weighted average can be more accurate than a simple average in which all numbers in a data set are assigned an identical weight.

Key Takeaways

• The weighted average takes into account the relative importance or frequency of some factors in a data set.
• A weighted average is sometimes more accurate than a simple average.
• In a weighted average, each data point value is multiplied by the assigned weight, which is then summed and divided by the number of data points.
• A weighted average can improve the data’s accuracy.
• Stock investors use a weighted average to track the cost basis of shares bought at varying times.

Weighted Average

Paige McLaughlin / Investopedia

What Is the Purpose of a Weighted Average?

In calculating a simple average, or arithmetic mean , all numbers are treated equally and assigned equal weight. But a weighted average assigns weights that determine in advance the relative importance of each data point. In calculating a weighted average, each number in the data set is multiplied by a predetermined weight before the final calculation is made.

A weighted average is most often computed to equalize the frequency of the values in a data set. For example, a survey may gather enough responses from every age group to be considered statistically valid, but the 18 to 34 age group may have fewer respondents than all others relative to their share of the population . The survey team may weigh the results of the 18 to 34 age group so that their views are represented proportionately.

However, values in a data set may be weighted for other reasons than the frequency of occurrence. For example, if students in a dance class are graded on skill, attendance, and manners, the grade for skill may be given greater weight than the other factors.

Each data point value in a weighted average is multiplied by the assigned weight, which is then summed and divided by the number of data points. The final average number reflects the relative importance of each observation and is thus more descriptive than a simple average. It also has the effect of smoothing out the data and enhancing its accuracy.

Weighting a Stock Portfolio

Investors usually build a position in a stock over a period of several years. That makes it tough to keep track of the cost basis on those shares and their relative changes in value. The investor can calculate a weighted average of the share price paid for the shares. To do so, multiply the number of shares acquired at each price by that price, add those values, then divide the total value by the total number of shares.

A weighted average is arrived at by determining in advance the relative importance of each data point.

For example, say an investor acquires 100 shares of a company in year one at $10, and 50 shares of the same stock in year two at $40. To get a weighted average of the price paid, the investor multiplies 100 shares by $10 for year one and 50 shares by $40 for year two, then adds the results to get a total of $3,000. Then the total amount paid for the shares, $3,000 in this case, is divided by the number of shares acquired over both years, 150, to get the weighted average price paid of $20.

This average is now weighted with respect to the number of shares acquired at each price, not just the absolute price.

The weighted average is sometimes also called the weighted mean.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Weighted Average

Pros of weighted average.

Weighted average provides a more accurate representation of data when different values within a dataset hold varying degrees of importance. By assigning weights to each value based on their significance, weighted averages ensure that more weight is given to data points that have a greater impact on the overall result. This allows for a more nuanced analysis and decision-making process.

Next, weighted averages are particularly useful for handling skewed distributions or outliers within a dataset. Instead of being overly influenced by extreme values, weighted averages take into account the relative importance of each data point. This means you can "manipulate" your data set so it's more relevant, especially when you don't want to consider extreme values.

Thirdly, weighted averages offer flexibility in their application across various fields and disciplines. Whether in finance, statistics, engineering, or manufacturing , weighted averages can be customized to suit specific needs and objectives. For instance, like we discussed above, weighted averages are commonly used to calculate portfolio returns where the weights represent the allocation of assets. Weighted averages can also be used in the manufacturing process to determine the right combination of goods to use.

Cons of Weighted Average

One downside of a weighted average is the potential for subjectivity in determining the weights assigned to each data point. Deciding on the appropriate weights can be challenging, and it often involves subjective judgment where you don't actually know the weight to attribute. This subjectivity can introduce bias into the analysis and undermine the reliability of the weighted average.

Weighted averages may be sensitive to changes in the underlying data or weighting scheme. Small variations in the weights or input values can lead to significant fluctuations in the calculated average, making the results less stable and harder to interpret. This sensitivity can be particularly problematic in scenarios where the weights are based on uncertain or volatile factors which may include human emotion (i.e. are you confident you'll feel the same about the appropriate weights over time?).

Last, the interpretation of weighted averages can be more complex compared to simple arithmetic means. Though weighted averages provide a single summary statistic, they may make it tough to understand the full scope of the relationship across data points. Therefore, it's essential to carefully assess how the weights are assigned and the values are clearly communicated to those who interpret the results.

Accurate representation via weighted significance, aiding nuanced decision-making.

Handles outliers, mitigating extreme value influence for relevance.

Flexible across fields, tailor needs, or objectives.

Subjectivity in determining weights introduces bias and undermines reliability.

Sensitivity to changes in data or weighting scheme affects stability.

Adds complexity compared to arithmetic mean, potentially obscuring analysis

Examples of Weighted Averages

Weighted averages show up in many areas of finance besides the purchase price of shares, including portfolio returns , inventory accounting, and valuation. When a fund that holds multiple securities is up 10% on the year, that 10% represents a weighted average of returns for the fund with respect to the value of each position in the fund.

For inventory accounting, the weighted average value of inventory accounts for fluctuations in commodity prices, for example, while LIFO (last in, first out) or FIFO (first in, first out) methods give more importance to time than value.

When evaluating companies to discern whether their shares are correctly priced, investors use the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) to discount a company’s cash flows. WACC is weighted based on the market value of debt and equity in a company’s capital structure.

Weighted Average vs. Arithmetic vs. Geometric

Weighted averages provide a tailored solution for scenarios where certain data points hold more significance than others. However, there are other forms of calculating averages, some of which were mentioned earlier. The two main alternatives are the arithmetic average and geometric average.

Arithmetic means, or simple averages, are the simplest form of averaging and are widely used for their ease of calculation and interpretation. They assume that all data points are of equal importance and are suitable for symmetrical distributions without significant outliers. Arithmetic means will often be easier to calculate since you divide the sum of the total by the number of instances. However, it is much less nuanced and does not allow for much flexibility.

Another common type of central tendency measure is the geometric mean . The geometric mean offers a specialized solution for scenarios involving exponential growth or decline. By taking the nth root of the product of n values, geometric means give equal weight to the relative percentage changes between values. This makes them particularly useful in finance for calculating compound interest rates or in epidemiology for analyzing disease spread rates.

A weighted average is a statistical measure that assigns different weights to individual data points based on their relative significance, resulting in a more accurate representation of the overall data set. It is calculated by multiplying each data point by its corresponding weight, summing the products, and dividing by the sum of the weights.

Is Weighted Average Better?

Whether a weighted average is better depends on the specific context and the objectives of your analysis. Weighted averages are better when different data points have varying degrees of importance, allowing you to have a more nuanced representation of the data. However, they may introduce subjectivity in determining weights and can be sensitive to changes in the weighting scheme

How Does a Weighted Average Differ From a Simple Average?

A weighted average accounts for the relative contribution, or weight, of the things being averaged, while a simple average does not. Therefore, it gives more value to those items in the average that occur relatively more.

What Are Some Examples of Weighted Averages Used in Finance?

Many weighted averages are found in finance, including the volume-weighted average price (VWAP) , the weighted average cost of capital, and exponential moving averages (EMAs) used in charting. Construction of portfolio weights and the LIFO and FIFO inventory methods also make use of weighted averages.

How Do You Calculate a Weighted Average?

You can compute a weighted average by multiplying its relative proportion or percentage by its value in sequence and adding those sums together. Thus, if a portfolio is made up of 55% stocks, 40% bonds, and 5% cash, those weights would be multiplied by their annual performance to get a weighted average return. So if stocks, bonds, and cash returned 10%, 5%, and 2%, respectively, the weighted average return would be (55 × 10%) + (40 × 5%) + (5 × 2%) = 7.6%.

The Bottom Line

Statistical measures can be a very important way to help you in your investment journey. You can use weighted averages to help determine the average price of shares as well as the returns of your portfolio. It is generally more accurate than a simple average. You can calculate the weighted average by multiplying each number in the data set by its weight, then adding up each of the results together.

Tax Foundation. “ Inventory Valuation in Europe .”

My Accounting Course. “ Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) Guide .”

CDC. " Measures of Spread ."

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• Exponential growth rate: the growth rate, r, between two points in time calculated from the equation r = ln(pn/p0)/n, where pn and p0 are the last and first observations in the period, n is the number of years in the period range, and ln is the natural logarithm operator. This growth rate is based on a model of continuous, exponential growth between two points in time. It does not take into account the intermediate values of the series.
• Least-squares growth rate: the growth rate estimated by fitting a linear regression trend line to the logarithmic annual values of the variable in the relevant period. No growth rate is calculated if more than half the observations in a period are missing. The calculated growth rate is an average rate that is representative of the available observations over the entire period. It does not necessarily match the actual growth rate between any two periods.
• Geometric growth rate: the growth rate over n periods calculated as r = exp[ln(pn/p0)/n] - 1. It is applicable to compound growth over discrete periods. Like the exponential growth rate, it does not take into account intermediate values of the series.
• Average (or mean): the sum of values in the period divided by the number of values. Observations that are not available are ignored, however zero values are included.
• Median: the middle value in the period.
• Maximum: the highest value in the period.
• Minimum: the lowest value in the period.
• Standard deviation: the square root of the variance. Standard deviation is a measure of how widely values are dispersed from the average value (the mean).
• Sum: the sum of the values in the period.
• Variance: the mean of all squared deviations from the mean.
• Most recent value: The most recent value (MRV) function will display a value in the specified year range according to the selected order (observation sequence). The default order is "First" which will display the most recent value available in the period. Selecting a different order, such as "Second" for example, will display the second-most recent value in the period, etc. MRV options are also available to display the year of the data, either to the left or right of the data value.

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The Custom Country option allows you to create your own customized country groups from country selection panel.

Click on Custom Country. A new box will open. Click on the desired countries listed in the country selection panel. Enter the group name in the Enter Group Title box and click on Add. The new country group will be added to the right panel.

To edit an existing country group, click on the Edit link in the current selection panel in right side.

Now you can add new countries or remove the countries to an existing customized group. 1. Click on the additional countries listed in the country selection panel. 2. To remove the country from the group double click on the country or select the country and click Remove button. 3. Click on Add to save changes to your customized group. Note: Editing the group name will create a new custom group. You can remove the customized group by clicking on the Delete button in the current selection panel in right side

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