Canvas refers to a grading scale as a grading scheme. By default, the grading scheme is disabled in SNC Canvas Courses and no letter grades will show in the gradebook. Without a grading scheme, scores are not measured against any specific standard. Each grading scheme is based on percentage ranges and each percentage range is assigned a name-value (or letter grade). While SNC does not have an OFFICIAL standardized percentage grading scale, we have created an account level SNC Sample grading scale/scheme that can be applied to your Canvas Course if you choose.

The default SNC Grading Scheme is as follows:

Enabling the SNC Sample Grading Scheme

1. Open your Canvas course.
2. In Course Navigation on the left, click the Settings link.

3. Scroll down to the Grading Scheme and click the Enable course grading scheme checkbox.
4. Click on the down arrow next to Default Canvas Grading Scheme and select SNC Sample Grading Scheme.

5. Scroll to the bottom and click the Update Course Details button.

Creating a New Grading Scheme

To create a new grading scheme with customized percentage-letter grade pairings:

1. Open your Canvas course.
2. Follow the steps to add a grading scheme in a course.

Additional Grading Scheme Instructions/Tutorials:

• How do I use grading schemes in a course?
• How do I enable a grading scheme for a course?

Grade Scheme and Assignments FAQ

What happens if I enter a letter grade for a student's score instead of a point value?

If you’ve enabled a grading scheme for the assignment, Canvas will automatically convert the letter grade into a points-based score. For example, an “AB” might convert to a 9.2 out of 10. The converted score is based on the assignment’s grade scheme.

How can I change the "default percentage" that Canvas converts a letter grade to? (For example, when entering an "F", the score should be converted to 0)

Currently, it is not possible to change this without adjusting the range itself for the letter grade. When a letter grade is entered, Canvas converts it to a score by subtracting one percentage point from the value where the next highest letter grade’s range begins. For example, for a grade scheme where a “D” begins at 60% (meaning anything below that is an “F”), then if you enter an “F” for a student’s score, Canvas will convert that to a 59%. If you wish to give a student a different score (such as 0%), you can simply enter the score instead of the letter grade.

What happens if I change my grade scheme after entering letter grades?

Student grades are always stored as point values, even if you set them to display as letter grades. Previously entered scores are not modified if you change your course or assignment grade scheme.

For example, say you have a grade scheme where the range for an “AB” is 88% to < 93%. Then you enter an “AB” for a student’s score on an assignment with this grade scheme enabled. Canvas will convert this to a 92% (see previous question). Later, if you change the grade scheme so that the range for an “AB” is 90% to < 92%, the student’s previously assigned score of 92% will not be modified, even though that score will now display as an “A” instead of an “AB”.

If you make changes to your grade schemes after you have already entered letter grades for an assignment, we recommend double-checking the assignment scores in SpeedGrader to ensure they still reflect the scores your students earned.