Instructor Documentation (Higher Ed)

How grade exemptions affect calculations

Grade exemptions affect any calculation that depends on the values of the constituent grade items.

Category scores that include exemptions

For category scores, grade exemptions affect the scores as follows:

Exempted grade items are excluded from the calculation of category scores. The grade item is treated as though it does not exist within the category.
In a category with drop rules, exempted items are removed before the specified number of grade items are dropped. Then, the category is calculated with the remaining items.
If all the items in a category are exempted, there are not grade item scores to use in calculating a category score. In this case, the category does not have a score.
In a weighted grade book, the exemption of a category item results in the remaining item weights not reaching 100%. Brightspace automatically scales the weights of the remaining items proportionally to each other.

For calculated grade item scores, grade exemptions affect the scores as follows:

Exempted items are excluded from the calculated score.
If all items in a calculated grade item are exempted, the item does not have a calculated score.

For formula grade items, grade exemptions affect the scores as follows:

Formulas treat exemptions as empty (null) grades; however, the Treat ungraded as 0 setting is ignored. If a learner is exempted from a grade, then the exemption and its cascading results are treated as null.
If a formula grade item used in another formula and the former is empty (null), then it is treated as though it were exempted during the formula calculation.

The following table describes the updated evaluation rules for formulas:

For Single grades:

Evaluation Rule	Result
If a grade item is exempt	Null
If a grade item has no value, and Drop Ungraded Items is turned on	Null
If grade item has no value, and Treat Ungraded Items as 0 is turned on	0
If a grade item has a value	[value]

Addition/Subtraction (+/-):

Evaluation Rule	Result
If both sides are exempt	Null
If one side is exempt and the other side has no value, and Drop Ungraded Items is turned on	Null
If one side is exempt and the other side has no value, and Treat Ungraded Items as Zero is turned on	0
If both sides are empty, and Drop Ungraded Items is turned on	Null
If both sides are empty, and Treat Ungraded Items as Zero is turned on	0
If one side has a value	(+/-) [Value]

Multiplication/Division (*//)

Evaluation Rule	Result
If either side is exempt	Null
If either side is empty, and Drop Ungraded Items is turned on	Null
If either side is empty, and Treat Ungraded Items as Zero is turned on	0
If both sides have a value	[Result]

Equality (=)

Evaluation Rule	Result
If both sides are exempt	True
If both sides are empty and Drop Ungraded items is turned on	True
If both sides are empty and Treat Ungraded Items as Zero is turned on	True
If both sides have different values	False
If one side is exempt and the other side is empty and Treat Ungraded Items as Zero is turned on	False
If one side is exempt and the other side has a value	False

Inequality (<>)

Evaluation Rule	Result
If both sides are exempt	False
If both sides are empty and Drop Ungraded items is turned on	False
If both sides are empty and Treat Ungraded Items as Zero is turned on	False
If both sides have different values	True
If one side is exempt and the other side is empty and Treat Ungraded Items as Zero is turned on	True
If one side is exempt and the other side has a value	True

Greater/Less than (>/<)

Evaluation Rule	Result
Both sides have values	Appropriate True/False
If one side is exempt	False
If one side is empty and Drop Ungraded Items is turned on	False
If one side has a value and the other side is empty and Treat Ungraded Items as Zero is turned on	Appropriate True/False

Greater/Less Than or Equal (>=/<=)

Evaluation Rule	Result
Both sides have values	Appropriate True/False
If both sides are exempt	True
If both sides are empty and Drop Ungraded Items is turned on	True
If one side has a value and the other side is exempt	False
If one side has a value and the other is empty and Drop Ungraded Items is turned on	False
If one side has a value and the other side is empty and Treat Ungraded Items as Zero is turned on.	Appropriate True/False