nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Instructor Documentation (Higher Ed)

Handle missing or excluded work

Child Item

Instructors sometimes need to decide whether missing, excused, or low-scoring work should count toward a final grade. Brightspace includes several tools for these situations, and each one affects grades differently.

Use this page to choose the right option before you update the grade book.

Choose the right option

If you want to...	Use this option	Start here
Excuse a learner from completing an activity	Exemption	Work with exemptions
Understand why an exemption changed a category score or final grade	Calculation guidance	Understand how exemptions affect calculations
Automatically assign zeros for missing required work after the due date	Automatic zero grading	Automatically assign zeros for missing work
Ignore the lowest score in a category for each user	Drop lowest grade	Drop the lowest grade
Review how formula grade items evaluate exemptions	Advanced formula reference	Formula evaluation rules for grade exemptions

Common scenarios

A learner is excused from an activity

Use an exemption when a learner is not required to complete work because of an accommodation, excused absence, or course transfer. Exempted work is removed from that learner's grade calculation. Note: Exemptions take precedence over automatic zero grading; if an item is exempt, it will not be overwritten by an automatic zero.

For more information, see Work with exemptions.

Required work was not submitted

Use automatic zero grading when missing work should count against the grade. When enabled, Brightspace automatically assigns a zero to supported activities after the due date passes. This feature supports specific activity types, including file and text assignments, and asynchronous quizzes. It does not currently support discussion topics, synchronous quizzes, checklists, surveys, SCORM objects, self-assessments, or on-paper and observed in-person assignments.

For more information, see Automatically assign zeros for missing work.

A low score should not count

Use category drop rules to ignore one or more low scores in a category. To use this, all items in the category must have the same Max Points in a Points system, or the category must be set to Distribute weight evenly across all items in a Weighted system.

For more information, see Drop the lowest grade.

A grade calculation looks different than expected

Exemptions and dropped grades remove items from calculations, which can change category scores and final grades. Formula grade items may also behave differently when exempt or null values are part of a calculation. If you use formula grade items, review how formulas evaluate exemptions before changing grades.

For more information, see Understand how exemptions affect calculations.

Quick comparison

Feature	Best used when	Effect on grade calculation
Exemption	Work should not apply to one learner	Removes the item from that learner's calculation; overrides automatic zero grading.
Automatic zero grading	Required assignments or asynchronous quizzes are missing after the due date	Assigns a zero that counts toward the grade.
Drop lowest grade	A category should ignore one or more low scores	Excludes the lowest qualifying item from the category calculation. Requirements depend on the grading system and category setup.
Formula grade item rules	You need to understand how formulas evaluate exemptions	Depends on the formula and how exempt or null values are evaluated.

Before you change grades

Check grading settings: Review whether your course is set to drop ungraded items or treat ungraded items as zero. This can affect how missing work appears before you apply exemptions, automatic zeros, or drop rules.
Check availability: Automatic zero grading must be enabled and configured for your organization before it is available in a course.
Confirm whether the work should count against the grade.
Check whether the activity is required for all learners or only some.
Review whether the change should apply to one grade item, one category, or the final grade calculation.
Check your course policy for late work, excused work, and dropped scores.