You can drop a low score when your grading policy allows one or more low grades to be ignored in grade calculations. This is useful for quiz categories, practice work, or other repeated activities where the lowest score should not affect the final grade.
There are two ways to exclude a low score from grade calculations:
- Manually, by exempting a specific grade item for an individual learner.
- Automatically, by configuring a grade category to drop the lowest item for each learner.
Decide when to drop a grade
Use drop lowest when a low score should be ignored because of your grading policy, not because the activity should be removed for everyone.
Common examples include:
- Dropping the lowest quiz score in a quiz category.
- Ignoring one low practice activity score.
- Allowing flexibility for repeated low-stakes assessments.
- Applying the same forgiveness rule to every learner in a category.
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Tip: Use automatic dropping when the same rule should apply to a whole category. Use an exemption when you need to exclude a grade item for only one learner.
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Choose the right option
The following table can help you decide whether to manually exempt a grade item or configure a category to drop the lowest grade automatically.
| If you want to... |
Use this option |
|---|
| Ignore a specific grade item for one learner |
Manually exempt the grade item |
| Automatically ignore the lowest score in a category for each learner |
Configure the category to drop the lowest grade |
| Excuse a learner from completing required work |
Exemption |
| Assign a zero for missing required work |
Automatic zero or manual zero |
Manually exempt a grade item
Use Bulk edit exemptions when you need to manually exclude one or more grade items for an individual learner. The exempted grade item is excluded from that learner's grade calculation.
- On your course homepage, navigate to Grades.
- Beside the learner's name, select the Actions menu, and then select Bulk edit exemptions.
- On the Edit Grade Exemptions page, under the Exempt column, select the checkbox for each grade item you want to drop.
Note: You can exempt or drop more than one grade item.
- Select Save and Close.
The exempted assessment displays as Exempt in the learner's grade column and is excluded from their final grade calculation.
Automatically drop the lowest grade using a category
Use category settings when you want Brightspace to automatically drop the lowest grade item in a category for each learner. This method works well when every learner should receive the same drop rule, such as dropping the lowest quiz score.
- On your course homepage, navigate to Grades.
- Select the Manage Grades tab.
- Do one of the following:
- To create a new grade category, select New, and then select Category.
- To edit an existing category, select the Actions menu, and then select Edit.
- In the category settings, scroll to the Distribution section.
- Select Distribute points across all items.
- In Number of lowest non-bonus items to drop for each user, enter 1, or enter a higher number if your grading policy allows more dropped items.
- Select Save and Close.
Brightspace automatically excludes the lowest scoring item or items from each learner's category calculation and final grade calculation.
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Important: The drop lowest option is only available when:
- The category distributes points or weight equally.
- The grade items are non-bonus items.
- The grade items are in the same category.
- When using Points, if the point value is set at the category level, all items within the category share the same maximum point value.
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Requirements and limitations
Before you configure automatic dropping, review the following requirements:
- All non-bonus items in the category must have the same maximum point value.
- The category must distribute points or weight equally.
- Items must be non-bonus.
- You cannot drop the lowest item across categories. Dropping only applies within a single category.
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Note: The automatic Drop Lowest option is not available in the Formula grading system. If your course uses formula grade items, you must manually build the equivalent grading logic in the Formula Editor. Depending on your grading requirements, this may involve formula functions such as MIN() and SUM().
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Example: Drop the lowest quiz score
In this example, a quiz category includes four quizzes and is configured to drop the lowest non-bonus item.
| Quiz |
Score |
Included in category calculation? |
|---|
| Quiz 1 |
90 |
Yes |
| Quiz 2 |
84 |
Yes |
| Quiz 3 |
75 |
Yes |
| Quiz 4 |
40 |
No. This is the lowest score. |
After the lowest score is dropped, Brightspace calculates the category score using Quiz 1, Quiz 2, and Quiz 3.
Interaction with grade calculations
Dropped grades affect the Final Calculated Grade, but may behave differently in interim or on-demand calculations depending on your organization's configuration.
- The Final Calculated Grade reflects all configured dropping rules, including manual exemptions and automatic category dropping.
- The Calculation > Grade item to include option, used for interim or on-demand calculations, may still include dropped items in the calculation.
This can cause interim grades to differ from the Final Calculated Grade. If instructors or learners notice a mismatch, confirm which calculation method your organization uses.
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Note: This behavior is governed by the d2l.Tools.Grades.CalcGradeItem.CalculationMethod configuration variable.
- When set to Milestone Calculation, which is the default, dropped grades are included in interim or on-demand calculations.
- When set to Final Grade Calculation, dropped grades are excluded consistently.
Contact your Brightspace administrator to confirm which setting your organization uses.
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Frequently asked questions
Does dropping the lowest grade delete the grade?
No. The grade remains in the grade book, but it is excluded from the applicable calculation.
Can I drop more than one grade item?
Yes. In the category settings, enter the number of lowest non-bonus items to drop for each user.
Can I drop the lowest grade across multiple categories?
No. Automatic dropping applies only within a single category.
Should I use drop lowest or an exemption?
Use drop lowest when a category-level rule should apply to every learner. Use an exemption when a grade item should be excluded for only one learner.
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