Adding Bonus Grades
Quick Start Guide

In certain instances, you might want to award bonus marks to students for an assessment or make an entire activity a bonus item in the grade book. These situations can be accommodated in Brightspace.

Enable Bonus Marks for a Grade Item

In the instance where you would like students to be able to exceed the maximum number of points on an assessment like an assignment or quiz, you will need to ensure you check off Can Exceed for the grade book grade item.

1. Go to My Tools > Grades > Manage Grades.
   • If you have created this grade item already, click the caret next to the grade item you want to exceed 100% and select Edit.
   • If you have not created the grade item yet, select New > Item.
2. Under the Grading section, select the Can Exceed checkbox.
   
3. Click Save and Close.

Create a Bonus Grade Item

In the instance where you want to create a bonus item that does not impact the Final Calculated Grade if students choose not to complete the item, you will need to ensure you check off Bonus for the grade item.

1. Go to My Tools > Grades > Manage Grades.
   • If you have created this grade item already, click the caret next to the grade item you want to exceed 100% and select Edit.
   • If you have not created the grade item yet, select New > Item.
2. Under the Grading section, select the Bonus checkbox.
   
3. Click Save and Close.
4. On the Manage Grades, you will see a star beside your grade item, indicating that this item is bonus.
   

Important
Bonus items are not included in the maximum points for a category or final grade. They are added on top of the calculated grade. If the bonus grade item is within a category and you want the category to exceed 100%, see Enable a Grade category to Exceed 100%, below. If you want the bonus grade item to allow the final calculated to exceed 100%, see Enable Final Grade to Exceed 100%.

Enable Category to Exceed 100%

In the instance where you have awarded bonus marks to a grade item or made a bonus grade item and want the category that the item is in to exceed the the maximum category weight, you need to ensure you check off Allow category grade to exceed category weight.

1. Go to My Tools > Grades > Manage Grades.
   • If you have created the Category, click the caret next to the Category you want to exceed 100% and select Edit.
   • If you have not created the grade item yet, select New > Category.
2. Under the Grading section, select the Allow category grade to exceed category weight checkbox.
   
3. Click Save and Close.

Enable the Final Calculated Grade to Exceed 100%

In the instance where you would like the final calculated grade to exceed 100%, you need to ensure you check off the Can Exceed box in the Final Calculated Grade.

1. Go to My Tools > Grades > Manage Grades.
2. Click the caret next to Final Calculated Grade and select Edit.
   
3. Under the Grading, select the Allow category grade to exceed category weight checkbox.
   
4. Click Save and Close.

If you have further questions on adding bonus grades, feel free to reach out to EdTech for help.

Contact edtech@langara.ca for more information.