The Canvas Gradebook does not have an extra credit setting built in, but you can manually add extra credit in a variety of ways. Assigning extra credit differs according to whether you are using a points-based gradebook or a weighted gradebook. You can always reach out to Canvas at canvas@utlists.utexas.edu for help in setting up an extra credit assignment.

Note: extra credit is qualitatively (and quantitatively!) different than an "extra assignment for points."

Extra Credit Options for a Points-Based Gradebook

Create a new assignment
Add extra points to an existing assignment
Fudge points on a quiz
Create extra credit within a rubric

Extra Credit Options for a Weighted Gradebook

Create Extra Credit using Weighted Assignment Groups

Canvas Demo

Extra credit for CES (Course Evaluation System) Demo

REMINDER: Canvas grades Total Points EARNED / Total Points POSSIBLE

Points-Based Grading

Option 1: Create a New Assignment

In this option you will create a new assignment using the "no submission" option by following the steps below:

Click Assignments from the course navigation.
Click +Assignment.
Type the assignment name, for example, Extra Credit.
- Optional: Enter a description for the assignment.
Set the Points to 0.
Using the dropdown in the Submission Type field, select No Submission.
Click Save & Publish.

To enter extra credit, manually add points to this extra credit assignment. Do not enter points for students who did not earn extra credit.

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Option 2: Add Points to an Existing Assignment

For this option, you will manually enter extra points to an assignment that already exists in the gradebook by following the steps below:

Click Grades from the course navigation.
Find the assignment you add to add extra credit to.
Enter the number of extra credit points you would like to assign to each student.

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Option 3: Fudge Points on a Quiz

Fudge points allow you to manually add or remove points from a student's overall quiz score by following the steps below:

Click Quizzes from the course navigation.
Click on the quiz you want to add extra points to.
Click Speedgrader.
In the student drop-down menu, select the name of the student that you want to give extra points to.
Enter the number of points you want to add to the overall quiz score in the Fudge Points field at the bottom of the quiz. The final score will then show the new score this student will receive.
Click Update Scores to save the changes.

For more information, view the SpeedGrader Fudge Points feature in the Canvas guides.

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Option 4: Create Extra Credit within a Rubric

In this option you will create a rubric with additional extra credit criterion:

Create the assignment by clicking Assignments from the course navigation.
Open the assignment.
Click +Rubric.
Click +Criterion.
Type Extra Credit in the description of the criterion.
Click Update Criterion.

For this option to calculate correctly, the total points for the assignment must be less than the total points of the rubric, that way students who do not earn extra credit will not be penalized.

Example of 10pts assignment with an attached rubric worth 15pts that includes an Extra Credit criterion worth 5pts

Adding Extra Credit to an Existing Rubric

Alternatively, you do not have to create a rubric with a designated extra credit criterion. You could simply enter a point value—for any criterion—greater than the points possible for a criterion.

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Weighted Grading

If you are using a weighted gradebook, you can set up the extra credit at the beginning of the semester but you will not apply extra credit until after all other course grades are entered into the gradebook—including the final exam. Adding extra credit means the gradebook is exceeding the normal 100%, so it is best to wait until all other grades are entered to ensure the extra credit calculates correctly.

The steps below assume you are setting up the extra credit at the beginning of the semester so that you can enter extra credit throughout the semester. However, you can set up extra credit at the end of the semester with these same steps.

Step 1: Create all other assignment groups

Make sure all of these groups equal to 100%.

Step 2: Create the extra credit assignment group

Create an assignment group (a new category) for extra credit and make the group worth 0%. Mute the assignment.

Step 3: Create an assignment

Create a new assignment within this assignment group and label it extra credit.

Set the assignment to be worth the points you desire.
Choose the submission type "No Submission."
Save and Publish.

Because the assignment group is muted and worth 0% of the overall grade, you can add extra credit points throughout the semester and they will not calculate.

Step 4: Apply extra credit

Now you will adjust the percentage of what you would like the overall course grade to be raised if students get the full amount of extra credit. For example, the extra credit could be worth 0.5%, 1%, 1.4%, 5%, it is personal preference but it must be above 0% in order to calculate as extra credit.

If a student did not earn extra credit, assign a grade of zero.

For more information, view the Create Extra Credit using Weighted Assignment Groups section in the Canvas guides. In addition, there is a wonderful blog - with all the math details - in the Canvas Community, Extra credit using weighted assignment groups.

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Canvas Demo

Click play on the video below for a demonstration of setting up an extra credit assignment in Canvas.

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