Select a Course Grading Scheme

Canvas allows instructors to apply a grading scheme that controls how percentage scores translate into letter grades. Chico State provides four pre-built schemes—Default (3-4-3), Round Down (4-3-3), Round Up (3-3-4), and Straight Letter (No +/-)—each distributing the plus, base, and minus tiers differently within the 10-point letter grade range.

Quick Links: | Prerequisites | Choosing a Grading Scheme | Instructions | Troubleshooting |

Canvas allows instructors to apply a grading scheme to their course, which controls how percentage scores translate into letter grades. Chico State provides several pre-built grading schemes that reflect common approaches to plus/minus grading. Choosing the right scheme ensures that your gradebook accurately represents your grading philosophy and that students see letter grades consistent with your syllabus.

Prerequisites

• You must have the Instructor role in a Canvas course.
• You should decide which grading philosophy best fits your course before selecting a scheme. The four available options are summarized below.

Choosing a Grading Scheme

There are four grading schemes available at Chico State. Each one distributes the 10-point letter grade range differently across the plus, base, and minus tiers.

1. Default Chico State Grading Scheme (3-4-3): Plus and minus tiers are equal in size (3 points each), while the base letter grade receives the widest range (4 points). A student scoring at the midpoint of a letter grade range (e.g., 85 for a B) receives the plain letter grade. This is the standard option for most courses.
2. Round Down Letter Grading Scheme (4-3-3): The minus tier is wider (4 points) than the plus tier (3 points). This is the stricter option — it takes a higher score to move up from a minus to a base grade. This may be a good fit for courses where you want to set a higher bar for advancement within a letter grade.
3. Round Up Letter Grading Scheme (3-3-4): The plus tier is wider (4 points) than the minus tier (3 points). This is the more generous option — students cross into the higher modifier sooner. This may be a good fit for courses where you want to reward students who are trending upward within a letter grade.
4. Straight Letter Grading Scheme (No +/-): No plus or minus modifiers. Each letter grade spans the full 10-point range. This is intended for courses where finer grade distinctions are not needed

Change Your Course Grading Scheme

To apply a grading scheme to your Canvas course, do the following:

1. From the course navigation sidebar, select Settings.
2. On the Course Details tab, check the box next to Enable course grading scheme [1].
3. Open the grading schemes dropdown [2] to view the available options.
4. From the dropdown, browse the available schemes and select the one that matches your grading philosophy.
   
5. Select Done to confirm your choice.
6. At the bottom of the Settings page, select Update Course Details to save your changes.

Your course will now convert students' percentage scores into letter grades using the scheme you selected. Students will see their letter grades reflected in the gradebook and on their Grades page.

Troubleshooting

If you change your grading scheme after students have already received grades, Canvas will automatically recalculate all letter grades to match the new scheme. Review your gradebook after switching to confirm the updated grades align with your expectations.