Set up marking

This article is for teachers. Marking can only be set up on a computer.

For your marking system, you can choose Total points or Weighted by category marking. In both, marks are calculated for you and you can let students check their overall mark for the class. If you don't want to use a marking system, you can choose No overall mark. Marks won't be calculated and students can't check their overall mark.

You can also organise classwork with mark categories, such as Essays, Homework and Tests. For example, if your class has four essay assignments, you can organise them in an Essays category.

Marks are calculated for the duration of the class. If you want to begin marking again for a new term, you have to create a new class. For details, go to Copy a class.

Note: Select customers can export marks directly from Classroom to their SIS. Learn more.

About the marking systems

To have marks calculated for you and an option to let students check their overall mark, use Total points or Weighted by category marking.

Total points marking

An overall mark is calculated for you by dividing the total points a student earns by the total points possible in the class. You can create mark categories and set point values for classwork in each category. For example:

Essay category	Test category	Student points/Points possible	Overall mark
Essay 1: 90/100	Test 1: 95/100	185/200	92.5%

The table shows that a student scored 90 points out of 100 on an essay and 95 points out of 100 on a test. The student earned a total of 185 points out of 200 possible in the class. Divided, this gives an overall mark of 92.5%.

Tip: Assignments with a mark set to 'Excused' are removed from a student's mark calculation. For example, if a student has five assignments with a score of 100%, but doesn't hand in one assignment that's set to 'Excused', the student will still keep an average mark of 100%.

Weighted by category marking

You assign weights (percentages) to mark categories and an overall mark is calculated for you. This system calculates as follows:

Finds a student's average for a category.
Multiplies each category's average by its weight (as a decimal), giving category scores.
Adds the category scores for an overall mark out of 100%.

Essay category: 50% of mark	Test category: 50% of mark	Overall mark out of 100%
Essay 1: 70/100	Test 1: 90/100
Essay 2: 80/100	Test 2: 100/100
(70 + 80) ÷ 2 = 75 avg. 75 x 0.5 = 37.5	(90 + 100) ÷ 2 = 95 avg. 95 x 0.5 = 47.5
Category score = 37.5%	Category score = 47.5%	Overall mark: 37.5 + 47.5 = 85%

The table shows Weighted by category marking. In the Essay category, the student averaged 75. Multiplied by the category weight, 0.5, this gives 37.5% for Essays. In the Test category, the student averaged 95. Multiplied by the category weight, 0.5, this gives 47.5% for Tests. Adding the category scores (37.5 + 47.5) gives the student an overall mark of 85%.

Set up a marking system

After you select a marking system, you can add mark categories. Mark categories are required with Weighted by category marking, but can also be used with Total points marking or No overall mark.

Note: If you use SIS mark export, your Classroom mark categories don't transfer to your student information system (SIS).

Select a marking system

You can only select a marking system in the web version of Classroom.

Go to classroom.google.com and click Sign in.

Sign in with your Google Account. For example, you@yourschool.edu or you@gmail.com. Learn more.
Click your classSettings .
Next to Overall mark calculation, select one:
- No overall mark – Marks aren't calculated for students. Students can't see an overall mark.
- Total points – Divides total points earned by total points possible. You can let students see an overall mark.
- Weighted by category – Adds the scores across categories. You can let students see an overall mark.
(Optional) To make the overall mark visible to students on their profile page, click Show .
Note: This option isn't available when mark calculation is set to No overall mark.
In the top right-hand corner, click Save.

Create mark categories for No overall mark or Total points marking

For these options, you assign default point values to the mark categories that you create.

Note: You can only create mark categories in the web version of Classroom.

Go to classroom.google.com and click Sign in.

Sign in with your Google Account. For example, you@yourschool.edu or you@gmail.com. Learn more.
Click your classSettings .
Next to Overall mark calculation, select No overall mark or Total points from the menu.
Under Mark categories, click Add mark category.
Enter a mark category.
Under Default points, enter a whole number.
(Optional) To add another mark category, repeat steps 4–6.
In the top right-hand corner, click Save.

Create mark categories for Weighted by category marking

For this option, you assign percentages to the categories you create.

Note: You can only create mark categories in the web version of Classroom.

Go to classroom.google.com and click Sign in.

Sign in with your Google Account. For example, you@yourschool.edu or you@gmail.com. Learn more.
Click your classSettings .
Next to Overall mark calculation, select Weighted by category from the menu.
Under Mark categories, click Add Mark Category.
Enter a mark category
Under Percentage, enter a whole number.
(Optional) To add another mark category, repeat steps 4–6.
In the top right-hand corner, click Save.
Note: To save your settings, the categories must add up to 100%.

Remove a mark category

You can remove mark categories. Removing a mark category:

Removes the mark category from the corresponding classwork.
Doesn't delete the classwork itself.

Go to classroom.google.com and click Sign in.

Sign in with your Google Account. For example, you@yourschool.edu or you@gmail.com. Learn more.
Click your classSettings .
Next to the mark category you want to remove, click Remove .
For weighted by category marking, adjust your remaining categories or add a new category to equal 100%.
At the top, click Save.

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