Setting Up Retakes in a Gradebook

This guide explains how to configure various retake scenarios in the Gradebook.

Contents:

Setting Up Retakes in a Weighted Grading System
Setting Up Retakes in a Formula Grading System
1. Highest Grade Counts
2. Last Grade Always Counts, Even if It’s Lower
3. One Retake for Multiple Activities

When configuring retakes in Brightspace, keep two key points in mind:

First, set the Grade Calculation settings for Ungraded Items to Treat as 0.
Second, create (at least) two grade items for each activity. Each grade item must be linked to a separate activity to work with Assignments, Quizzes, or Discussions.

How do you access Grades?

Click on ‘Grades’ in the navigationbar.

1. Setting Up Retakes in a Weighted Grading System

In a weighted grading system, you can only configure the Gradebook for the retake option where the highest grade counts.

For this scenario, we will use a midterm and its retake. If students fail the midterm the first time, they must take the retake. Both grades are recorded in Brightspace, but only the highest grade is included in the final grade calculation.

After clicking on ‘Grades’, click on ‘Setup Wizard’ and then click on ‘Start’ at the very bottom of the screen. All the steps should be configured according to the assignment. Refer to the guide: How do I set up a Gradebook using the Grades Setup Wizard for the first time? Make sure to select ‘Weighted’ in step 1 of the Setup Wizard and set the Grade Calculation settings to ‘Treat ungraded items as 0’ in step 3. Click at the end of the Setup Wizard on ‘Finish’.

The following screen will appear, and click on ‘Create a New Grade Category’. Enter a name and optionally a shorter version of the name. The short version will be displayed in the Gradebook, which can save space. Then create a category with the following settings under ‘Grading’:

‘Weight’: Reflect the weight of the assessment. For example, 30% for the midterm.
‘Distribution’: Select Distribute weight evenly across all items.
Enter the number of items you want to drop. In the example above, drop only one item, since there is only one retake.
If there is a third opportunity, such as an oral exam, enter the number 2.

Click on ‘Save and New’ to create an identical Grade Item for the resit. Create a second identical Grade Item. Give the second one the same name and add “resit” to make it clear which one is the resit. In this example, the names chosen are: Mid Term and Mid Term Resit. The settings should be the same as the first version. Then click on ‘Save and Close’. This will then be visible:

Outcome

As shown above, we have four individual students. For each student, one grade is dropped, indicated by the ‘!’ icon.

Student 1 and Student 4 passed the first attempt. Their single and highest grade is used for the final grade calculation.
Student 2 failed the first attempt but passed the second. The retake grade is used for the final grade calculation.
Student 3 failed both attempts. The grade from the first attempt is used for the final grade calculation.

2. Setting up retakes in a Formula Grading System

Highest Grade counts

In this scenario, we have a midterm and its retake. If students fail the midterm the first time, they must take the retake. Both grades are recorded in Brightspace, but only the highest grade is included in the final grade calculation.

The following screen will appear, and click on ‘Create a New Grade Category’. Create two identical grade items. Name one ‘Resit’.

Click the dropdown icon next to ‘Final Calculated Grade’ and select ‘Edit’. The following screen appears:

Enter the Maximum Points for the final grade. Typically, this is 10.
Select a ‘Grade Scheme’ of your choice.
Click ‘Edit Using the Formula Editor’ to start building the formula.

Create a formula for the ‘Final Calculated Grade’ using the MAX{} function to find the highest grade between the two grade items:

Final Calculated Grade = MAX{ [MidTerm.Points Received], [MidTerm Resit.Points Received] }

Outcome

As seen in the image above, we have four individual students:

Student 1 and Student 4 passed the first time, so their only and highest grade is used to calculate the final grade.
Student 2 failed the first time but passed the second time. The retake grade is used for the final grade calculation.
Student 3 failed both attempts. The grade from the first attempt is used for the final grade calculation.

Full example: Final Calculated Grade Formula

This shows a complete example of a Final Calculated Grade Formula where the highest grade counts.Final Calculated Grade=(([Tutorials.Points Received] * 0.1) + (MAX{ [Mid Term.Points Received], [Mid Term Resit.Points Received] } * 0.3)) + (MAX{ [Final Exam.Points Received], [Final Exam Resit.Points Received] } * 0.6)

The last grade (Retake) always counts, even if it’s lower

In this scenario, we have a midterm and its retake. If students fail the first time, they must take the retake. Both grades are recorded in Brightspace, but the retake grade always counts, even if it is lower than the first attempt. After clicking on ‘Grades’, click on ‘Setup Wizard’ and then click on ‘Start’ at the very bottom of the screen.

All the steps should be configured according to the assignment. Refer to the guide: How do I set up a Gradebook using the Grades Setup Wizard for the first time? Make sure to select ‘Weighted’ in step 1 of the Setup Wizard and set the Grade Calculation settings to ‘Treat ungraded items as 0’ in step 3. Click at the end of the Setup Wizard on ‘Finish’.

The following screen will appear, and click on ‘Create a New Grade Category’. Create two identical grade items. Name one Resit. Click the dropdown icon next to Final Calculated Grade and select ‘Edit’. The following screen appears:

Enter the Maximum Points for the final grade. Typically, this is 10.
Select a ‘Grade Scheme’ of your choice.
Click ‘Edit Using the Formula Editor’ to start building the formula.

Final Calculated Grade = IF{ ([MidTerm Resit.Points Received] = 0), [MidTerm.Points Received], [MidTerm Resit.Points Received] }

Create a formula for the Final Calculated Grade and use the IF{} function to check if the grade item Retake is 0. If this is the case, the student has not taken the retake, so the first attempt is used for the Final Calculated Grade. If the Retake has a grade, the retake grade is used for the Final Calculated Grade.

Outcome

As shown above, we have four individual students.

Student 1 and Student 4 passed the first time, so their only and thus highest grade is used for the final grade calculation.
Student 2 failed the first time but passed the second time. The retake grade is used for the final grade calculation.
Student 3 failed both attempts. The retake grade is used for the final grade calculation.

Full example – Formula

Final Calculated Grade=IF{ (([Mid Term Resit.Points Received] = 0) AND ([Final Exam Resit.Points Received] = 0)), ((([Tutorials.Points Received] * 0.1) + ([Mid Term.Points Received] * 0.3)) + ([Final Exam.Points Received] * 0.6)), IF{ (([Final Exam Resit.Points Received] = 0) AND (Midterm Resit.Points Received > 0)), ((([Tutorials.Points Received] * 0.1) + ([Mid Term Resit.Points Received] * 0.3)) + ([Final Exam.Points Received] * 0.6)), IF{ (([Mid Term Resit.Points Received] = 0) AND (Final Exam Resit.Points Received > 0), ((([Tutorials.Points Received] * 0.1) + ([Mid Term.Points Received] * 0.3)) + ([Final Exam Resit.Points Received] * 0.6)), IF {(([Midterm Resit.Points Received > 0) AND (Final Exam Resit.Points Received > 0)), ((([Tutorials.Points Received] * 0.1) + ([Mid Term Resit.Points Received] * 0.3)) + ([Final Exam Resit.Points Received] * 0.6)) }}}}

Formula breakdown

IF both the grade items Mid Term Resit and Final Exam Resit are empty (i.e., 0) – The student has passed both the Mid Term and Final Exam:

THEN the final grade calculation = Tutorial * 0.1 + Mid Term * 0.3 + Final Exam * 0.6

IF only the grade item Mid Term is empty (i.e., 0) AND the grade item Final Exam Resit is greater than 0 – The student has passed the Mid Term, but failed the Final Exam. The retake grade for the Final Exam will be used, as it has been entered:

THEN the final grade calculation = Tutorial * 0.1 + Mid Term * 0.3 + Final Exam Resit * 0.6

IF only the grade item Final Exam is empty (i.e., 0) AND the grade item Mid Term Resit is greater than 0 – The student has passed the Final Exam, but failed the Mid Term. The retake grade for the Mid Term will be used, as it has been entered:

THEN the final grade calculation = Tutorial * 0.1 + Mid Term Resit * 0.3 + Final Exam * 0.6

IF both the grade items Mid Term Resit and Final Exam Resit contain a grade – The student has failed both the Mid Term and Final Exam and has taken both retakes:

THEN the final grade calculation = Tutorial * 0.1 + Mid Term Resit * 0.3 + Final Exam Resit * 0.6

One retake for multiple activities

In this scenario, we use 3 activities, all of which can be retaken. If a student fails all three activities, they must retake one of the activities. We record all grades in Brightspace, and the retake grades always count. Final Calculated Grade=IF{ ([Practical Resit.Points Received] = 0), AVG{ [Practical Assignment 1.Points Received], [Practical Assignment 2.Points Received], [Practical Assignment 3.Points Received] }, [Practical Resit.Points Received] }

Full example

This shows a complete example of a Final Calculated Grade Formula where there is one retake for multiple activities. Final Calculated Grade=IF{ ([Practical Resit.Points Received] = 0), (((AVG{ [Practical Assignment 1.Points Received], [Practical Assignment 2.Points Received], [Practical Assignment 3.Points Received] } * 0.2) + ([Midterm.Points Received] * 0.3)) + ([Final Exam.Points Received] * 0.5)), ((([Practical Resit.Points Received] * 0.2) + ([Midterm.Points Received] * 0.3)) + ([Final Exam.Points Received] * 0.5)) }