Need to Adjust a Student’s Grade? Use the Final Grade Override Feature in Canvas

Dec 11, 2019

As the end of the semester approaches, students and faculty begin thinking more about final course grades. By default, Canvas includes a Total column in the gradebook for each course. This total column automatically calculates students’ grades based on the grading scheme set in the Canvas course site.

There are times, however, when faculty need to adjust student grades in a course for various reasons. Canvas now allows faculty to override the score reflected in the Total column by using the “Final Grade Override” feature in the gradebook.

After a grade has been overridden, the student only sees the override grade in the gradebook. The original calculated score from the Total column will not be visible to the student.

To enable the Final Grade Override feature and override the calculated course grades in the Total column:

  1. Navigate to the Canvas course you’d like to override the course grade for one or more students.
  2. In the course navigation menu, select Grades.
  3. In the Gradebook, select the Settings (gear) icon located near the upper, right-hand side of the page.
  4. Once the Settings menu opens, select Advanced.
  5. Check Allow final grade override and select Update.
  6. An “Override” column will appear at the far right-side of the Gradebook. (The column label may not display depending on your screen size).

 Grade Override Column

To override the final calculated score and grade, enter the desired percentage value (score) or letter grade into the “Override” column.

  • If you enter a letter grade, the final percentage score for the student will be set to the lower boundary for the entered grade in the course grading scheme.
  • If you enter a score, the final score will be exactly as entered and the final grade will be determined by course grading scheme.

To delete an override grade, simply remove it from the “Override” column.

If you sync grades to Pathway at the end of the semester, Pathway will pull the grade from the Total column if the Override column is blank. If the Override column contains a grade/score, Pathway will pull from the Override column.