LMS - Setting Up the Grade Book Using the Setup Wizard

Overview

This article explains how to set up a Grade Book in Brightspace using the Setup Wizard.

The Grades Setup Wizard in Brightspace provides a guided, seven‑step process for configuring a course Grade Book using the Weighted system, releasing the Adjusted Final Grade, and ensuring accurate grade calculations throughout the semester. Instructors select from one of Sault College's Grade Schemes to ensure consistent grading across programs. The wizard also allows customization of instructor and student display settings, including decimal precision, grade symbols, and visibility of grade calculations. Once completed, instructors can begin adding categories and grade items that align with their course assessment structure.

Target Audience

Faculty

Accessing the Grade Book Setup Wizard

The Setup Wizard walks instructors through the essential Grade Book settings, including grading system, final grade release method, calculation options, and the correct institutional Grade Scheme. Its purpose is to establish a clean, consistent foundation so all categories and grade items calculate properly throughout the course.

1. Navigate to your course.

2. Select Assessments → Grades.

   

3. Click Setup Wizard at the top of the Grades area.

4. Select Start to begin the 7‑step setup process.

Step‑by‑Step Setup Wizard Instructions

There are 7 different screens for the Setup Wizard...

Step 1: Choose Grading System

Select:

• Weighted — This allows you to assign percentage weights to categories and items.
• Click Continue.

Step 2: Final Grade Released

Select:

1. Adjusted Final Grade
   This allows instructors to modify grades before releasing them.
2. Click Continue.

Step 3: Grade Calculations

Ungraded Items

Choose how Brightspace interprets assessments that do not yet have a score:

• Treat ungraded items as 0 — Recommended - Future assessments temporarily count as zero, giving students a conservative view of their progress.
• Drop ungraded items — Future assessments are ignored until graded, which can inflate early‑semester grades.

Automatic Final Grade Updates

• Click Automatically keep final grade updated so Brightspace recalculates the Final Calculated Grade immediately whenever new marks are entered.
• Click Continue.

Step 4: Choose Default Grade Scheme (UPDATED Summer 2026)

Select one of the Grade Scheme options:

New Grade Scheme List

• Percentage (Never use)
• Standard Academic Courses – Pass Rate 50%
  • Majority of courses will use this option
• Completion Based (No Percentage Thresholds) – S/U Courses
  • Example: Continuing Education
• Pass Rate – 60%
• Pass Rate – 65%
• Pass Rate – 70%

Click Continue.

Step 5: Managing View Display Options

On this screen you can choose how many decimal points you would like displayed.

Make your selection and Click Continue.

Step 6: Student View Display Options

Here select what you would like students to view in terms of their grades.

Recommended selections:

• Points grade
• Weighted grade
• Grade scheme symbol
• Decimal places: 2
  • This step controls how many decimal places Brightspace uses when performing grade calculations.
    • It affects the actual math behind weighted grades
    • More decimals = more precise calculations.
    • Fewer decimals = more rounding during calculation.
• Characters for text items: 15

Click Continue.

Step 7: Grades Setup Summary

The Grades Setup Summary screen is a review of all the selections made for the creation of the Grade Book. Once you have reviewed this page, click Finish

Your Grade Book is now ready for categories and items.

NOTE: If you would like to make any changes to the Grades after this has been complete you can do so by going through the Setup Wizard again or by clicking the Settings link found near the top right of the page.

Adding Categories to the Grade Book

Categories organize assessments into logical groups, such as assignments, quizzes, or labs, and define how each group contributes to the final grade. Their purpose is to structure the Grade Book before items are added, ensuring weights align with the course’s assessment plan.

1. In your course, go to  Assessments > Grades > Manage Grades.
2. Select New > Category.
3. Enter:
   • Category Name
   • Weight (percentage of final grade) - The weight determine the percentage that this category will contribute to the final grade percent. The total weight of all categories should add up to 100%. The Grade Items placed in this category later will then contribute towards this weight.
4. Choose a distribution method:
   • Distribute weight evenly across all items - Here you can decide whether to distribute the weight of the items within the category evenly among all items or manually assign weight to each item.  See the Notes on Weight Distrubution section below, for more information.
   • Manually assign weight to items
   • Distribute weight by points
5. Optional student view settings: you have an option to select Display class average to users and Display grade distribution to users. This will allow Students to see the class average and how the category’s weight is distributed to the final grade.
   • Display class average
   • Display grade distribution
6. Click Save and Close.

Deleting Categories in the Grade Book

To delete a category:

1. Go to Assessments > Grades > Manage Grades
2. More Actions
3. Delete
4. On the next page
5. Select the category
6. Click Delete to confirm the selection

Adding Grade Items to the Gradebook

Grade items represent the individual assessments students complete and determine how each one is scored. Their purpose is to populate the Grade Book with the actual evaluative components, ensuring each item contributes correctly to its category and the final grade.  Once the categories for the Grades have been set up you can now add the Grade Items. Grade Items don’t necessarily need to be in a Category, in this case the weight of that Grade Item will contribute to the Final Grade.

1. Go to Assessments > Grades > Manage Grades.
2. Select New
3. Item.
4. Example: Choose Numeric (most common). 
   Numeric calculates the grade by using points, this means teachers will put in a grade out of a total number of points (e.g. 8/10).
5. Enter the Properties of the Numeric Item

• Name
• Short Name
• Category (optional and created in previous step)
• Max Points - Enter the total maximum points you would like the grade item to be evaluated out of.
• Weight (if not distributing evenly) - If you are using the option to distribute the weight evenly you will not have to enter the weight of the item. If you are entering it manually you can enter the amount under Weight. The weight determines the percentage that this item will contribute to the category, which will add up to a total of 100%.
• Can Exceed - Select this option if you want to allow users' grades to exceed the maximum points specified for the item.
• Bonus - Bonus items are not included in the maximum points for a category or final grade. They are added on top of the calculated grade.  Bonus items cannot make users' grades exceed the maximum points specified, unless the Can Exceed option is selected.

Optional student view settings:

• Display class average
• Display grade distribution
• Override display options for this item - you have an option to select Display class average to users and Display grade distribution to users. This will allow Students to see the class average and how the category’s weight is distributed to the final grade.

Click Save and Close.

Grade to Date (Recommended for Accurate Progressive Grades)

Brightspace’s Final Calculated Grade always includes all grade items in the course. This creates a progressive grade distortion throughout the semester. The Final Calculated Grade only becomes accurate after the last graded item is entered.

A Grade to Date column solves this by calculating progress using only completed work.

Creating a Grade to Date Column

A Grade to Date column provides an accurate, real‑time snapshot of student performance by:

• Including only completed, graded assessments
• Ignoring future work
• Showing a true progress grade at any point in the semester
• Requiring manual updates whenever new items are graded

To Add a Grade to Date Column

1. Go to Assessments → Grades → Manage Grades.
2. Select New Item.
3. Choose Calculated.
4. Name the item (e.g., Grade to Date).
5. Scroll to the Calculations section.
6. Check the grade items you want included — typically only items students have already completed.
   • If you are building this at the start of the course, no items need to be checked yet.
7. Click Save & Close.

NOTE: You must manually select new grade items in this calculation every time you add a new graded activity.

Keeping Your Grade to Date Column Up to Date (manual grade item selection)

Updating the Grade to Date column happens from the Enter Grades tab.

After you mark a new item:

1. Go to Assessments → Grades → Enter Grades.
2. Locate the Grade to Date column.
3. Open the dropdown menu beside the column header.
4. Select Edit.
5. Scroll to Calculations.
6. Check the newly graded item(s).
7. Save & Close.

This ensures the Grade to Date column reflects the most recent student progress.

Does 'Grade to Date' Column Handle Dropped Items or Bonus Items?

Dropped Items (e.g., “Drop lowest” rules) - LIMITATION

NO - A Calculated item does not apply drop rules.

• If a category drops the lowest score, the Grade to Date column will still include all items you check.
• It will not automatically drop anything.

Bonus Items

A Calculated item does include bonus items, but only if you check them in the list.

• Bonus items behave normally (added on top of 100%).
• They do not distort the calculation unless you include them unintentionally.

So the correct behaviour is:

• Dropped items → NOT SUPPORTED
• Bonus items → Included if selected

Notes on Weight Distribution

Weight distribution determines how the Grade Book allocates percentages within a category, whether evenly across all items or manually assigned by the instructor. This section explains how Brightspace handles these calculations so instructors can choose the method that best matches their assessment design.

Evenly Distributed Example

If a category is worth 30% and contains 3 items, each item becomes 10%.

Manually Assigned Example

If a category is worth 50%:

• Assignment 1 → 15%

• Assignment 2 → 35%

You can intentionally give different weights to items instead of distributing the 50% evenly.

Updating Grade Settings Later

Grade settings can be adjusted at any time after the initial setup to reflect changes in course structure or grading preferences. This section outlines where to access these settings and how to make updates without disrupting existing grade items or calculations.

You can revisit:

• Select Assessments → Grades.

  

• Click Setup Wizard at the top of the Grades area.

• Settings (top right of Grades)

  

...to adjust any configuration.