Blackboard FAQ: Grades, Curving

I need to put mid term scores in for my online course. The exam was worth 100 points, but II have decided to curve it. How should I deal with this in the Grade Center? It is valued at 100 points but now I am suggesting the top score should be 90 as only 1 person scored in the 80's.

There are two ways that the above can be done (assuming the new top score is now 90).

1. Adjust the point value of the exam in the Grade Center to 90 (from the initial 100).

OR

2. Keep the total points for the exam at 100; however, add a bonus10 points to each student’s score in the Grade Center for the exam. For example, if the highest score on the test was an 80, by adding 10 points, that score now becomes 90 – likewise, everyone else’s score for that exam also increases by the bonus 10 points.

Regardless of whichever of the above two options you choose to use, you are effectively curving all the exam scores upward by 10 points. However, please note that if you are weighting your grades, the second option is the better choice as then you will not disrupt the weighting scale that you had initially set up.

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Last Updated: 10/06/2011