What to Do If Your Teacher Uses a Point System Instead of Percentages

Understanding How Cumulative Point Systems Work

In a normal percentage class, everything is normalized to a base of 100 so that a student's standing in terms of the percentage of work they complete is easily understood. In a cumulative point system, all things are simply added up to a total of points earned versus total points assigned, and the students' current standing is simply a ratio of those who have successfully earned out of those who are possible.

Think of it like this: if a student is in history class and their teacher has put forth a total of 1000 possible points for them to earn across the class. Instead of worrying about having to normalize the weight of their homework towards their overall grade versus the weight of their final, every point they earn is simply slotted towards the 1000 they can finish. If their weekly reading is worth 10 points and their big research paper is worth 200, then the paper is plainly worth twenty times more in terms of the bucket of points.

The Hidden Challenges of Points-Based Classrooms

While point systems seem simple enough, they can actually pose unique challenges for students who are used to working with standard letter grading. Without the familiar percentage to show them whether or not they are doing well or poorly, it can be hard to stay on top of one's metrics halfway through the semester. Additionally, teachers often add in extra credit or drop the lowest score midway, which can change the denominator that students are working with if they are not careful.

Think of a real-world circumstance in which a student is struggling with keeping up with their homework. Their professor in their intro psychology class does not post their letter grades in the online portal, simply their scores against the maximum for each task as 18/20, 42/50, and 85/100. By week 8, this student is feeling pretty lost, having just scored a 310/350 on the total points possible. Without any way to keep track of their metrics, the student is left worrying about the small fluctuations that came up week after week instead of focusing on their next exam.

Effective Strategies for Grade Tracking in Point-Based Classes

Keeping an eye on your progress is key if a teacher is working with grading points rather than the standard letter scale. Since a learning management system may not be able to properly calculate a running total if any assignment is excused or extra credit, it's always a good idea to keep track of your own secondary ledger:

• Create a Master Spreadsheet: Keep a nice clean digital table with every assignment name, how many points you earned for it, and the maximum number of possible points for that task.
• Calculate Your Running Percentage: Simply divide your total accumulated points by the total possible to date for a snapshot of where you stand.
• Account for Extra Credit Properly: Add the extra credit points directly to the numerator without increasing the denominator so that the true bonus value of those points is seen.

To make this process incredibly easy and to avoid any miscalculations, you could even use the free interactive tools on the homepage of CalcGrade.com to take advantage of dedicated digital calculators. This would keep you from having to worry about the math involved and allow you to test out potential results for finals that you might have without any hassle.

Aligning Your Study Time with Point Values

When a student looks at a syllabus worth 800 total points, they should be considering how their time spent studying reflects where those points are allocated. Students often make the same mistake of studying for ten hours on a 15-point reading that is due tomorrow rather than putting their efforts into a 150-point midterm project that is also due that day. By looking at what points are being assigned early on in the semester, they can prioritize their efforts and save their GPA from being unnecessarily damaged.

Think of a class a student is taking in college: biology with 600 points to work with across the semester. If their twelve 5-point labs equal 60 points total, their four 25-point quizzes are 100 points, a 140-point midterm as well as a 300-point final, and they are slipping behind in the course around week 10. Putting all of those hours into those labs is a terribly low return on investment if they need to pick up their grade fast. Understanding that nearly half of their grade will be decided on the final single examination they have can be useful when it comes time to actually prepare for that final exam over the weekend.

Managing "What-If" Scenarios in Point-Based Classes

The biggest benefit to keeping track of point systems digitally is that you can run through a number of what-if scenarios ahead of time. When a student wants to know how a score on an upcoming project would affect their final grade, having to do it manually on scratch paper can be too tedious.

If the student has a current standing of 420/500 or 84%, and they want to know what would happen if they were to score a 95/100 on their next big test, they could just add that row onto their sheet and see that their new standing would be 515/600 or 85.8%. By testing these ranges, they could see what kind of final they might expect depending on how they did on that final exam.