Grades & Gradebook
Set up your gradebook with weighted categories, custom grading scales, and per-assignment scoring in EMStudio Pro.
EMStudio Pro includes a full-featured gradebook that handles everything from simple point-based scoring to weighted category calculations. Whether you grade with percentages, letter grades, or a custom scale, the gradebook adapts to your workflow.
Gradebook Overview
Access the gradebook from the Grades tab on any class detail page, or use the dedicated Grades page in the sidebar for a cross-class view.
The gradebook displays a grid with:
- Columns for each assignment
- Rows for each student
- Cells for individual scores
- Summary columns showing calculated averages and letter grades
Assignments
Assignments are the building blocks of your gradebook. Each assignment has:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Name of the assignment |
| Type | Homework, quiz, test, project, participation, etc. |
| Points possible | Maximum score for the assignment |
| Due date | When the assignment is due |
| Category | Which grade category it belongs to |
| Lesson link | Optional connection to a lesson plan |
To create an assignment, click New Assignment in the grades tab or gradebook view. You can also create assignments directly from a lesson plan.
Learn more in the Assignments guide.
Entering Grades
Click any cell in the gradebook grid to enter or edit a score. The gradebook supports:
- Numeric scores — Enter points earned (e.g., 85 out of 100)
- Quick flags — Mark assignments as late, missing, or excused with one click
- Feedback — Add per-student comments on any assignment
- Batch entry — Tab through cells to quickly enter scores for the whole class
Keyboard shortcuts
Use Tab to move to the next student and Enter to confirm a score. This makes grade entry lightning fast for large classes.
All changes save automatically — no need to click a save button. The gradebook uses optimistic updates, so your changes appear instantly while syncing in the background.
Grade Categories
Grade categories let you organize assignments into weighted groups. For example:
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Homework | 20% |
| Quizzes | 20% |
| Tests | 40% |
| Projects | 20% |
The gradebook automatically calculates weighted averages based on your category configuration. You can set up categories per class, so each class can have its own weighting scheme.
Learn more in the Grade Categories guide.
Grading Scales
Grading scales define how numeric scores map to letter grades. EMStudio Pro comes with a default scale (A/B/C/D/F) but you can create custom scales for any grading system.
For example, a standard scale might look like:
| Letter | Minimum % |
|---|---|
| A | 90% |
| B | 80% |
| C | 70% |
| D | 60% |
| F | 0% |
You can also create scales with plus/minus grades (A+, A, A-, etc.) or entirely custom labels. Each class can use a different grading scale.
Learn more in the Grading Scales guide.
Important
Changing a grading scale after grades have been entered will recalculate all letter grades for that class. The numeric scores remain unchanged — only the letter grade mapping updates.
Grade Calculations
The gradebook calculates grades using the following logic:
- Per-assignment score = points earned / points possible
- Category average = mean of all assignment scores in that category
- Overall grade = weighted sum of category averages (based on category weights)
- Letter grade = overall grade mapped to the active grading scale
Excused assignments are excluded from calculations. Missing assignments count as zero unless excused. Late assignments receive their entered score (apply late penalties manually).
Viewing Grades
There are several ways to view grades:
- Gradebook grid — Full spreadsheet view for a single class
- Student profile — See all grades for one student across assignments
- Assignment view — See all student scores for a single assignment
- Report cards — Generated snapshots with grade summaries and teacher comments
For report card generation, see the Report Cards section.