🎯 Purpose
There may be times when you do not want an assessment to count toward a student's final grade, such as practice work or a formative check. This guide walks you through how to exclude an assessment from the final grade calculation. The process varies between points-based and standards-based assessments.
✅ Prerequisites
An account with access to the correct class(es).
You have a class with an assessment you are assigning or that's already been assigned.
Exclude an Assessment
How you exclude an assessment depends on its type. Points-based and standards-based assessments each follow a different process. Find your assessment type below and follow those steps.
Exclude a Points-Based Assessment
Points-based assessments can be excluded in two separate ways. Choose the method that fits your situation. New to this view? See how to navigate the assessments view.
ℹ️ Excluded assessments will not be included in the final grade for the class and therefore will not be included on the printed report cards.
Option 1: From the assessment settings
Step 1: While assigning the assessment, locate the Include Score in Final Grade option, which is checked by default.
Step 2: Uncheck the Include Score in Final Grade box. This automatically assigns an Excluded status to every student who receives the assessment.
For + (plus) assessments: The setting works as a toggle rather than a checkbox. When you create the + assessment, switch the Include Score in Final Grade toggle off.
💡 Tip: The assessment will still appear in the gradebook. Students and families will see a column and the score, but it will not factor into the final grade, and it will not show on the To Do list.
Option 2: From the Assessments View of the Gradebook
Step 1: Select the checkbox next to each student you want to exclude.
Step 2: Double-click the status of the first student you selected.
Step 3: Choose Excluded from the dropdown.
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💡Tip: You can exclude all students by selecting the checkbox next to First Name at the top-left corner of the gradebook and then following the same steps as above.
Exclude a Standards-Based Assessment
Standards-based assessments work differently. There is no Include Score in Final Grade option. Instead, you exclude an assessment by not attaching any standards to it. New to this view? See how to navigate the standards view.
Here is how it works: a student's overall score for a standard is based on each attempt at that standard. If an assessment is not linked to any standards, its results will not count as attempts and will not factor into the student's overall standard performance.
Step 1: Create or assign the assessment without attaching any standards.
Step 2: If a message appears noting that no standards are linked, continue. The message is only a reminder, and you can still assign the assessment without standards.
Otus Live Video
Click to see a video from our Otus Live series on excluding assessments from the final grade calculation.
Click to see a video from our Otus Live series on excluding assessments from the final grade calculation.
FAQ and Troubleshooting
Click to see FAQ and Troubleshooting Details.
Click to see FAQ and Troubleshooting Details.
How can I exclude just one attempt for a student?
For a points-based assessment, you could choose the Exclude or Excused status for just that student's score. Standards-based attempts cannot be excluded at this time.
Will an excluded assessment appear on report cards?
No. Excluded scores are not included on report cards.
Can I still view an excluded assessment in assessment analytics?
Yes. The assessment data is still available in assessment analytics.
Will an excluded assessment appear on the To Do list?
No. Excluded scores are not listed on the To Do list.
What's the difference between excused and excluded?
Functionally, there is no difference. Both will remove the points for that assessment from the total points calculation. However, the excused status is not automatically given under any circumstance; it has to be manually selected by the teacher.