How to Generate Letter Grades Automatically
1. Create a column and choose as type "Letter Grade".
2. Click Done to return to the main screen, and click Grading Scheme at the top of the new column. Near the top of the next screen is a pulldown menu; you must apply this grading scheme to whichever column you have that lists the semester grade. Then, look at the table below. Ignore the middle column for now. The right column is a list of possible grades. This list doesn't match what UCF offers, so it's best to start at the top and make the A+ into simply an A. The next line, also an A+, should be made into an A-, and the next line into B+, and so on. Because you need to add a D+ and D- (not presently there), you'll find you have the right number of lines.
* Note: if you use flat grading (no plus/minus), you can delete rows until you have the right number.
3. Now you need to decide the "lowest possible grade" for each grade level. For instance, if a 94 is the lowest grade you can get to still earn an A, that should be typed in the left column, at the top (for the row that matches the A on the right column). The A- row probably has a number like 90 as the lowest possible score to earn this, so type that in the next line. Here is a common grade breakdown many instructors use:
lowest A = 93
lowest A- = 90
lowest B+ = 87
lowest B = 83
lowest B- = 80
lowest C+ = 77
lowest C= 73
lowest C- = 70
lowest D+ = 67
lowest D= 63
lowest D- = 60
4. The middle column showing the grade range does not update dynamically. If you'd like to see the new range after you change the lowest score for each level (as detailed in the previous step), you can click "refresh ranges." It is also safe to simply ignore this middle column. The values will refresh on their own after you click UPDATE.
5. When you click to update your grading scheme, the main screen will reload and all the students will have been assigned a letter grade.
Watch a video on having the system assign letter grades within the myUCF Grades interface (scroll to frame 187 of the video, or approximately halfway through).
Continue Reading . . .
For Further Assistance
If you're having difficulty locating the Grades pagelet or trouble accessing it, contact the UCF Help Desk (407-823-5117 or helpdesk@mail.ucf.edu). The Faculty Center (407-823-3544 or fctl@mail.ucf.edu) is happy to consult with you about further applications or complications using myUCF Grades. Additionally, the Faculty Center offers regular workshops and one-on-one consultations on creating and maintaining Excel gradebooks.
