Extra credit points and weighted grading

[eric_orton]

Suppose a course uses weighted grading categories, and a particular category contains a certain number of points--say 50 points--and is worth a certain percentage of the final course grade--say 20%. If extra credit points are added to an assignment within that category that cause the total points earned in the category to exceed the points contained in the category--say 55 our of 50--do the extra points actually have any impact on the student's final grade? Or, once the maximum points are earned in the category, are remaining extra credit points essentially lost?

[Ron_Bowman · Accepted solution]

@eric_orton 

I do this all the time.  the extra points go into the overall grade as described below:

assignment group is 20%

Total points is 55/50 = 110%

110%*.2 = 22 points instead of 20 for the students final grade calculation.

so if no other extra credit categories, the student could get a 102% in your class