Grading formula and assigned work for CS 173

Your final average is a weighted combination of your averages on examlets and PrairieLearn assignments. Specifically

• Examlets are worth 70%
• Final Exam is worth 20%
• The Pre-Unit Homework is worth 5%
• The Tutorials are worth 5%

When we translate these averages into final letter grades, a score of 90 will be at least an A-, 80 at least a B-, 70 at least a C-, 60 at least a D-. If the raw scores are running excessively low, we may revise these cutoffs to be more generous. However, this has happened only very rarely in recent years. In recent terms, around three quarters of the grades have been A's and B's.

This course does not give A+ grades.

Monitoring grades

You are responsible for keeping an eye on your PrairieLearn grades and promptly reporting apparent errors. See the FAQ for how to report grading and/or grade entry problems. In particular, you are responsible for making sure your tutorial problems have received a non-zero grade before you leave tutorial.

If the scores you are receiving alarm you, seek help.

Drops and extensions

There is an automatic extension of the first two pre-lecture homeworks until Tuesday morning of Week 3, for the benefit of folks adding the course late.

We will drop

• Your lowest three pre-unit homework scores,
• Your lowest three tutorial scores, and
• We also drop your lowest examlet score (not including the final exam).

Missed work

You are expected to use these drops to cover most small problems that arise, e.g. illness, religious holidays, oversleeping tutorial, joining the course late.