Exams & Grading Policies

Exams

  • Please review OSU's exam policies. In particular, please note that the last week of classes before finals week is considered "dead week" and you may not schedule a major exam during dead week.
  • Midterms/final exams for core courses (courses with a course coordinator): Check with your course coordinator with regard to details/expectations for midterms and final exams, particularly for courses involving group exams.
  • Final exam schedule
  • No final? COB approval is required. Contact ADTLE and Carrie Stampe to request changes to final exam schedule.

Grading

  • Use of “I” grade – Incomplete: OSU standards control issuing of “I” grade.  Instructor must list the student’s grade if the incomplete work is not completed, which will become the grade for the course if no action is taken within one year (see Incomplete Grade Policy).  If you need to give an incomplete, please check with the ADTLE for more information.           
  • Last date of attendance: We do not require that you take attendance each week in your classes. In some circumstances, however, including when recording a failing grade, you will need to provide the last day of a student's attendance in your class. If you do not take attendance, or for an online class, you can provide the date of the "last academically-related activity." For more information, see the Last Date of Attendance FAQs provided by the Registrar's Office. 
  • Norms: Historical grade distribution norms exist for most classes.  Likely to be variation among sections; staying close to COB norms promotes fairness for students having different instructors for same classes.  Talk to your colleagues and course coordinator and discuss +/- grades, too.
  • Translating numeric grades to letter grade: COB uses a standard grading scale that should appear in all syllabi Links to an external site.. The minimum percentage of available points to earn the applicable grade is: 

A     93%        C     73%

A-    90%        C-    70%

B+   87%        D+    67%

B     83%        D      63%   

B-    80%        D-    60%

C+   77%           F     <=59%

  • AKINDI: Rather than using Scantrons for machine grading objective tests, the COB recommends that you use AKINDI. This is an easy to adopt automated program that allows you to print your own scannable sheets and then to upload the grades to Canvas. Find out more in this Download AKINDI presentation.
  • Submitting grades:
    • Final grades are due by Monday following Finals Week.
    • Preliminary grades for graduating seniors are due Spring Term, 3 weeks prior to final grades.
    • Submit final grades via the MyOSU Portal.