Assigning Extra Credit in Canvas

There may be times when you’d like to offer extra credit to your students. While there is no explicit “extra credit” option available in Canvas, this How-To outlines a few options for giving extra credit points.

The three options here will serve a majority of need cases. If you have a more complex extra credit need (for example in classes with both undergraduate and graduate students or on quizzes) please contact Canvas Support as outlined below.

Related Topics: Canvas Gradebook

Option 1: Adding Points to an Existing Assignment

When giving points to students on graded assignments in the Gradebook, you can add the extra credit points directly to their score.

Locate the assignment in the Gradebook, click on the score area for the student you want to give extra credit to and update the score points.

In the example at right, the student has been awarded 2 extra credit points for a final score of 7 out of 5.

NOTE: this option will not work for assigning extra credit on Quizzes. Please contact Canvas Support for assistance with extra credit on quizzes.

Canvas gradebook assigning extra credit points

Option 2: Create an Extra Credit Assignment

This option works well if you are using a point structure and not using weighted grades.

Create an assignment called “Extra Credit” [1]
Assign a point value of Zero [2]
Make the submission type No submission [3]
You do not need to set a Due or Until date

At the end of the term, manually assign points to students for this "assignment" in the Gradebook.

Adding points manually to the Canvas gradebook for an extra credit assignment

Canvas Assignment with 0 point value and no submission type or due date

Option 3: Weighted Assignment Group

This option works best in courses that are using a weighted Gradebook. Create an Assignment Group named "Extra Credit."

Assign the weight for this group making sure that the overall grade percentage goes over 100%.

Assignment Groups Weight showing 105% total

For further assistance, UO Online & Canvas Support are available.

In-Person: Room 68 PLC
By phone: (541) 346-1942
By email: uoonline@uoregon.edu
Submit a Service Portal Ticket (opens in a new tab). This form can also be accessed in Canvas from the Help button at the bottom of the Global Navigation Menu.