How do I add a grading scheme in my Canvas course?
A grading scheme lets Canvas translate raw scores or percentages into letter grades (or any custom label you choose) so students see grades that match your syllabus. This guide walks through creating a scheme, enabling it for your course, and applying it.
Before You Start: Preparation Checklist
- Have your syllabus grading scale on hand, so you can copy the exact percentage ranges and letter grades (or Pass/Fail, Credit/No Credit, etc.).
- Decide whether you want a percentage-based scheme or a points-based scheme.
- Check whether Canvas’s default scheme already matches your syllabus — if it does, you can skip building a custom one.
- Confirm you have Teacher access in the course (NECO TAs may not be able to edit course settings).
Creating and Enabling a Grading Scheme
- In Course Navigation, click Settings.
- On the Course Details tab, check the box for Enable course grading scheme.
- Click the View/Edit (or Manage Grading Schemes) link that appears next to the checkbox.
- A popup shows Canvas’s default scheme. If it already matches your syllabus, you can select it and skip to step 8.
- To build your own, close the popup and click Manage All Grading Schemes, then click New Grading Scheme (or Add Grading Scheme).
- Name the scheme, choose Percentage or Points, and enter each grade label with its minimum range. Use the plus and X icons to add or remove rows — make sure your ranges cover the full span from 100% down to 0% with no gaps or overlaps.
- Click Save.
- Back on the course Settings page, choose your new scheme from the Grading Scheme dropdown.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Update Course Details to save.
IMPORTANT: A grading scheme does nothing until the “Enable course grading scheme” checkbox is checked and you’ve selected a scheme from the dropdown — creating a scheme alone will not change how grades display.
Editing or Managing an Existing Scheme
- From Settings → Course Details, click View/Edit next to the grading scheme, then Manage All Grading Schemes to see every scheme you’ve created.
- Use the pencil (Edit) icon to change an existing scheme’s ranges or labels, or the trash (Delete) icon to remove one you no longer need.
- A scheme already in use by another course can’t be edited from within your course — duplicate it first, then edit the copy.
Best Practices
Match Your Syllabus Exactly
Copy the ranges directly from your syllabus rather than retyping from memory — a one-point typo in a boundary can shift a student’s letter grade.
Set Up Your Scheme Before Grading Begins
Applying or changing a scheme after students have been checking their grades can cause displayed letter grades to shift, which tends to generate confused emails. Set it up during course setup, before the term starts.
Double-Check for Gaps and Overlaps
Every percentage from 0–100% needs to fall inside exactly one range. Canvas won’t stop you from saving a scheme with a gap, so review the full list before clicking Save.
Reuse Schemes Across Sections
If you teach multiple sections with the same grading scale, build the scheme once and select it from the dropdown in each course rather than recreating it every time.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Issue: Grades in the Gradebook still show as raw scores or percentages, not letter grades.
Solution: Go back to Settings → Course Details and confirm both that the “Enable course grading scheme” box is checked and that a scheme is selected in the dropdown, then click Update Course Details.
Issue: A student’s letter grade doesn’t match what you expect for their percentage.
Solution: Open Manage All Grading Schemes and check the exact boundary values — a gap or an overlapping range will silently misassign borderline scores.
Issue: You edited a scheme, but nothing changed in the course.
Solution: The scheme may be locked to another course and your edit created a separate copy. Reselect the correct scheme from the Grading Scheme dropdown in Settings and save.
Issue: You can’t find a “New Grading Scheme” button.
Solution: Depending on your Canvas version this button may be labeled “Add Grading Scheme” instead — it does the same thing. Make sure you’ve clicked into “Manage All Grading Schemes” first, not just the default-scheme preview popup.
Self-Check Questions
- Does your grading scheme’s ranges match your syllabus exactly, with no gaps or overlaps?
- Is the “Enable course grading scheme” checkbox checked in your course Settings?
- Have you selected your intended scheme from the Grading Scheme dropdown and clicked Update Course Details?
- Did you check the Gradebook after saving to confirm letter grades are displaying as expected?
Additional Resources
Need Extra Support?
If you run into trouble setting up your grading scheme, we’re happy to help.
- Email: tlc@neco.edu
- Send us a request: Request Support