Interpreting the Results of a Test with Multiple Parts

If a test has one part, then determining how well a student has performed is very basic. Two steps will provide the desired information: divide the number of points earned by the number of points the test was worth and then convert the resulting decimal into a percentage.

But if a test has multiple parts, assessing a student's overall performance for the day requires a few more steps. See below for instructions.

Step 1: Determine how many points were earned altogether while taking into account any weight (or "multiplier") that may be assigned to each portion of the test.

On Infinite Campus (IC), students are given the number of points earned for each portion of the test. And if a portion of the test is weighted, a multiplier will be listed. (If there is no indication that a portion is weighted, then assume the multiplier is 1.) Start with one portion of the test and multiply the points earned by any multiplier. The resulting product is the number of points earned for that portion of the test. Repeat this for each portion of the test. Once all the products have been determined, add them together. The resulting sum is the total number of points earned. Remember that number.

Step 2: Determine how many points could have been earned if a student had performed perfectly while taking into account any weight.

On IC, students are also given the number of points that a test is worth. Start with one portion of the test and multiply the number of points it is worth by any multiplier. The resulting product is the number of points that could have been earned for that portion of the test. Repeat this for each portion of the test. Once all these products have been determined, add them together. The resulting sum is the total number of points that could have been earned. Remember that number as well.

Step 3: Divide the previous results.

Take the sum from step 1, divide it by the sum from step 2, and convert the resulting decimal into a percentage. That percentage serves as a measure of the student's performance for the day.

Here is an example.

Let's assume a test was given that had two parts. Part A is worth 19 points and no multiplier is given. A student scored 18 out of 19 points on Part A. Part B is worth 100 points and its multiplier is listed as 0.250. That student scored 80 points out of 100 points on Part B.

Step 1: 18 * 1 + 80 * 0.250 = 18 + 20 = 38

Step 2: 19 * 1 + 100 * 0.250 = 19 + 25 = 44

Step 3: 38/44 is approximately 0.86, so overall, this student earned a grade of approximately 86%.

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