How essay questions are gradedEssay questions are not automatically scored when you submit your test or quiz. Your instructor needs to review and grade the essays by hand. A test or quiz with ungraded essays appears on your Results page with an ! (exclamation point) in the Score column. Click the exclamation point to view a message about your score to date. For example, the message could say: "This test contains essay questions that have not yet been graded by your instructor. Your current test score is: 30/45 or 67%"
When your instructor grades your essays, the number of points you receive for each essay is added to your current score for the test or quiz. For example, you take a test with one essay worth 10 points. Your score before the essay is graded is 30/45. Your instructor gives you 8 points on the essay, so your final test score is 38/45.
If your instructor awards you at least 70% credit on an essay question, the essay counts toward your Study Plan mastery. So, if you answer all questions for a given section or objective correctly, including receiving at least 70% credit on a related essay question, you have mastered that section or objective.