How does an Easy Grader work?
Every paper on a test with the same number of questions uses the same conversion. So the division can be done once, for every possible number of wrong answers, and then reused for the whole stack. That chart is what people call an Easy Grader or EZ Grader.
- Set the total. Enter the number of questions on the test.
- Count the wrong answers on the paper you are marking.
- Read the row. The chart shows the correct count, the percentage, and the letter for that number of misses.
Our Easy Grader does this live, with plus and minus buttons for the wrong-answer count. The Grading Chart prints the same table for any test length.
A worked example: a 25-question quiz
On 25 questions, every wrong answer costs exactly 4 percentage points, because 100 ÷ 25 = 4. That is why 25-question quizzes are so easy to grade by chart. Using the standard A+ to F scale:
| Wrong | Correct | Percent | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 25 | 100% | A+ |
| 1 | 24 | 96% | A |
| 2 | 23 | 92% | A- |
| 3 | 22 | 88% | B+ |
| 4 | 21 | 84% | B |
| 5 | 20 | 80% | B- |
| 6 | 19 | 76% | C |
| 7 | 18 | 72% | C- |
| 8 | 17 | 68% | D+ |
| 9 | 16 | 64% | D |
| 10 | 15 | 60% | D- |
| 11 | 14 | 56% | F |
A paper with 3 wrong answers has 22 correct, and 22 ÷ 25 = 0.88, so it scores 88%, a B+. With a simple A to F scale, the same 88% is a B. The percentage never changes; only the letter depends on the scale you choose.
When the chart is not the right tool
- Partial credit. The basic chart assumes each question is right or wrong. If you award half points, use the easy grader with half points method.
- Questions with different point values. A chart built on wrong answers treats every question as equal. For mixed values, add the points earned and use the Test Grade Calculator.
- Bonus questions. Bonus points raise the score above the base chart. Add them to the points earned, not to the total.
- Curves. A curve changes the percentage after the fact, so apply it to the chart's result, not to the wrong count.
Common mistakes
- Entering the wrong total. Count the questions that are actually scored. A dropped question changes the total.
- Reusing a chart from another test length. A chart for 20 questions is wrong for 25.
- Mixing up wrong and correct. The Easy Grader counts wrong answers. Enter the misses, not the hits.
- Assuming the scale. Your school or syllabus decides where a B+ starts. Grading scales vary by school, instructor, and course.
After the stack is graded
Once every paper has a score, enter the results into the Class Grade Calculator for the class average, highest and lowest scores, and a CSV. For the formula behind any single score, see how to calculate a test grade.