Grade weighting
How academic rulesets combine module and final grades — module weight, final weight, the 100% rule, rounding behavior, and worked examples for examination regulations.
Grade weighting on an academic ruleset version decides how module and final grade components combine. On each version, under Grading configuration, you set a Module weight and a Final weight that must sum to 100%, plus a rounding behavior that shapes how combined results are expressed against your rating schema.
This page explains why weights exist in examination regulations, how they relate to day-to-day grading in the Exam Center, and how to configure them without inventing undocumented controls. Pair it with Configure grading scale for the scale itself and Edit a ruleset for where the fields live.
Why it matters
Most university programs do not treat every mark as equal. A module grade may blend coursework and a final examination; a program final grade may weight modules differently from a single thesis mark. Examination regulations usually state those percentages explicitly. Encoding them on the ruleset version keeps program staff, examiners, and transcripts aligned — instead of recalculating weights in spreadsheets after each exam period.
Weighting also interacts with rounding: whether you round with a generic decimal rule or follow the rating schema affects borderline cases that decide pass/fail or classification bands.
How it fits
Weights are part of the student’s effective ruleset, resolved by assignment priority. Day-to-day mark entry still happens on the exam detail page; weights describe how module and final components combine at policy level.
| Related piece | Role |
|---|---|
| Edit a ruleset | Where Module weight, Final weight, and Rounding behavior are set |
| Configure grading scale | Which values graders can enter |
| Grade and manage an exam | Entering and publishing marks on a sitting |
| Grade improvement | Which published attempt counts when improvement is allowed |
Key concepts
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Module weight | Share of the combined result attributed to the module component (percent) |
| Final weight | Share attributed to the final / thesis / concluding component (percent) |
| 100% rule | Module weight + final weight must equal 100% on the version |
| Rounding behavior | Generic decimal rounding or rating-schema-based rounding |
| Grading schema | The rating scale that constrains valid marks (numeric, letter, ECTS-style) |
| Weighted average (domain) | Common regulatory method: multiply each component by its weight, then sum |
Settings reference
On the ruleset version (Settings → OrgHub → Academic Rulesets → [ruleset] → [version]), under Grading configuration:
| Field | What to set | Constraint |
|---|---|---|
| Module weight | Percent for the module side | With final weight, must total 100% |
| Final weight | Percent for the final side | With module weight, must total 100% |
| Rounding behavior | Generic decimal or rating-schema-based | Choose the option that matches your PO / transcript practice |
| Grading schema | Scale for graded exams | Align with exam-type rating mode |
Domain patterns (examination regulations)
These are common regulatory patterns, not extra Fuxam switches:
| Pattern | Typical regulation idea | Ruleset framing |
|---|---|---|
| Module-heavy blend | Coursework / module exams dominate the year grade | Higher Module weight (for example 70/30) |
| Final-exam-heavy | One concluding examination dominates | Higher Final weight (for example 40/60) |
| Thesis as final | Bachelor / master thesis carries a fixed share of the overall grade | Map the thesis share to Final weight; keep module share complementary |
| Equal split | Module and final count equally | 50 / 50 |
| Pass threshold after weighting | Combined result must reach 4.0 (German) or equivalent | Weights + schema + rounding must be consistent before borderline review |
Worked examples
Example A — 70 / 30 module and final
Setup: Module weight = 70%, Final weight = 30%. German numeric schema. Module component = 2.0, Final component = 1.7.
Conceptual combined result before institutional rounding:
- Module contribution: 2.0 × 0.70
- Final contribution: 1.7 × 0.30
- Sum → then apply the version’s rounding behavior
Exact arithmetic and display depend on your schema and rounding choice; the ruleset’s job is to lock the weights and rounding mode so every program under that version uses the same pair.
Example B — Weights that do not sum to 100%
Staff set module weight = 60% and forget to adjust final weight from a previous 50/50 draft. The version violates the documented must sum to 100% rule. Fix both fields before assigning the version widely; do not leave “almost correct” pairs on live connections.
Example C — New PO changes the blend
PO 2024 used 60/40; PO 2025 uses 50/50. Prefer a new ruleset version with the new weights and a new validity period, then re-point the new cohort — leave the 2024 version on older intakes. See Edit a ruleset.
Example D — Rounding at the pass border
A student lands just above or below a pass threshold after weighting. Generic decimal rounding and schema-based rounding can disagree on the displayed mark. Decide the rounding behavior from the regulation (or exam-office standard) before exam week, and keep it stable for the validity window.
Example E — Improvement sitting and which mark enters the weight
If regulations allow Notenverbesserung, your office must decide whether the best or last published attempt enters the weighted calculation. Fuxam stores each attempt on its own tab; which published result is authoritative for certificates is an institutional rule. See Grade improvement.
How to set grade weights
Open the ruleset version under Settings → OrgHub → Academic Rulesets.
Under Grading configuration, set Module weight and Final weight so they sum to 100%.
Choose Rounding behavior (generic decimal or rating-schema-based) to match your regulation or exam-office standard.
Confirm the Grading schema still matches how examiners grade under linked exam types.
Save, then verify connections so the intended programs, cohorts, or users resolve to this version.
Decision table — when to change weights
| Situation | Prefer |
|---|---|
| Same PO, new academic year, same percentages | Keep weights; new version only if other fields change |
| PO revises the blend (for example 60/40 → 50/50) | New version with new weights + validity dates |
| One student needs a different blend | Unusual — confirm legally; if required, model via a user-level ruleset version, not a silent program edit |
| Only the scale changes, not the percentages | Update Grading schema / exam types; leave weights unless the PO also changes them |
Best practices
- Transcribe, do not invent — take percentages from the published regulation text.
- Keep pairs at 100% — treat incomplete pairs as a release blocker.
- Version when blends change — protect historical cohorts.
- Align schema and rounding — weights without a coherent scale produce disputed transcripts.
- Train examiners on entry, not on mental math — they enter sitting marks; the office owns the combination policy.
- Document best vs last when improvement is allowed — see Grade improvement.
Common pitfalls
| Pitfall | Impact | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Weights not summing to 100% | Inconsistent combined results | Correct both fields before go-live |
| Editing weights mid-term on a live version | Students graded under two stories | New version + validity window |
| Confusing ECTS credits with weights | Wrong field updated | Credits → credit-point requirements; blend → this page |
| Ignoring assignment priority | Program weights ignored for cohort/user overrides | Check assignment priority |
| Assuming LMS course grades feed the weights | Teaching marks treated as formal components | Formal policy lives in CMS rulesets; LMS is separate |
FAQ
Where do I set module and final weights?
On the ruleset version under Grading configuration — see Edit a ruleset.
Must the two weights always sum to 100%?
Yes. The documented rule is that module weight and final weight must sum to 100% on the version.
Do weights replace day-to-day grading on attempt tabs?
No. Examiners still enter marks on the exam detail page. Weights describe how module and final components combine at policy level. See Grade and manage an exam.
What rounding options exist?
The version supports generic decimal rounding or rating-schema-based rounding. Choose the option that matches your regulation and transcript practice.
Related pages
- Edit a ruleset — grading configuration on a version
- Configure grading scale — schemas and rating modes
- Grade improvement — which attempt mark enters certificates
- Credit-point requirements — ECTS / credit thresholds (not weights)
- Assignment priority — which version’s weights apply
- Academic rulesets — section overview