Grade & manage an exam
Conceptual guide to grading formal exams in the Exam Center — detail tabs, attempt lifecycle, grading scales, publishing, assessment requests, and how CMS grading differs from LMS course grades.
When you open an exam from My Exams, you reach the exam’s detail page. That page is the operational heart of formal assessment in FuxamCMS: it holds configuration, pending and published submissions, attempt-by-attempt grading, and student assessment requests.
This chapter explains what grading means in the Exam Center, why publish and attempt discipline matter, how CMS grading relates to LMS course grades, and how to work through each tab without losing the procedural steps you rely on day to day. For how attempt eligibility and permanent failure are decided upstream, read How exam attempts work alongside this page.
Why it matters
Formal grading is more than entering a mark. In university examination regulations, a recorded grade usually:
- Counts against a student’s attempt budget (passed or failed)
- Uses a documented scale so results are comparable across modules and cohorts
- Becomes visible to the student only after an intentional release step
- May feed module completion, credit recognition, and institutional statistics
Doing this inconsistently — mixing LMS marks with Exam Center outcomes, publishing before verification, or ignoring attempt tabs — creates disputes, incorrect permanent-failure decisions, and unreliable reports. The detail page exists so examiners and exam offices share one workflow from receipt of work through release.
How it fits
Grading sits after exam configuration and before institutional reporting. Attempt eligibility and the number of attempt tabs are shaped upstream by academic rulesets (numeric limits and schemas) and exam types (attempt workflow); the marks you publish feed student visibility and eventually Statistics and reports.
CMS Exam Center vs LMS grading
| Dimension | Exam Center grading (this page) | LMS grading |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | One formal exam instance linked to a module | Gradable content blocks inside a course journey |
| Attempt model | Explicit Attempt 1, Attempt 2, … tabs driven by resolved max attempts | Course block grades — not the same module attempt ledger |
| Publish | Per-exam publish from attempt or pending workflows | Publish all Grades (or unpublish) in the course Grades view |
| Policy drivers | Rulesets, exam types, grading scales | Block setup and course teaching practice |
| Handbook | This page and Grade submissions | Grading and analytics |
Key concepts
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Detail page | The multi-tab workspace for one exam instance |
| Pending | Submissions received but not yet graded (often shows a count badge) |
| Published | Submissions whose grades have been released and are visible to students |
| Attempt tab | A dedicated view for one counted attempt (Attempt 1, Attempt 2, …). Tabs are generated from the maximum number of attempts configured for the exam |
| Grading control | Dropdown or input driven by the exam type’s grading scale / rating schema |
| Exam request | Student request for accommodation, alternative date, or related assessment exception — separate from the grading workflow |
| Formative vs summative | Formative feedback guides learning; summative marks record achievement. Exam Center grading is typically summative for the module |
| Resit / retake (domain) | In academic regulations, a later sitting after failure or a broader re-assessment. In Fuxam, later sittings appear as subsequent attempt tabs when eligibility and limits allow |
| Best-attempt vs last-attempt (domain) | Some regulations count the best mark toward the transcript; others count the most recent sitting. Fuxam stores each attempt separately on its tab — your office decides which published result is authoritative for certificates |
| German numeric scale (domain) | Common university scale from 1.0 (very good) through 4.0 (sufficient) to 5.0 (fail), often with thirds (1.3, 1.7, …). Modeled in Fuxam as a value-based rating schema when the exam type is Graded |
| ECTS grades A–F (domain) | European achievement labels used especially for mobility; typically named rows in a schema, optionally with numeric values for aggregation |
Grading scales in practice
What you select in the grading control depends on the exam type’s rating mode and, for Graded exams, the student’s effective rating schema (institution default or ruleset override). Deep schema configuration: Configure grading scale.
Worked examples (domain context + Fuxam controls)
| Scenario | Domain idea | What graders typically see |
|---|---|---|
| Written module exam | German numeric 1.0–5.0 | Graded control with schema values such as 1.0, 1.3, 1.7, 2.0, …, 5.0 |
| Mobility / ECTS reporting | Letter grades A–F | Graded control with named schema rows (A, B, C, …); values may sit behind the letters for averages |
| Practical competence check | Pass / fail only | Pass or fail selector — no rating schema |
| Mandatory attendance component | Participation credit | Participation / no participation selector — no schema |
| Custom-form questionnaire | Structured answers + a mark | Form fields on the submission; outcome still via the type’s rating mode |
Attempt tabs and the attempt lifecycle
Attempt tabs are the operational face of policy set elsewhere:
| Upstream setting | Source | Effect on this page |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum passed / failed attempts | Academic rulesets | Outer ceiling; shapes how many attempts can exist |
| Attempt workflow | Exam type — auto reattempt or reassessment period | Eligibility rules (for example approval on attempt 2 under reassessment period; no attempt 3+) |
| Resolved max for enrolled students | Combination of the above + defaults | Which Attempt N tabs appear |
Scenario sketches (documented mechanics)
| Situation | Likely behaviour to expect |
|---|---|
| Student fails Attempt 1; type uses auto reattempt; ruleset still allows failed attempts | Student can appear on a later attempt tab while under the ruleset ceiling |
| Student fails Attempt 1; type uses reassessment period | At most two attempts; Attempt 2 needs reassessment approval; no Attempt 3+ |
| Student exceeds maximum failed attempts | Marked permanently failed for the module — see How exam attempts work |
| Same exam, two students, different ruleset assignments | Different effective limits or schemas — different tabs or grading dropdowns are possible |
Exam detail tabs
| Tab | What you do here |
|---|---|
| Details | View and edit responsible users and related configuration — see Edit an exam and Manage examiners |
| Published | See submissions whose grades have been published and are visible to students |
| Pending | Review submissions that have been received but not yet graded (shows a count badge when submissions are waiting) |
| Exam Requests | Handle special requests submitted by students, such as accommodations or alternative dates (shows a count badge when open requests exist) |
| Attempt 1, Attempt 2, … | Each attempt the exam allows gets its own tab. Open an attempt tab to grade individual student submissions for that attempt, and to schedule dates |
Grade a submission
Use this flow when work has arrived and needs a mark before release. Prefer the attempt tab that matches the student’s current sitting when you are working attempt-by-attempt; the Pending tab is the fastest queue of ungraded work across what is waiting.
Open the exam and go to the Pending tab to see ungraded submissions.
Select a student’s submission to open the grading view.
Enter the grade using the grading control (a dropdown or input depending on your exam type’s grading scale).
Add any feedback or notes as needed.
Save the grade. The submission moves from Pending to a graded state.
Publish grades
Once you have graded the submissions you want to release, publish them so students can see their results. Publishing is the administrative boundary between internal marking and student-facing outcomes — and often the point at which results become relevant for progression discussions.
In the graded submissions list (within the relevant attempt tab or the Pending tab), select the submissions to publish.
Select Publish or Publish grades. A confirmation dialog may appear.
Confirm. The submissions move to the Published tab and the grades become visible to students.
For a dedicated publish walkthrough, see Publish grades.
Handle assessment requests
Students can submit requests related to an exam — for example, a request for an alternative exam date or an accommodation. These appear in the Exam Requests tab.
To handle a request:
- Open the Exam Requests tab.
- Review the request details.
- Approve or decline the request. You may be able to add a note for the student.
See also Handle exam requests. Under reassessment period workflows, reassessment-related requests are part of how attempt 2 becomes available — see How exam attempts work.
Best practices
- Grade on the correct attempt tab so attempt history and eligibility stay coherent with ruleset limits and the attempt lifecycle.
- Batch-verify before publish — compare a sample of marks to the scale (numeric, letter/ECTS, or pass/fail) and to any shared marking scheme for the module.
- Separate accommodation from marks — resolve exam requests on their own tab; do not treat a pending request as a substitute for a grade decision.
- Align with module and curriculum design — if the exam type or ruleset changed mid-year, confirm you are grading under the intended version before releasing results.
- Know the LMS boundary — do not assume an unpublished LMS course grade will appear on this detail page, or vice versa.
- Clarify best vs last attempt for certificates — Fuxam keeps attempt history; your exam office should document which published sitting counts when regulations distinguish best-attempt from last-attempt counting.
Common pitfalls
| Pitfall | Why it hurts | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Publishing too early | Students see incorrect marks; corrections may be hard | Use Pending and attempt tabs until verification is done |
| Ignoring attempt context | Wrong sitting recorded against the module attempt budget | Open the matching Attempt N tab; review How exam attempts work |
| Confusing LMS and CMS marks | Transcript or module completion disagrees with course feedback | Confirm with exam office which system is authoritative |
| Leaving Exam Requests unattended | Students miss accommodations or alternative dates | Watch the request badge and process before or alongside grading |
| Expecting one schema for every student | Ruleset overrides change the Graded dropdown | Check assignment priority and Configure grading scale |
FAQ
Why do I see Attempt 1 and Attempt 2 but a colleague sees more tabs?
Attempt tabs are generated from the maximum number of attempts configured for the exam and the students enrolled. Resolved limits come from academic rulesets and related defaults — see Configure attempt limits and How exam attempts work. Different exams or student sets can yield different tab sets. Reassessment period workflows also cap operational attempts at two.
Is saving a grade the same as publishing?
No. Saving records the mark for staff workflows. Students see results only after you Publish or Publish grades, which moves submissions to the Published tab.
Can a student have both an exam request and a pending submission?
Yes. Assessment requests are a separate workflow from grading. Handle the request on Exam Requests and the mark on Pending or the relevant attempt tab.
Where do I change the grading scale itself?
Scales and rating schemas are configured through exam types and ruleset grading settings — start at Configure grading scale and Edit a ruleset. On the detail page you apply the scale via the grading control; you do not redefine it there.
Does Fuxam automatically pick best or last attempt for the transcript?
Fuxam records each attempt on its own tab and publishes per your publish actions. Whether certificates use the best or last attempt is a domain/regulatory decision for your exam office — not something this detail page invents. See How exam attempts work and Exam results and resits.
Related pages
How exam attempts work
How ruleset limits and exam-type workflows produce eligibility and attempt tabs.
Grade submissions
Step-by-step guide to entering grades for an exam’s submissions.
Publish grades
Release graded results to students.
Module grade calculation
How exam marks combine into module and final grades.
My Exams
Find and open an exam before working through its detail tabs.
Configure grading scale
Rating modes, schemas, and how scales appear when grading.
Statistics and reports
Export exam and enrollment data at the institutional level.
LMS grading and analytics
Course-level grades and how they differ from the Exam Center.