How to categorize assignments

• Video: How to categorize assignments

Determining major and minor assignments

Most courses have a maximum number of points that can be earned and each assignment or exam will be worth a certain percentage of those overall points. Often, there will be a mix of minor assignments, or ones that are worth a smaller percentage of the overall grade, and major assignments, or those that are worth a larger percentage of the overall grade.

In this example course, 250 points are possible. Here is the breakdown for how much weight each assignment will be given:

• Paper 1 is worth 25 points, or 10% of the overall grade
• Paper 2 is worth 25 points, or 10% of the overall grade
• The Midterm is worth 50 points, or 20% of the overall grade
• Paper 3 is worth 25 points, or 10% of the overall grade
• Paper 4 is worth 25 points, or 10% of the overall grade
• The Final is worth 100 points, or 40% of the overall grade

In this course, each of the papers would likely be considered a minor assignment, and both exams are likely to be considered major assignments.

For each course you are taking, sort your assignments and exams into categories of major and minor. You’ll need to determine what constitutes a minor or major assignment based on your specific coursework. Generally, you’ll want to put the smaller assignments worth fewer points in the minor category, and larger assignments worth more points in the major category.

Example: