How to weight assignment groups in Canvas
Short answer: create your groups, then go to Assignments, click the Assignments Settings icon (three dots), choose Assignment Groups Weights, tick Weight final grade based on assignment groups, and enter each percentage. Or open Course++ and type: “Weight the final grade: Tests 40%, Homework 30%, Labs 20%, Participation 10%.”
The problem
Your syllabus says tests are 40%. Canvas doesn’t know that yet.
By default Canvas has one group and adds up points. To weight by category you make the groups, move every assignment into the right one, then set the percentages.
groups, then moves, then weightsweights must add to 100
The fix
Give it the percentages from your syllabus.
A weighting is a course setting, so Course++ shows you the change and asks first. It sets up the structure. Canvas does the grade math.
1 sentenceasks before it changes
Prompts you can copy
Open your Canvas course, open Course++ beside it, and paste one of these. Change the names and numbers to match your course.
Weight the final grade: Tests 40%, Homework 30%, Labs 20%, Participation 10%.
To set up groups and weights from your syllabus.Move every assignment with “Quiz” in the title into the Quizzes group.
When assignments sit in the wrong group.Create assignment groups for Essays, Reading Checks and Final Project, and weight them 50%, 20% and 30%.
When the groups don’t exist yet.Show me my assignment groups, their weights, and which assignments are in each.
A check. It only reads; nothing changes.
How to weight assignment groups in Canvas by hand
- In Course Navigation, click Assignments.
- Click Add Group (the + Group button), type a name, and click Save. Repeat for each category.
- Move each assignment into its group. You can drag it, or change its group on its Edit page.
- Click the Assignments Settings icon (three dots) and choose Assignment Groups Weights.
- Tick Weight final grade based on assignment groups.
- Type a percentage beside each group so the total is 100%, then click Save.
Good to know
- Canvas won’t stop a bad total. Weights that add to more or less than 100 are allowed, so check the total line. Students are notified when weights change.
- A group set to 0% doesn’t count. Anything inside it stays out of the final grade.
- Course++ asks first. Weighting is a course setting, so it shows the change and waits for your yes. It sets the weights; it can’t read or change student grades.
- Dropping a low score too? See how to drop the lowest score.
Questions teachers ask
How do I weight categories in Canvas?
Make an assignment group for each category. Then open Assignments Settings, choose Assignment Groups Weights, tick Weight final grade based on assignment groups, and enter a percentage for each group.
Do the weights have to add up to 100?
They should. Canvas doesn’t block other totals, so check the total line before you save.
Will Course++ move my assignments into the right groups?
Yes. Describe the rule, such as titles containing “Quiz”, and it shows the plan before it moves anything.
Can Course++ calculate my students’ grades?
No. It sets up groups and weights. Canvas does the calculating, and Course++ refuses to read student grades.
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Canvas steps checked against Instructure’s own Canvas guides in October 2026. Canvas changes its screens from time to time, and schools turn features on and off, so a button may be named a little differently in yours.