Moodle provides several grade aggregation methods. Instructors can change the aggregation method for a grade category from the Gradebook setup page.
- Navigate to the course.
- Select Grades.
- Select Gradebook setup.
- Click Edit next to the grade category.
- Select Edit settings.
- Select an option from the Aggregation drop-down menu.
- Click Save changes.
Changing the aggregation method may change how Moodle calculates final grades. Review the course grading scheme before making changes to a course that contains student grades.
This article explains the differences between Simple weighted mean of grades and Weighted mean of grades, which are the two methods most commonly used when calculating grades in a course.
The primary difference is how Moodle determines the weight of each graded item.
| Aggregation method |
How Moodle determines the weight |
| Simple weighted mean of grades |
Moodle automatically uses each item's maximum point value as its weight. |
| Weighted mean of grades |
The instructor manually assigns a weight to each grade item. |
Simple weighted mean of grades
The Simple weighted mean of grades method automatically assigns a larger influence to assignments with more possible points. It is the default grade aggregation method in Moodle.
For example:
| Grade item |
Student score |
Maximum score |
| Quiz |
18 |
20 |
| Midterm |
80 |
100 |
| Homework |
9 |
10 |
Because the assignments are worth 20, 100, and 10 points, Moodle automatically treats the midterm as five times more important than the quiz.
The final grade is calculated as:
- Total earned points: 107
- Total possible points: 130
- Final grade: 82.3%
The instructor does not need to assign additional weights because the maximum point values determine each item's contribution.
Recommended use
Use Simple weighted mean of grades when:
- Assignment point values already represent their relative importance.
- A higher-point assignment should contribute more to the final grade automatically.
- Manual weighting is not required.
Weighted mean of grades
The Weighted mean of grades method allows the instructor to specify the importance of each grade item. For step-by-step instructions on configuring Weighted mean of grades, see Setting up weighted grade categories in Moodle.
For example:
| Grade item |
Student score |
Assigned weight |
| Quiz |
90% |
20 |
| Midterm |
80% |
50 |
| Homework |
90% |
30 |
In this example, Moodle ignores the original point values when determining each item's contribution. Instead, it calculates the final grade using the assigned weights.
The resulting final grade is 85%.
Recommended use
Use Weighted mean of grades when:
- Assignments or categories must contribute a specific percentage toward the final grade.
- Examples include:
- Homework: 20%
- Quizzes: 30%
- Final exam: 50%
- Assignment point values should not determine the final weighting.