The ECE 313 Grading Scheme

Grade Distribution Formula: Scores on quizes and examinations will be weighted as shown below in determining your grade.

• 5% Homework
  • You are required to submit your solutions of almost all "Short Answer Questions" behind each Chapter in the course notes. The answer of each "Short Answer Question" is provided at the back of the course notes. You should provide your solutions in detail instead of just the final answers.
    Homework are due 4pm on Wednesdays. There will be 7 homework and only the top 5 scores are considered. Questions covered in each homework will be announced.
     
• 5% Quizes:
  • Problem sets with detailed solutions will be provided. Quizzes are on Fridays. You are required to read and understand solutions provided by problem setst so that you can pass the quiz. There will be 7 quizes but only the top 5 scores are considered.
     
• 20% First Midterm Examination.
• 25% Second Midterm Examination.
• 15% Third Midterm Examination.
   
• 30% Final Examination

Letter Grades: After computing each student's Grand Total score as the sum of the average homework score, hour exam scores, and final exam score, we find the mean m and the standard deviation s of the Grand Total scores. Letter grades are assigned using cut-offs that are based roughly on a mixture of

• objective criteria (85% = A, 70% = B, 55% = C, etc.),

   

and

• statistical criteria (above-average scores = B or better, etc.).

   

As a rough guideline, we intend to award

• A's to scores greater than min(m+s,85%)

   

• B's to scores in the range min(m,70%) to min(m+s,85%),

   

• C's to scores in the range min(m-s,55%) to min(m,70%)

   

• D's to scores in the range max(m-2s,45%) to min(m-s,55%)

   

• F's to scores below max(m-2s,45%)

   

+ and - grades are typically awarded at the edges of the above cut-offs. The percentages of A's and B's awarded in ECE 313 are comparable to those awarded in 300-level required courses in the ECE Department.

Additional Rule: Students who obtain equal or over 90% of the total exam scores will get grade A or above, regardless of scores of their quizes and homework.

Trivia regarding grading practices

• The reason for saying rough guideline is that we reserve the right to make minor adjustments (upwards or downwards) to each cut-off to avoid discriminating between students on the basis of very small differences in scores. If we must determine a given cut-off where there is no obvious gap in scores, we will be favorably influenced by strong performance on the final exam.

   

• Regardless of your exam performance and the settings of the cut-offs, however, you will receive the same grade as everyone who has the same Grand Total score as you, and nobody who has a lower Grand Total score will receive a higher grade than you.

   

Request to regrade a problem set

• If you think you should have received more points on a particular problem set you may submit a regrade request. To do so, attach a separate piece of paper to the front of the homework you'd like regraded, with the heading REGRADE along with your name (as in compass), ID, and what problems you think should be regraded and why, and insert it in the course drop box within one week after the homework was passed back or hand it in.