About exemptions

Using exemptions, an instructor can provide an implicit reason why a learner does not have a score for a grade item or an activity. A blank grade or a zero (0) grade can mean that the learner hasn't submitted the item, that the item has not been graded, or that the learner has failed the item. Having an exemption setting supports the differentiation for a legitimate exemption.

Instructors can exempt content items, numeric, selection box, pass/fail, calculated, formula, and text item grade item types; however, instructors cannot exempt a learner from a final calculated grade or final adjusted grade.

When an instructor exempts a learner from an activity from within the grade book or the Content tool, the following pages are affected:

  • Table of Contents page - the exempted topic title appears with an exempted flag, the due date is not shown, the completion method indicator is removed, and the count of required topics and module completion percentage excludes exempted topics.
  • Topic details page - When a learner clicks on a topic they are exempt from, a message displays stating that the learner is exempt from the topic and that the activity can be viewed but does not need to be completed. The updated count of required topics in the Table of Contents now excludes the exempted grade items. The completion method, being essentially not required, is removed from the Details page.
  • Course Schedule - Exempted activities are not due, therefore not overdue, and do not appear on the Overdue items list. The Full Schedule and Upcoming sections of Course Schedule do not show exempted items.
  • Calendar - the Calendar web pages and Calendar widgets do not show exempted items.
  • Updates Widget - Exempted quizzes are not required to be submitted, and are excluded from the count of unattempted quizzes that appear in the Updates widget.
  • In the Grade book, instructor view pages: Enter Grades, Grade User, Grade Category, Grade Items, Import Review
  • Learner view pages: My Grades
  • User Progress pages: Summary and Grades tabs; however, exempted grade items do not appear in the bar graph of received grades. The Summary and Content tabs display exempted activities.

The process that exports and imports grade data includes exemptions. Post-processing during the import of grade data can differentiate between a learner with a grade, without a grade, and with an exemption. If you change the value that identifies an exemption to the import process after instructors have set export file values to depend on a particular value, such as the word Exempt, there may be unexpected results in the imported grade exemptions.

You can launch the Manage Exemptions page from the following tools:

The Content tool:

  • From the Table of Contents, when editing properties in place
  • As a button within the Activity Details section of a topic’s page

The Assignments tool:

  • On the Assignments page, in the context menu of an assignment
  • On the Assignments page as a button at the top of the page

The Discussions tool:

  • On the Discussions List page, in the context menu of a topic
  • On the View Topic page, in the context menu beside the topic name
  • On the Assess Topic page as a button at the top of the page

The Quizzes tool:

  • On the Manage Quizzes page, in the context menu of a quiz
  • On the Grade Quiz page as a button at the top of the page

Setting an exemption for a learner

You can exempt a learner from a content item (a quiz, an activity, or a topic) from within the Content tool or from a grade item.

Setting an exemption for a learner from the Content tool

Exemptions can only be set on the following topic types:

  • File topics
  • LTI links
  • Checklists
  • Assignments
  • Discussions
  • Quizzes
  • Surveys
  • Self-Assessments

To set an exemption for a learner:

  1. In Content, on the context menu of the activity you want to exempt a learner from, select Edit Properties In-Place.
  2. Click Add dates and restrictions....
  3. Under Exemptions, click Manage Exemptions.
  4. Search for and select the learners you want to exempt from the activity.
  5. Click Exempt.
  6. Click X to exit the Manage Exemptions page.
  7. Click Update to save the restrictions.

Note: When activities are exempted, any associated release conditions on these exempted activities must still be met.

Setting an exemption for a learner from the grade book

  1. From the Grade Item page, select the check box beside the learner's name.
  2. Above or below the table, click Exempt.
  3. Click Save and Close.
Removing an exemption for a learner
  1. From the Grade Item page, select the check box beside the learner's name.
  2. Above or below the table, click Unexempt.
  3. Click Save and Close.
Setting multiple grade item exemptions for a learner
  1. On the Enter Grades page, click on the learner's name.
  2. From the context menu of the learner's name, select Bulk edit exemptions.
    Note: You can also launch the Bulk edit exemptions page from the Grade item and the Grade Category pages.
  3. On the Edit Grade Exemptions page for the learner, select the check boxes of the grade items that you want to exempt the learner from.
  4. Click Save and Close.