Why is my student's answer being marked wrong (even though I am sure it's right)?

There are two common reasons our Online Grading will mark your student’s answer incorrect (though you've confirmed it's mathematically correct.)

1. Math answers can sometimes be written in more than one correct way

In many math problems, the same value can be written in multiple equivalent forms. For example:

• a fraction instead of a decimal
• a decimal instead of a fraction
• an unsimplified fraction instead of a simplified one

In these cases, the mathematics may be correct even if the answer is written differently.

If your student receives an incorrect mark but believes the answer is correct, it can be helpful to review the problem together and check whether the answer is mathematically equivalent.

2. The answer format must follow the directions in the textbook

Our Online Grading system follows the official solutions manuals for the textbooks used in the program. Because of this, the system expects answers to be entered in the format required by the textbook directions.

Online Grading is designed to mirror the expectations of the textbook and its official solutions manual so that students practice writing answers exactly the way the curriculum requires.

For example, if the book instructs students to:

• round to a specific decimal place
• write the answer as a decimal instead of a fraction
• simplify the answer
• include units

then the answer must be entered exactly that way in Online Grading.

If the format does not match the directions given in the lesson, the system may mark the answer incorrect even if the value is mathematically equivalent.

What should I do if this happens?

If you believe your student’s answer should receive credit, you can manually adjust the score in the reports section.

See: How do I change a point in Online Grading?