---
title: "Set a Default Grade for an Assignment in Gradebook"
canonical: "https://servicedesk.shu.edu/space/PUBLICKBA/3169583107/Set%20a%20Default%20Grade%20for%20an%20Assignment%20in%20Gradebook"
format: markdown
---
> ℹ️ **Important Notes:**
> ℹ️ 
> ℹ️ - **Default Grade Application: **Default grades can be applied to all students or limited to those who have not yet received a grade.
> ℹ️ - **Multiple Grading Periods: **If a course has Multiple Grading Periods enabled, default grades cannot be set for any assignment that includes at least one student in a closed grading period.
> ℹ️ - **Moderated Grading: **When Moderated Grading is enabled for an assignment, the *Set Default Grade* option is unavailable until grades are released.
> ℹ️ - **Submission Status: **Default grades are applied regardless of submission status.

1. In Course Navigation, click the **Grades** link.
2. Hover over the assignment column header and click the **Options** icon.
3. Click the **Set Default Grade** link.
4. **Entering a Default Grade**
  1. In the **Grade Value** field, enter the default grade you want to assign [1].
  2. If you want to overwrite existing grades for the assignment, check the **Overwrite already-entered grades** box [2].
  3. Click the **Set Default Grade** button to apply the grade [3].

> ℹ️ - If the **Grade Value** field is left blank and the **Overwrite already-entered grades** checkbox is selected, all assignment grades will be cleared.
> ℹ️ - Default grades are applied to students regardless of their submission status.
> ℹ️ - To mark all assignments with a default grade of "Missing," enter **"mi"** in the Grade Value field.

5. Click the **OK** button.
6. Default grades are automatically assigned to students who have never received a grade. However, if a student previously had a grade that was deleted, the default grade will not be applied unless the **Overwrite already-entered grades** checkbox is selected.
  1. To update a grade, click the assigned default grade and enter the new score.