Import grades to myCourses

Before importing grades, ensure the spreadsheet has been properly formatted.

Import grades

Click Grades on your course navigation bar to access the Enter Grades page.
Click Import at the top of the page.
Click Browse… to locate and select your prepared .csv (or .txt) file.
Select the checkbox beside Create new grade item when an unrecognized item is referenced.
Click Continue.
If the grade item names from your spreadsheet do not already exist in your grade book, you will be taken through the steps to Create New Grade Items.
1. Make sure all checkboxes are selected in the Create New Grade Item column for the items you want to create.
2. Click Continue.
3. Under New Grade Item Properties, select or enter the Max. Points value and Weight for your new items.
4. Click Continue.
On the Errors and Warnings page, you may see information about unrecognized users (e.g. students who dropped the course) or incompatible grade values on your spreadsheet (e.g. you entered grades out of 100, but the grade item’s Max Points value is 25). See Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
Click Continue to ignore any errors and continue.
On the final Preview Import page, review the grades that will be imported.
1. If you have more than 20 students, select 200 from the per page drop-down list at the top- or bottom-right to view all students.
2. If you have more than 200 students, click the arrow to go to the next page.
  - Grade changes to existing items are indicated by an arrow ( ->) in the grade column.
  - New grade columns are marked with a yellow icon beside their name.
Click Import at the bottom left corner of the page.

Back to top

Frequently asked questions

Click on the question to display the answer.

What do I need to import in my spreadsheet?

Detailed instructions can be found in Import Grades from a Spreadsheet into myCourses.

Do I need to add or remove the numbers signs (#) in the first and last columns?

No. These number signs will not interfere with the import either way.

Do the McGill IDs, Usernames, or grades have to be in a certain order on the spreadsheet?

No. Grades can be imported in any order.

Why won’t my spreadsheet import?

myCourses requires a spreadsheet to have specific formatting to ensure that the correct grades are imported. A spreadsheet will not import if it contains any of the following:

Incorrectly named grade item column headings that do not end with Points Grade (for Numeric or Pass/Fail Grade Items) or Text Grade (for Text Grade Items).
Final grades without Adjusted Final Grade Numerator and Adjusted Final Grade Denominator columns.
Duplicate grade item column heading, even if a different item type, such as Assignment 1 Points Grade and Assignment 1 Text Grade.
The following non-alphanumeric characters: / “ * + = | % ; ‘
Any characters in the OrgDefinedId column other than the number sign # and McGill IDs.
A space after a column heading, McGill ID, or numeric grade value.
The following columns exported from myCourses:
- Weighted Grade
- Grade Scheme
- Selectbox grade items
- Formula grade items
- Calculated grade items (including Final Calculated Grades)
- Subtotal columns (for Grade Categories)
Text grades saved with OpenOffice or another non-Microsoft spreadsheet program.
Grades saved or exported to a spreadsheet using a French operating system.

Can I use the Sample .csv file on the Import Grades page?

Yes, unless you are using OpenOffice or a French operating system. Just download the sample file, paste your grades into the existing fields, save, and upload. You can rename or delete any extra columns later on the Manage Grades page in myCourses.

Why do I receive a warning after importing?

A spreadsheet will import but you will receive a warning if it contains the following:

Unrecognized User: An OrgDefinedId or Username for a student who is not enrolled in the course. This error could occur due to the following:
- A student on your spreadsheet dropped the course.
- A student’s McGill ID is incorrect on your spreadsheet.
Duplicate Grades: You entered multiple grades for the same user.
Grade values higher than the Max Points value of the grade item. Your students will receive 100% for that item.
- To resolve this error, click Back to edit the new item (or go to Grades to edit an existing item) and raise the Max Points value or select Can Exceed.
Grade values into a Pass/Fail item that are not either 0 (to indicate a fail) or equal to the Max Points value you entered for that item (to indicate a pass). Students receiving scores between 0 and 100% for this grade item will receive 0.
- To resolve this error, click Cancel, adjust the values on your spreadsheet, and start again.

Why did the system import the wrong grades?

If you do not receive an error or warning message and your spreadsheet imports, but your students are receiving the wrong grades, it is possible that you did any of the following:

Entered letter grades or non-numeric characters in a column for a Numeric or Pass/Fail grade item. This will give your students a grade of 0 for that item.
Shifted the grades out of alignment with the McGill IDs, due to incorrect sorting or deleting a cell.
Pasted grades in the wrong column.
Entered grades for the wrong student.

I imported the wrong grades. How do I delete them?

On the Enter Grades page, click the arrow beside the name of the column with the incorrect grades and select Grade All.

Click the arrow at the top of the page beside the name of the grade item and select Clear All.
In the pop-up window that appears, click Yes.

Back to top

Quick links

Have a question that was not answered in this article? Visit our FAQs.

While this resource is accessible worldwide, McGill University is on land which has served and continues to serve as a site of meeting and exchange amongst Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabeg nations. Teaching and Learning Services acknowledges and thanks the diverse Indigenous peoples whose footsteps mark this territory on which peoples of the world now gather. This land acknowledgment is shared as a starting point to provide context for further learning and action.

McLennan Library Building 3415 McTavish Street Suite MS-12(ground level), Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C8 | Tel.: 514-398-6648 | Fax: 514-398-8465 | Email: tls@mcgill.ca