Read the score and its meaning.
Raw points, percentages and weighted contributions answer different questions. Use the assessment scheme before combining them.
By the Nexus team · Updated . The assessments and weights below are fictional teaching examples, not an SRMIST grading scheme.
When adding the points is appropriate
First identify what each value represents. An 18-point score means little without its maximum: 18 of 20 is 90%, while 18 of 30 is 60%. A report may display raw assessment points, a converted contribution, or an aggregate internal total. Those values cannot be used interchangeably.
For a simple points-based scheme, add earned points and add possible points. In this example, the second assessment has more possible points and therefore contributes more to the combined percentage.
| Assessment | Earned | Maximum | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1 | 18 | 20 | 90% |
| Assessment 2 | 21 | 30 | 70% |
| Combined | 39 | 50 | 78% |
The combined result is (18 + 21) ÷ (20 + 30) × 100 = 78%. Averaging 90% and 70% instead gives 80%, which treats the two assessments as equally weighted. That answers a different question.
When the scheme assigns explicit weights
If the official scheme assigns an assessment a weight, convert its raw fraction into that contribution. For example, a score of 18 of 20 in an assessment worth 10 percentage points contributes 18 ÷ 20 × 10 = 9 percentage points.
| Assessment | Raw score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1 | 18 / 20 | 10 points | 9 points |
| Assessment 2 | 21 / 30 | 20 points | 14 points |
| Combined | Not a raw sum | 30 points | 23 points |
The weighted contribution is 23 of the available 30 percentage points. Normalizing those completed components gives 23 ÷ 30 × 100 ≈ 76.67%. It does not mean a final course score of 76.67, and it does not mean 23 raw assessment marks.
The two examples produce different results because their schemes are different. If the official report already gives converted contributions, do not apply the weights again. Check the component labels and assessment scheme before calculating.
Missing, zero and total-only results
A recorded zero with a known positive maximum is a score. An unavailable component has no known score. Replacing an unavailable value with zero can create a false total; removing its maximum can also make an incomplete report appear complete.
If only an aggregate internal total is available, it cannot reveal how that total was split across assessments. For example, knowing a combined score is 39 of 50 does not tell you that the individual scores were 18 and 21. Many different combinations could produce the same sum.
Keep incomplete totals explicitly labelled. Compare only components with compatible units and known maxima. If the official scheme includes an absent status, a make-up assessment, a minimum component requirement or another special rule, follow that scheme rather than inferring the outcome from a percentage.
A useful way to investigate a difference
- Match the course code, semester and report date. Similar course names can refer to different registrations.
- Write down the displayed score, maximum and any weight. Identify whether each is raw or already converted.
- Use the applicable method from the official assessment scheme, retaining full precision until the final display.
- Refresh Nexus once and check the result. A failed refresh does not establish that the university has not published marks.
- Compare with the same official report. Ask faculty to correct source records; use Nexus Support for a Nexus-specific difference.
Internal marks alone do not establish a final grade or pass result. Check the official rules for final examinations, completion requirements and rounding. Nexus cannot decide or amend those rules.
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