Where to find and open assignments for grading

Canvas stores all student work in the Grades section, but the fastest way to grade is through Assignments. Open your course, then click Assignments in the left menu. You'll see a list of all assignments in that course. Click the assignment name to open it — Canvas shows you every student submission in one place, with their names and submission dates.

Once you're inside an assignment, you'll see a list of students on the left side. Click any student's name to open their submission in the main window. This is where you'll actually read their work and enter a grade. Canvas remembers where you left off, so if you close and come back later, you can pick up with the next student.

Key Takeaways

  • Open any assignment from the Assignments menu, then click a student's name to view their submission and enter a grade.
  • Use the SpeedGrader tool (the icon that looks like a checkmark) to grade faster — it shows one student at a time and lets you move between submissions without closing and reopening.
  • You can type comments directly on the submission, add rubric scores if you've attached a rubric, or both.
  • Canvas saves your grade automatically when you move to the next student, but you can also save manually before leaving the assignment.
  • Students see your grade and comments as soon as you post them, unless you've set the assignment to hide grades until a specific date.

Using SpeedGrader to grade faster

SpeedGrader is Canvas's built-in tool for grading one student at a time without switching between screens. To open it, click the assignment name, then look for the SpeedGrader icon — it's a small checkmark in a circle, usually in the top right corner of the page. Click it and Canvas opens the first student's submission in a full-screen view.

In SpeedGrader, the student's name appears at the top, and their submission fills the main area. On the right side, you'll see a box labeled "Grade" where you enter the score. Below that is a text box for comments. Type your feedback, enter the grade, then click the arrow button at the top to move to the next student. Canvas saves automatically as you move forward, so you don't have to click Save each time.

SpeedGrader also shows you submission details at the bottom — when the student submitted, whether they submitted late, and how many times they've resubmitted. This is useful if you're grading on time or if a student claims they turned work in on time but Canvas shows otherwise.

Adding comments and feedback to submissions

Canvas gives you two ways to comment: general feedback for the whole submission, or inline comments on specific parts of the work. In SpeedGrader, the comment box on the right side is for general feedback — type your overall thoughts there. This is what most instructors use for a quick note like "Good work, but watch your citations" or "See me during office hours."

For inline comments, click directly on the student's submission text or document. A comment box appears at that spot, and you can type feedback about that specific sentence or paragraph. Inline comments are useful for pointing out grammar mistakes, unclear reasoning, or places where the student needs to expand an idea. Students see both types of comments when they view their grade.

If you've attached a rubric to the assignment, you'll also see rubric criteria on the right side of SpeedGrader. Click the score for each criterion, and Canvas adds those points to the overall grade automatically. This is faster than typing a number if you're using a detailed rubric.

Entering grades and understanding grade formats

The grade box in SpeedGrader accepts whatever format you've set for that assignment. If the assignment is worth 10 points, type a number from 0 to 10. If it's a percentage, type a number from 0 to 100. If you've set it to a letter grade, type A, B, C, and so on. Canvas converts between formats automatically based on your course settings, so don't worry about the math.

If you leave the grade box blank and just add comments, Canvas marks the submission as graded but with no score. This is useful if you want to give feedback without a grade yet — for example, if you're asking the student to revise and resubmit. When the student resubmits, you'll see both the old submission and the new one, and you can grade the new version.

You can also give partial credit. If an assignment is worth 10 points and the student did most of it correctly, type 8 or 9. Canvas doesn't force you to use whole numbers — you can type 8.5 if your grading scheme allows it. Check your course settings if you're unsure whether decimals are allowed.

Posting grades so students can see them

By default, Canvas posts your grade to the student as soon as you enter it. The student sees the score and your comments immediately. If you want to grade everything first and then release all grades at once, you need to change the assignment settings before you start grading.

To hide grades until you're ready, open the assignment, click the three-dot menu, and select Edit. Scroll down to "Submission Type" and look for an option called "Post Grades" or "Hide Grades Until." Set it to a specific date or time, then save. Canvas will hold all grades you enter and release them all at once on that date. This is common for tests or major projects where you want students to see all grades together.

Once you've posted grades, students can see them in the Grades section of the course. They'll also get a notification that their grade is ready. If you need to change a grade later, just open the assignment again, find the student, and type the new score. Canvas updates it immediately and notifies the student of the change.

Handling resubmissions and multiple attempts

If you've allowed students to resubmit work, Canvas shows you all versions in SpeedGrader. At the top of the submission area, you'll see a dropdown menu that says "Submission 1 of 2" or similar. Click it to switch between the student's attempts. You can grade each attempt separately or just grade the final one — it's your choice.

When you grade a resubmission, Canvas keeps your previous grade and comments visible so you can see what feedback you gave the first time. This helps you check whether the student actually addressed your comments. If you want to replace the old grade entirely, just enter a new score — Canvas overwrites the previous one.

Some instructors grade only the latest submission and ignore earlier attempts. Others grade each attempt and average them, or give credit only if the student improved. Whatever your method, Canvas tracks all submissions with timestamps, so you can see exactly when each one came in and whether it was late.

Troubleshooting common grading problems

If you enter a grade but it doesn't appear in the Grades section, refresh the page. Sometimes Canvas takes a moment to sync. If the grade still doesn't show, check that you clicked outside the grade box or moved to the next student — Canvas saves when you leave the submission, not when you type.

If a student's submission won't open or shows an error, the file might be corrupted or in a format Canvas can't display. Try downloading the file to your computer and opening it there. If it opens fine on your computer, the problem is with Canvas's preview, not the student's work — you can still grade it, just not inline.

If you accidentally posted grades before you meant to, you can't un-post them, but you can change individual grades at any time. If you need to hide all grades again, edit the assignment and set a new post date in the future. Canvas will hide the grades you've already entered until that date arrives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I grade assignments on my phone or tablet?

Canvas works on mobile devices, but SpeedGrader doesn't display well on small screens. You can still enter grades and comments through the regular assignment view, but it's slower. For serious grading, a computer or laptop is much better — you'll see the full submission and have room for the comment box.

What happens if a student submits after the due date?

Canvas marks the submission as late and shows the late date in SpeedGrader. Whether you accept late work is up to you — Canvas doesn't automatically reject it. You can grade it normally or leave it ungraded. Some instructors deduct points for late work; others don't. Your course settings control whether students can submit after the deadline at all.

Can I add a grade without writing comments?

Yes. Just enter the score in the grade box and move to the next student. Comments are optional. However, students usually find at least a sentence or two of feedback more useful than a number alone, especially if the grade is lower than they expected.

How do I grade group assignments where multiple students submit the same work?

Canvas treats each student's submission separately, even in a group. You'll need to enter the same grade for each group member individually. Some instructors copy the grade and paste it into the next student's box to save time. There's no built-in way to grade all group members at once, so this is a manual process.

What if I want to give a student a grade without them seeing it yet?

Enter the grade and comments normally, then edit the assignment and set a future post date before you start grading. Canvas will hold all grades you enter and release them together on that date. This works for the whole assignment, not individual students — you can't hide one student's grade while showing another's.