How does a late penalty change my score and my course grade?

How we calculated this

A fixed-point penalty subtracts a flat number of points from your raw score, floored at a cap (0% by default, since a score cannot usually go negative); a percentage penalty scales your score down by that percentage instead. Using the example values above (90% raw score, a 10-point fixed penalty), the adjusted score is 80%. That adjusted score is then combined with your current grade at the assignment's actual weight to show the real course-level effect.

A fixed-point and a percentage penalty of the "same" stated amount rarely produce the same adjusted score except at specific raw scores; a 10-point fixed penalty on a 90% raw score gives 80%, while a 10% percentage penalty on that same 90% gives 81%, since 10% of 90 is 9 points, not 10.

Limitations

This does not know your syllabus's exact late-penalty rule, including whether penalties compound per day late, cap at a maximum number of days before a zero, or have any excused exceptions. Apply the specific penalty amount that matches your actual number of days late, not a generic assumption.

Common mistakes

A common error is entering a percentage penalty as a fixed-point one or vice versa, which produces a meaningfully different adjusted score. Another is forgetting that a penalty compounds per day in many syllabi (a "10% per day late" rule for 3 days late is not the same as a flat 30% penalty applied once); calculate the effective total penalty for your actual number of late days before entering it here.

Frequently asked

What if the penalty would take my score below zero?

The result floors at 0% (or a custom cap if your syllabus states one), since a score cannot usually go negative.

Does a percentage penalty ever produce a worse result than the same-numbered fixed penalty?

Yes, for high raw scores; a 10% penalty on a 95% raw score removes 9.5 points, more than a flat 10-point penalty would on some comparisons, so check which type your syllabus actually states rather than assuming they are interchangeable.

What if my instructor applies a penalty per day, compounding?

Calculate the combined penalty for your actual number of days late first (whether that compounds multiplicatively or adds linearly per your syllabus), then enter that combined amount here as a single penalty.

Does this account for a maximum penalty cap?

Only the score floor (0% by default); if your syllabus states a different cap, such as a maximum 50% deduction, enter that as the cap instead of the default.

Next decision

If the missed or late work might instead be replaced by a make-up assignment, see Make-Up Work Scenario.

For why a late penalty and a make-up are genuinely different calculations, read Late Penalties and Make-Up Work: Two Different Problems.