working out %

[bellabee]

if a student gets 7 out of 10 for a component of an assignment, but that component is worth 15% of the overall assignment grade, how do i calculate what the actual number of marks the student gets for that component?

[factor-fiction]

7/10 ths of 15 which I work out in my head as 10.5

[dzug2]

seven tenths of 15% - ie 10.5% of whatever you have decided the total is is the most logical way.

But then you are setting the test and can work it whatever way you choose.

[bellabee]

thanks! so it's 7 x 15 divided by 10 - don't know why i found that so difficult to work out!

[factor-fiction]

If the component had been worth 10% her score would get her 7 marks towards theoverall assessement grade.
So if the compenent had been worth double that-20%- it would have been given her14 marks.
But as it's only worth 15% the answer lies half way between the two. That's 10.5 marks

[bellabee]

i usually do 10% and 20% weightings, which as you rightly point out are easy to calculate - for some reason my brain froze on the 15% weighting

[Tim123]

Actually, it isn't 7 x 15 divided by 10. It's (7/10) x (15/100) which is 0.105 of the total.
Then you have to decide what you are marking the whole test out of. If it's 10, like the component, its worth 0.105 x 10 or 1.05 marks. If the whole test is marked out of 100 it's worth 0.105 x 100 or 10.5 marks. If you are marking the test out of 50, it's 0.105 x 50 or 5.25 marks.