Creating, Attaching, and Grading with Rubrics in Canvas

Learn how to create, attach, and grade assignments using rubrics in Canvas for streamlined assessment and feedback.

Last Updated: November 12th, 2026

Rubrics are a flexible tool to make grading efficient for instructors and clear for students. Rubrics are useful for any type of assignment that requires manual scoring, whether discussions, essay question quizzes, or uploaded assignments. Attaching a rubric for an assignment allows you to apply grades with SpeedGrader, entering how students have done in each category, then automatically calculate their grade for the assignment. 

Learn how to create or edit your own rubrics and attach rubrics to assignments.

Attaching Existing Rubrics

  1. Navigate to Assignments.
    Navigate to Assignments
  2. Find the assignment you want to attach a rubric to. Click it.
    Navigate to the specific assignment
  3. Click Find Rubric.
    Note: If you have no rubrics ready yet, we'll walk you through creating them in the next section.
    Click Find Rubric
  4. Using the dropdown menu, where you'll pull your rubric from. You can pull from any of your Canvas courses.
    Choose where the rubric is coming from
  5. Choose your rubric on the right.
    Choose your rubric
  6. Select + Add.
    Click + Add
  7. Double check your work with Preview Rubric.
    Preview Rubric
  8. If you want to make changes, click on the pencil icon by Preview Rubric. If you want to learn more about how to use the edit menu, continue reading ‘Creating New Rubrics’.
    Edit Rubric with the pencil icon

Editing a Reused Rubric Creates a Copy

If you choose to make some changes to a rubric for one assignment that has already been used in another assignment, saving it will automatically create a new copy of the rubric. Be sure to rename your new rubric for clarity. 

If you make any changes that affect the total points the assignment is worth, make sure that the points of the assignment match the total points for the rubric. Changing this will give you a warning box

If you want to change the original rubric, be sure to navigate back to the original assignment it is attached to. 

 

 

Creating New Rubrics

  1. Navigate to Assignments.
    Navigate to Assignments
  2. Find the assignment you want to create a rubric for. Click it. Find your specific assignment
  3. Click +Create Rubric.
    Click +Create Rubric
  4. Nameyour rubric. 
  5. Using the dropdowns, choose its type, rating display style, rating order, and scored/unscored.
    Rubric name, type, rating display, rating order, and scoring;
  6. To use the rubric in SpeedGrader, enable ‘Use this rubric for assignment grading’.
    Note: You can change the other checkbox settings too.
    Use this rubric for assignment grading
  7. Build your rubric.
    Note: The steps followed here can be used to edit a rubric too. 
    1. Click Draft New Criterion.
      Click Draft New Criterion
    2. Name your criterion, and write a description.Name and describe criterion
    3. Set up your criterion's point levels. Set the number of points they are worth, the name of that level of achievement (such as meets expectations), and give a description of the expectations for reaching that level. Note: By default, Canvas creates five levels, but you can remove levels by clicking on the trash can icon on the right, or add levels by clicking on the blue plus that appears when you hover between ratings.
      Set up criterion point levels
    4. If you want to score with a range, select ‘Enable Range’.
      Enable Range
    5. Save Criterion.
    6. Fill your rubric with as many criterions as you would like!
  8. Click Create Rubric. Once you've made your rubric, it will automatically attach to this assignment and be available to attach to future assignments.
    Note: This button will be Save Rubric instead if you are editing an existing rubric.

 

Grading with Rubrics in SpeedGrader

Sometimes when grading with rubrics in SpeedGrader, you might notice that selecting the student's performance on the rubric does not automatically fill in their grade. This feature requires you to enable a setting inside the rubric. Be careful- when you reuse a rubric on a different assignment you've used before, the rubric settings you've used in the past may not carry over, be sure to double check. Follow these steps to make sure your rubric can be used for grading:

  1. Navigate to Assignments.
    Navigate to Assignments
  2. Find the assignment with the broken rubric. Find your specific assignment
  3. Click on the pencil icon next to the rubric.
    Edit the rubric
  4. Check ‘Use this rubric for assignment grading’.Enable 'Use this rubric for assignment grading'
  5. Save Rubric. If the rubric has been used for grading already, you'll get a pop-up warning you your changes will take affect for students that have already been graded. Click Save again.

Now, you can use the rubric in SpeedGrader!

 


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Weekday Support, Monday - Friday

  • Phone (voicemail only): 541-463-3377 (8am-5pm)
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The ATC is open to in-person assistance. Support is available through the above remote options and on campus at CEN 208

 

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