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Penn has upgraded to Gradescope LTI 1.3.

Summer 2026 and Fall 2026 courses should use the LTI 1.3 integration. If you wish to reuse Gradescope assignments from a previous course, please use these instructions. When syncing rosters, use the “Sync Canvas (LTI 1.3) Roster” option.

Gradescope is a tool that instructors of large classes can use to assist in grading coursework quickly and efficiently. Instructors or students upload PDFs of the completed assignment directly into the Gradescope tool, and the instructor can apply a custom rubric that allows for uniform grading and feedback. Instructors also receive analytics concerning their assignments to better understand students’ performance.

Gradescope is available to all Penn faculty, staff, and students. A Canvas integration is available for all courses taught through Penn Canvas.

This page is intended for instructors. Students should review Gradescope for Students.

Accessing Gradescope

Enable in a Canvas course site

To access and enable Gradescope in a Canvas course site:

  1. Log in to Canvas.
  2. Click Courses and choose a course.
  3. Once in the course, enable Gradescope LTI 1.3 in the course settings.
  4. Click Gradescope in the left side course navigation menu.
  5. In Gradescope, you will be prompted to link your course. Under Link with, select A new Gradescope course.
  6. Click Link Course. If you have already created a Gradescope course using the Gradescope website, you can search for the existing course under Link with to link it to Canvas.
  7. After linking your course, you will be prompted to configure your default Gradescope settings. Click the Update Course button at the bottom of the screen to apply your settings. If needed, these can be modified later in the Course Settings area in the Gradescope menu.

Sync course roster

Students will be automatically added to your linked Gradescope course when they click a Gradescope-enabled assignment link from your Canvas site.

We recommend that you frequently sync your course roster in Gradescope to update course enrollment, especially during the add/drop period. This sync will ensure that users, roles, and sections are the same across Gradescope and Canvas.

Click the Sync Canvas Roster button at the bottom of the page to begin the sync process. You can learn more about syncing your roster from Gradescope.

Outside of Canvas

Gradescope is available for all courses at Penn, even those not using Canvas. If your course does not use Canvas but you still want to use Gradescope, please contact your Local Support Provider.

Adding Assignments & Exams

Once you have access to Gradescope, create the assignment or exam/quiz outline you’ll use for grading. 

Once your assignment is created, you can:

  • Mark the question regions on a template PDF
  • Upload and process scans for instructor-uploaded assessments
  • Match student names to submissions or fix template issues if needed

By default, the Exam/Quiz assignment type is selected so that instructors can scan and submit students’ work. If you prefer to have students upload and submit their work, change the Who will upload submissions? setting to Students and follow the instructions for Homework and Problem Sets.

Assignment types

You can create and grade the following types of assignments in Gradescope: 

Learn more about the assignment types and features to decide which best suits your course. Gradescope also provides general recommendations for managing assignment submissions.

Linking assignments to Canvas

After you create your Gradescope assignment, you will need to create a direct link to it in your Canvas course. If submissions will be student-uploaded, it’s highly recommended that you link your Gradescope assignment to Canvas before releasing it to students so they can find it more easily in Canvas.

If submissions will be instructor-uploaded, it’s recommended that you only link your assignment when you’re ready to grade.

Grading & Assessing Student Work

To grade student work, you will first create a rubric to be used on submissions.

When grading is finished, course staff can:

Extensions & accommodations

Gradescope enables instructors to adjust assignment availability dates, due dates, and/or time limits for students who may need an extension or accommodation.

Additional Resources

Getting Help

Please contact your Local Support Provider or submit a request to canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.