MasteringPhysics uses the following algorithm in scoring problems:

• Every correct "main part" of the problem counts for 1 point.
• Teachers set the value for penalizing wrong answers on the “Assignment Properties” page. The value will apply to the entire assignment. In PHY138, we do not penalize for wrong answers.
• If the question has subparts, students receive partial credit for each subpart they answer, even if they are unable to obtain the answer to the main part. If the student requests the solution to a subpart, they will lose a percentage of credit, even if they are able to obtain the answer to the main part.
• If the question is multiple choice, students lose 1/(n-1) points, when n is the number of options to choose from, for each unique wrong answer they submit.
• Teachers select whether hints penalize for use or reward for non-use and specify their point value on the “Assignment Properties” page. The point value will apply to the entire assignment. In PHY138, we reward and/or penalize by 3%.
• After the entire problem has been completed, the student's total points are divided by the maximum points for the problem equal to:
• Max_points = number of main parts

This ratio is their score for the problem, and can be greater than 1 if the student got mostly correct answers without using any hints and the hint bonus is on. In the student's view of the assignment, this score will appear as a percentage next to any problem that the student has completed.