First figure your homework grade.  Your HW percentage is your total 
number of HW points divided by the number of HW points which are possible.  
If I have counted correctly, there are 1905 possible HW points for the 
entire semester.  However, we will figure the final HW percentage out of 
only 1700 points (or about 90% of all possible points should the total
points possible change).  You can't get more than 100% though, so once you 
have 1700 points you don't need to submit any more HW (although hopefully 
you will find the process of submission and feedback to be good practice 
for the tests). 

     Your MP gradebook ("My Scores") gives your total MP homework points.  
Add your scores on the written problems to this number; what results is 
your total number of HW points.  As an example, say you have earned 1403
MP points, and 93 out of 130 possible points on the written problems.  
Your total HW points for the semester would then be:

                   1403 + 93 = 1496   total HW points

With 1496 HW points for the semester your HW percentage would be:

                      1496/1700  = 88.0%

HW is worth 8 points overall, so you would have earned 7.04 HW points
(i.e. 88.0% of 8)

   650 HOMEWORK POINTS ARE REQUIRED FOR A PASSING GRADE IN THE COURSE.
             LESS THAN 650 HOMEWORK POINTS IS AN AUTOMATIC E.

     Now figure your PRS grade.  There will be about 55 PRS questions
for the semester, so a total of about 165 PRS points are possible.  However,
we will figure the final PRS percentage out of only 150 points (or about
90% of all possible PRS points should the number of possible PRS points
change).  There ended up being 60 PRS questions, so 180 PRS points were
possible and we figured the final PRS percentage out of 155 points.  Once 
again, you can't get more than 100%.  Say you have earned 130 PRS points 
for the semester.  Your PRS percentage would be 

                        130/150 = 83.9%.  

PRS is worth 5 points overall, so your PRS points for the semester are 
4.19 (83.9% of 5).

     OK, now figure your quiz grade.  We grade quizzes out of 10 points
and we take your best 10 of 13 quizzes.  Say your best 10 quizzes total 
up to 82 points.  Quizzes are worth 7 points overall so your quiz points 
for the semester are 5.74 (82% of 7).

     Now figure your test total.  Take your best 4 tests and average
them and multiply by 0.6.  For example, say your test grades are 79,
85, 83, 72, and 91.  Your test average is then

     (79+85+83+91)/4 = 84.50

We now multiply by .6 since the Tests are worth 60 points overall.

     84.5 times 0.6 = 50.70

     OK, now you have your pre-exam total.

                 HW      7.04
                 PRS     4.19
                 QUIZ    5.74
                 TEST   50.70

                total   67.67

The pre-exam maximum is 80 points, so your pre-exam percentage is

           67.67/80 = 84.59%

     Will you be able to get an A?  That depends on what the final
grade scale is.  I start with no curve.  That is 

                 90 and above           A
                 80-90                  B
                 70-80                  C
                 60-70                  D
                 below 60               E

If the class average is 75 or higher, there is no change.  If the
class average falls below 75, I feel obliged to relax this scale
somewhat.  Look at 

                121 Fall 2005 web page , or
                121 Fall 2004 web page , or
                121 Spring 2003 web page , or
                121 Spring 2001 web page , or
                121 Spring 2000 web page , or
                121 Spring 1997 web page , or
                121 Spring 1996 web page 

to get an idea for what this year's scale might be.  I will make 
a guess at the final grade scale during the week before the exam, 
but the true final grade scale ultimately depends on overall class 
exam performance.

     Let's get back to our example.  You have 67.68 points going in
to the exam.  The exam is worth 20 so the best you can do is 87.68,
not enough to get an A if the class average is 75 or higher.  On
the other hand, you need at least 12.32 points from the exam to insure
yourself of a B.  The exam consists of 40 multiple choice questions,
so you need to get at least (12.32/20)*40 right, or 25 out of 40, to
insure yourself of a B.