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 1750 possible HW points for the 
entire semester.  However, we will figure the final HW percentage out of 
only 1500 points.  You can't get more than 100% though, so once you have 
1500 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).

  600 HOMEWORK POINTS ARE REQUIRED FOR A PASSING GRADE IN THE COURSE.

     As an example, say you have earned 1320 HW points for the semester.
Your HW percentage would be:

             1320/1500  = 88.0%

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

     Now figure your PRS grade.  There are about 75 PRS questions 
for the semester, so a total of 225 PRS points are possible.  However,
we will figure the final PRS percentage out of only 200 points.  There
turned out to be 55 PRS questions, so a total of 165 PRS points were
possible.  We will figure the final PRS percentage out of 140 points,
which is 84.8% of the possible PRS points.  Once again, you can't get 
more than 100%.  Say you have earned 118 PRS points for the semester.  
Your PRS percentage would be 118/140 = 84.3%.  PRS is worth 5 points 
overall, so your PRS points for the semester are 4.21 (84.3% 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, then 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 = 84.5

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

     84.5 times 0.6 = 50.7 

     OK, now you have your pre-exam total.

                 HW      7.04
                 PRS     4.21
                 QUIZ    5.74
                 TEST   50.70

                total   67.69

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

           67.69/80 = 84.6%

     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 

                111 Spring 2004 web page , or
                111 Fall 2003 web page , or
                111 Spring 1997 web page , or
                111 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
absolutely insure yourself of a B.