I have found that if I add a question to a test that has the designation "EXTRA CREDIT", the students that do not really need the extra points will attempt the question. Those students who could use the extra points look at the question and feel "...if it is extra credit it must be extra hard. Too hard for me" and they skip the question. My solution is to simply put one or two extra questions on a test and calculate the percentage score not using those questions in the base line score. Example...52 questions on a test with each… >>>

One fact I have learned over the years I have been teaching is that tests should not be the only way to judge whether a student has learned the course material. I teach mathematics at the developmental level. The vast majority of my students have "math anxiety". They feel and/or have been told they can not do the work. Given a test, it becomes self-fulfilling. They have been told they can't do it so they show they can't do it. Instructors need to look beyond tests. We need to have students show their competency in any method that is usable… >>>