Is the lowest hour exam grade dropped?

Not exactly. The effect of the grading procedure is to replace your lowest hour exam score by the final exam score but only if that will help.

Here is what the syllabus actually says:

  1. Of your four exam scores (3 hour exams and a final), add up the highest three.
  2. Multiply that number by 0.15
  3. Add 0.15 times your quiz average.
  4. Add 0.1 times your project score.
  5. Add 0.3 times your final exam score.

Step 1 is where any replacement happens. If your final exam score is your lowest, then this first step just adds up all of your hour exams. If your final exam score is not your lowest, then it replaces your lowest hour exam score in the sum.

Step 5 is where the final exam counts for a lot whether it is higher or lower than your lowest hour exam score.

Notice that the number of scores counted is not changed and there is no actual change in any of your hour exam scores listed in the Student Gradebook.

For example, suppose that your scores are as follows:
exam 1:  80
exam 2:  70
exam 3:  30
project:  90
final:  75
quiz:  100

Step 1:  80+70+75 = 225   (Notice that the 30 is gone!)
Step 2:  225×0.15 = 33.75
Step 3:  33.75 + 0.15×100 = 48.75
Step 4:  48.75+0.1×90 = 57.75%
Step 5: 57.75+0.3×75 = 80.25%

Suppose that your scores were just the same as above, but you got a 25 on the final exam instead of a 75. Now the calculation would go like this:

Step 1:  80+70+30 = 180   (Notice that the 30 is not replaced this time.)
Step 2:  180×0.15 = 27
Step 3:  27 + 0.15×100 = 42
Step 4:  42+0.1×90 = 51%
Step 5: 51+0.3×25 = 58.5%

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