Google Classroom API - Permission Denied on Grade Submission

Google Workspace Developers Q&A
1

Hi everyone,

I’m building an AI-powered grading system for schools that integrates with Google Classroom. The system processes student PDF submissions, generates feedback, and posts grades back into Classroom. Everything works fine for reading data, but I’m hitting a persistent restriction when trying to update grades.

Issue Summary

  • Error: 403 PERMISSION_DENIED: @ProjectPermissionDenied

  • Message: “The Developer Console project is not permitted to make this request”

  • Endpoint: PATCH /v1/courses/{courseId}/courseWork/{courseWorkId}/studentSubmissions/{submissionId}

  • Scope: https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.coursework.students

What’s Verified So Far

  • :white_check_mark: Agent account is a teacher in the Classroom

  • :white_check_mark: OAuth scopes include classroom.coursework.students (write access)

  • :white_check_mark: Can read all classroom data without issues

  • :white_check_mark: Google Classroom API is enabled in Cloud Console

  • :white_check_mark: OAuth consent screen is set up correctly

    **
    Use Case**
    This tool is designed for educators. It analyzes submissions, provides detailed feedback, and posts grades automatically (we’ve tested 92–96% accuracy). The idea is to reduce teacher workload and bring consistency to grading.

    Questions

    1. Are there extra permissions or verification steps needed for grade submission?

    2. Is there an application or review process for EdTech tools like this?

    3. Do Google Cloud projects need special requirements to allow grade posting?

      Any guidance would be super helpful!
      Thanks!