diff --git a/app/api/instructor/exercises/[id]/recalculate-scores/route.ts b/app/api/instructor/exercises/[id]/recalculate-scores/route.ts
index 745b4b6..7a1e0de 100644
--- a/app/api/instructor/exercises/[id]/recalculate-scores/route.ts
+++ b/app/api/instructor/exercises/[id]/recalculate-scores/route.ts
@@ -42,23 +42,21 @@ export async function POST(
   const minResponseLength = ex.min_response_length ?? DEFAULT_MIN_LENGTH;
   const hasConstraints = ex.pass_mark !== null || ex.min_questions_required !== null || ex.flag_fails || ex.max_paste_chars !== null || ex.max_focus_loss !== null;
 
-  // 1. Mark submissions as final only if actually attempted
+  // 1. Mark submissions as final only if actually attempted (not skipped)
   // (non-empty response OR has edit events — handles both written and code questions)
   await sql`
     UPDATE submissions SET is_final = true
     WHERE session_id IN (SELECT id FROM sessions WHERE exercise_id = ${exerciseId})
       AND is_final = false
+      AND status != 'skipped'
       AND (
         LENGTH(TRIM(COALESCE(response_text, ''))) > 0
         OR EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM edit_events ee WHERE ee.submission_id = submissions.id)
       )
   `;
 
-  // 2. Close open sessions
-  await sql`
-    UPDATE sessions SET closed_at = now()
-    WHERE exercise_id = ${exerciseId} AND closed_at IS NULL AND started_at IS NOT NULL
-  `;
+  // 2. Close open sessions — intentionally removed.
+  // Recalculate should only rescore; it must not force-close active sessions.
 
   // 3. Re-evaluate paste flags with threshold
   if (ex.max_paste_chars !== null) {
@@ -174,7 +172,23 @@ export async function POST(
   const sessionData = await sql`
     SELECT
       s.id AS session_id,
-      SUM(CASE WHEN sub.is_final THEN 1 ELSE 0 END)::int AS final_count,
+      SUM(CASE
+        WHEN sub.is_final AND sub.status != 'skipped' AND (
+          (
+            SELECT CASE
+              WHEN q.test_cases IS NOT NULL THEN (CASE WHEN sub.tests_passed = true THEN 1 ELSE 0 END)
+              ELSE (CASE WHEN
+                LENGTH(TRIM(REPLACE(COALESCE(sub.response_text, ''), COALESCE(q.starter, ''), ''))) > 0
+                OR EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM edit_events ee WHERE ee.submission_id = sub.id)
+              THEN 1 ELSE 0 END)
+            END
+            FROM questions q
+            JOIN sessions s2 ON s2.exercise_id = q.exercise_id
+            WHERE s2.id = s.id AND q.question_index = sub.question_index
+            LIMIT 1
+          ) = 1
+        ) THEN 1 ELSE 0
+      END)::int AS final_count,
       COALESCE(SUM(
         GREATEST(0,
           COALESCE(array_length(sub.flag_reasons, 1), 0)
diff --git a/lib/scoring.ts b/lib/scoring.ts
index 72f9f41..bf10b6c 100644
--- a/lib/scoring.ts
+++ b/lib/scoring.ts
@@ -51,10 +51,10 @@ export async function recalculateSessionScore(sessionId: string): Promise<ScoreR
   // - code with test cases: is_final AND tests_passed = true
   // - code without test cases: is_final AND has edit events (unchanged behavior)
   const finalRows = await sql`
-    SELECT SUM(CASE WHEN sub.is_final AND (
-      -- Written question or code with no test cases: presence check
+    SELECT SUM(CASE WHEN sub.is_final AND sub.status != 'skipped' AND (
+      -- Written question or code with no test cases: must have content beyond the starter
       (q.test_cases IS NULL AND (
-        LENGTH(TRIM(COALESCE(sub.response_text, ''))) > 0
+        LENGTH(TRIM(REPLACE(COALESCE(sub.response_text, ''), COALESCE(q.starter, ''), ''))) > 0
         OR EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM edit_events ee WHERE ee.submission_id = sub.id)
       ))
       OR