How to use the grade calculator
- Pick a mode: “Weighted grade” for your grade so far, or “Final exam grade needed” to plan for the final.
- For a weighted grade, enter each assignment or category’s score as a percent and its weight from the syllabus. Names are optional; leave unused rows blank.
- For the final, enter your current grade, how much the final is worth and the course grade you want.
- Read the results: your grade and letter, or the score you need, plus a table of scores needed for each letter. Copy the link to save them.
How to calculate a weighted grade
Many syllabi split the course grade into weighted parts, such as homework 20%, quizzes 15% and exams 50%. Each part counts in proportion to its weight, so a weighted grade is a weighted average: multiply each score by its weight, add the products and divide by the sum of the weights.
Grade = Σ(score × weight) / Σ weights
- sᵢ
- score on item or category i, as a percent
- wᵢ
- weight of item i, as a percent of the course grade
Worked example
| Item | Score | Weight | Score × weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homework | 92% | 20% | 1,840 |
| Quizzes | 85% | 15% | 1,275 |
| Midterm exam | 78% | 25% | 1,950 |
| Project | 88% | 15% | 1,320 |
| Total | 75% | 6,385 |
The products add up to 6,385 and the weights to 75%, so the grade so far is 6,385 ÷ 75 = 85.13%, a B. Because the final (the missing 25%) has not happened yet, dividing by 75 instead of 100 gives the average of the graded work. Add a 25% final with an 80% and the weights reach 100%: the course grade becomes 8,385 ÷ 100 = 83.85% (B).
If your class uses points instead of weights (for example, 450 points possible in the whole course), a grade is simply points earned ÷ points possible × 100. The percentage calculator does that division for any single score.
How to calculate the grade you need on a final
Your course grade after the final is a blend of your current grade and the final exam score. If the final is worth w of the course, your current grade counts for the other 1 − w. Solving that blend for the final score gives this formula:
Final score needed F = (T − C × (1 − w)) / w
- F
- score needed on the final exam, as a percent
- T
- target course grade, as a percent
- C
- current grade before the final, as a percent
- w
- final exam weight as a decimal (25% = 0.25)
Worked example
You have an 88% and the final is worth 25%. Your current grade covers the other 75% of the course, so it contributes 88 × 0.75 = 66 points. To finish with 90% you need 24 more points from the final, and 24 ÷ 0.25 = 96%. Check: 66 + 96 × 0.25 = 90%.
Two special cases are worth knowing. If the answer is above 100%, the target is out of reach without extra credit: with an 80% and a 20% final, a 95% would take 155%, and even a perfect final only reaches 84%. If the answer is 0 or below, the target is already secured: with a 95% and a 30% final, a zero on the final still leaves 66.5%, well above a 60% target.
Final exam score needed for an A− (90%)
Find your current grade in the first column and your final’s weight across the top. Entries show the final exam score you need to finish the class with 90%.
| Current grade | 10% final | 20% final | 25% final | 30% final | 40% final | 50% final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75% | Not possible | Not possible | Not possible | Not possible | Not possible | Not possible |
| 80% | Not possible | Not possible | Not possible | Not possible | Not possible | 100% |
| 85% | Not possible | Not possible | Not possible | Not possible | 97.5% | 95% |
| 88% | Not possible | 98% | 96% | 94.7% | 93% | 92% |
| 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% |
| 92% | 72% | 82% | 84% | 85.3% | 87% | 88% |
| 95% | 45% | 70% | 75% | 78.3% | 82.5% | 85% |
Score needed for a B− (80%)
| Current grade | 10% final | 20% final | 25% final | 30% final | 40% final | 50% final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75% | Not possible | 100% | 95% | 91.7% | 87.5% | 85% |
| 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% |
| 85% | 35% | 60% | 65% | 68.3% | 72.5% | 75% |
| 88% | 8% | 48% | 56% | 61.3% | 68% | 72% |
| 90% | 0% (secured) | 40% | 50% | 56.7% | 65% | 70% |
| 92% | 0% (secured) | 32% | 44% | 52% | 62% | 68% |
| 95% | 0% (secured) | 20% | 35% | 45% | 57.5% | 65% |
The heavier the final, the more it can raise or lower your grade. A light final makes a big jump impossible but also protects a good grade.
Percentage to letter grade
Many U.S. schools use a 90/80/70/60 scale, and many split each letter into plus and minus grades as shown below. This is the scale the calculator uses. Scales differ: some schools start an A at 93%, some have no plus or minus grades, and instructors can curve or round, so always check your syllabus.
| Letter grade | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A+ | 97% and up |
| A | 93% – 96.99% |
| A− | 90% – 92.99% |
| B+ | 87% – 89.99% |
| B | 83% – 86.99% |
| B− | 80% – 82.99% |
| C+ | 77% – 79.99% |
| C | 73% – 76.99% |
| C− | 70% – 72.99% |
| D+ | 67% – 69.99% |
| D | 63% – 66.99% |
| D− | 60% – 62.99% |
| F | Below 60% |
To see how letter grades turn into a grade point average, use the GPA calculator. It converts each letter to grade points on a 4.0 scale and weights them by credit hours.
Weighted vs. unweighted grades
An unweighted (straight) average counts every item equally. A weighted average lets a midterm count more than a quiz. With the four example scores, an equal 25% for each gives 85.75%, while the syllabus weights give 85.13%. The difference comes from the midterm: its 78% is the lowest score and carries the largest weight.
A few practical tips: ungraded work should be left blank rather than entered as zero, since a zero pulls the average down; dropped quizzes should be removed before you average a category; and a category’s score is itself usually an average of its assignments. For quick arithmetic on individual scores, the scientific calculator works well, and the date calculator counts the days until your exam.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my weighted grade?
Multiply each grade by its weight, add the results, and divide by the total of the weights. With homework at 92% (weight 20%) and three other items, the products add up to 6,385 and the weights to 75%, so the weighted grade is 6,385 ÷ 75 = 85.13%.
What grade do I need on my final exam?
Subtract the part of the course grade you have already earned from the grade you want, then divide by the final’s weight. With an 88% and a final worth 25%, you keep 66 points, so a 90% needs (90 − 66) ÷ 0.25 = 96% on the final.
What if my weights do not add up to 100%?
Divide by the total of the weights you have instead of by 100. That gives your average on the work graded so far, which is how a running grade is usually shown during the term. In the example on this page the weights total 75%, so the grade is 85.13%; the remaining 25% (often the final) is not counted yet. If weights add up to more than 100%, one of them is wrong.
What percentage is an A, B, C or D?
On the common U.S. 90/80/70/60 scale, 90% and above is an A, 80–89% a B, 70–79% a C, 60–69% a D and below 60% an F. Many schools add plus and minus grades, for example 87–89% for a B+ and 80–82% for a B−. Scales vary by school, district and instructor, so your syllabus is the final word.
Can I still pass if I fail the final?
Often yes, if the final is not weighted heavily and your current grade is strong. Your grade with a zero on the final is your current grade times the share of the course the final does not cover. An 88% with a 25% final falls to 66% with a zero, still a passing D where 60% is the passing mark. Some courses also require passing the final itself, so check the syllabus.
How much does a final exam affect my grade?
Each percentage point on the final moves your course grade by the final’s weight. A final worth 25% moves the grade 0.25 points per point scored, so the difference between a 100 and a 0 is 25 points. For an 88% student that range runs from 66% to 91%.
What is the difference between a weighted and an unweighted grade?
An unweighted grade treats every item the same, while a weighted grade counts each item by its share of the course. Using this page’s four example scores, giving each 25% produces 85.75%, while the syllabus weights produce 85.13%, because the lower midterm score carries more weight than the higher quiz and project scores.