Final Grade Calculator: What Score Do You Need on the Final?

Final grade calculator: the quick answer

The score you need on the final is your target grade, minus what your current grade already supplies, divided by the weight of the final. Multiply your target by 100, subtract your current grade times (100 minus the final’s weight), then divide by the weight. With a current grade of 84% and a final worth 25%, you need 68% for a B and 28% for a C. A D is already secured, and an A would take 108%, so it is out of reach without extra credit. The final grade calculator above works this out for any target.

How to use the final grade calculator

1. Enter your current grade as a percentage, before the final counts.
2. Enter the weight of the final exam, for example 25 if it is worth a quarter of the course.
3. Choose the grade you want, or type a target percentage.
4. Read the score you need on the final. The table lists every grade, so you can see what each one takes.
5. Add the final’s points possible if you want the answer in points, or try a score to see where it would leave you.

What the final grade calculator result means

The final grade calculator gives one of three possible answers. You may need a score between 0% and 100%. The grade may already be secured, which means even 0% on the final keeps you at or above it. Or the grade may be out of reach, which means you would need more than 100% on the final. If your instructor offers extra credit, tick the extra credit box and the calculator will show the score instead of ruling the grade out.

The score needed is always rounded up to two decimals, so it never understates what you need. Your instructor’s own rounding rules may differ. If your course gives the final a share of the points rather than a percentage weight, the points-based grade calculator plans with points still to come.

Final grade calculator formula and worked examples

The letter is the first grade on the scale, counting down from the top, whose minimum is at or below the percentage. A result exactly on a cutoff earns that grade. The full rules are on the grading methodology page.

Example 1: your current grade is 84% and the final is worth 25%.

For a B you need 80 × 100 = 8,000. Your current grade supplies 84 × 75 = 6,300 of that, so the final must supply 1,700, which is 1,700 ÷ 25 = 68%.

Example 2: your current grade is 71.5% and the final is worth 40%. To finish with 70% you need (7,000 − 71.5 × 60) ÷ 40 = 67.75% on the final. If you score 90% instead, your course grade is (71.5 × 60 + 90 × 40) ÷ 100 = 78.9%, which is a C on the standard scale and a C+ on the plus/minus example.

Your grading scale in the final grade calculator

The standard and plus/minus scales are examples, not rules. If your syllabus uses different cutoffs, choose Custom and enter them, or build and print a chart with the grading scale calculator.

Sources and further reading

Instructors set their own weights and rounding, so check your syllabus first. For background, see Academic grading in the United States and Weighted arithmetic mean on Wikipedia.

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