Final Grade Calculator
Find the minimum score you need on an upcoming final to hit a target grade, or switch modes to calculate your current grade from weighted categories.
How the Grade Needed on a Final Is Calculated
Your overall grade is itself a weighted average of your current grade and your final exam score: target = current × (1 − w) + final × w, where w is the final's weight written as a decimal. Solving that same equation for the final score gives final = (target − current × (1 − w)) ÷ w.
Worked example — Grade Needed on Final
You currently have a 78% going into a final that's worth 25% of your overall grade, and you want to end the course with at least an 80%.
final = (80 − 78 × (1 − 0.25)) ÷ 0.25 = (80 − 58.5) ÷ 0.25 = 21.5 ÷ 0.25 = 86
Score needed on the final: 86%, which would give you a B overall.
How a Weighted Grade Is Calculated
This is the standard weighted-average formula used for category-based grading: multiply each category's score by its weight, add those products together, then divide by the total weight.
Worked example — Weighted Categories
Homework is 15% at a 88% score, Quizzes are 20% at 91%, the Midterm is 25% at 76%, Participation is 10% at 100%, and the Final is 30% at 82%.
(0.15 × 88) + (0.20 × 91) + (0.25 × 76) + (0.10 × 100) + (0.30 × 82) = 13.2 + 18.2 + 19 + 10 + 24.6 = 85
Current grade: 85% (B)
Keep going
- A single class grade and GPA are both weighted averages, just at different scales; the GPA calculator combines several classes' grades and credit hours into one number, and can carry a prior cumulative GPA forward too. GPA Calculator
- Both grading modes here are built on the same weighted-average formula; the weighted average calculator applies that same math to any set of values and weights, not just grades. Weighted Average Calculator
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find out what I need on my final exam?
Use the "Grade Needed on Final" mode. Enter your current grade going into the final, the final's weight as a percent of the overall course grade, and the grade you're targeting. The calculator solves the weighted-average equation backward for the one unknown score.
How do I calculate my grade from weighted categories?
Multiply each category's score by its weight, add those products together, then divide by the total weight. Categories worth more of your final grade pull the result toward their score more strongly.
What does it mean if the score needed is over 100%?
It means that target grade is mathematically out of reach with the weight you entered — even a perfect 100% on the final wouldn't get you there. You'd need a higher current grade or a lower target to make it possible.
Do my category weights have to add up to 100%?
Ideally yes, since weights are normally written as percentages of the total grade. The calculator still works if they don't add up exactly, because it divides by whatever total weight you actually entered.
What percentage is each letter grade?
This calculator uses the common US scale: 90% and above is an A, 80-89% is a B, 70-79% is a C, 60-69% is a D, and below 60% is an F. Individual schools sometimes use different cutoffs.
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