Grade calculator — weighted course grade and what you need on the final

How to use the grade calculator

1. In Assessments (name, score, weight %), write one line per piece of work, for example Midterm exam, 78, 25.
2. Enter scores as percentages (78) or fractions (45/50). Leave the score blank for work not yet marked: Final exam, , 30.
3. Set your Target course grade, such as 85%.
4. Read your Current weighted grade, Letter grade, the score Needed on the remaining weight, and the Best possible course grade.
5. Check the Breakdown table to see how many points each assessment adds.

What it does and when to use it

Most courses weight assignments differently: a final exam might count for 30% while homework counts for 15%. A plain average of your scores gives the wrong answer. This calculator applies the weights, so you see where you really stand and what you need on what is left. Use it before a final exam to set a realistic goal, after a midterm to decide where to put your effort, or to check a grade your teacher has posted.

If you already know your current grade and only need the final-exam score, the final grade needed calculator is quicker. To turn course grades into a GPA, use the GPA planner. Keeping an eye on attendance as well? The attendance calculator shows how many classes you can miss.

How it works

• Current grade = Σ(score × weight) ÷ Σ(weight of marked work)
• Points earned = Σ(score × weight) ÷ 100
• Needed on remaining = (target − points earned) ÷ remaining weight × 100
• Best possible = points earned + remaining weight (that is, 100% on everything left)

The letter grade comes from the US scale listed in the FAQ. The tool warns you if your target is out of reach (needing more than 100%) or already secured (needing 0% or less).

Worked examples

All numbers below are the calculator’s own results.

Before the final exam. Homework 92 (15%), Quizzes 85 (15%), Midterm 78 (25%), Project 88 (15%), Final exam not yet marked (30%), target 85%. The current weighted grade is 84.64%, a B, from 59.25 points out of the 70 marked so far. You need 85.83% on the final to finish on 85%, and the best you can now reach is 89.25%.

All work marked. Essay 70 (40%) and Exam 90 (60%) give 82% overall, a B−. A plain average would say 80%, which shows why the weights matter.

A target out of reach. Lab reports 45/50 (20%), Midterm 62 (30%), Final unmarked (50%), target 90%. The current grade is 73.2%. The tool warns that a 90% course grade “would need 106.8% on the remaining work”, and the best possible result is 86.6%.

Limits and tips

• Extra credit can be entered as its own line with a small weight, but check how your teacher counts it.
• Dropped lowest scores are not automatic. Leave out the dropped assignment yourself.
• Points-based courses (for example 450 of 500 points) can be entered as fractions with weights in proportion to their points.
• Grades are rounded to two decimals; your school may round differently at the end.