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Final Grade Calculator

Math

Enter your current grade and how much the final exam is worth. Then see the score you need to reach a percent or a letter grade, or switch to the predict tab to see your course grade for a final score you expect.

What do you want to know?

Your grade before the final exam, as a percent. Take it from your grade book or work it out first as a weighted average of your assignments and tests.

How much the final exam is worth, as a percent of the course grade. Your syllabus lists it, often between 10 and 40. Enter 100 if the final decides the whole grade.

The course grade you want, as a percent, for example 90, or 100 for a perfect score.

Use a period for decimals, like 12.5. Commas for thousands are fine. The result updates as you type.Decimals with a period, like 12.5

Your entries stay on your device. The math runs right in your browser.

Result: Score needed on the final

96%

To finish the course with 90% you need 96% on the final exam.

  • Course grade you want: 90%
  • Grade with a 0 on the final: 66%
  • Grade with 100 on the final: 91%

Step by step

(90 − 66) / (25 / 100) = 96

  1. Everything before the final counts for 75% of the course grade, so your current grade adds 88 × 75 / 100 = 66 points.
  2. To reach 90% the final must add 90 − 66 = 24 points.
  3. The final counts for 25%, so divide by its weight: 24 / (25 / 100) = 96. A result below 0 means you already have the grade; above 100 means it is out of reach without extra credit.
  4. The course grade can end anywhere from 66% (0 on the final) to 91% (100 on the final).

Formula

final needed = (goal − current × (1 − w)) / w
lowest grade = current × (1 − w), highest grade = current × (1 − w) + 100 × w
current
your grade before the final exam, in percent
w
the weight of the final as a fraction: 25 percent is 0.25
goal
the course grade you want, in percent; for a letter grade, the lowest percent of that letter
final
your score on the final exam, in percent

How it works

A course grade is a weighted average. If the final exam counts for 25 percent, everything before it counts for the other 75 percent, so course grade = current grade × 0.75 + final score × 0.25. Solve that for the final score and you get the score you need: (goal − current grade × 0.75) / 0.25. With a current grade of 88 and a goal of 90 that is (90 − 66) / 0.25 = 96 percent.

Enter your grade before the final as a percent and the weight of the final from your syllabus. If your class uses weighted categories such as homework, quizzes and tests, first work out your current grade as a weighted average of those categories and enter that number; this calculator treats everything before the final as one block. Choose "Needed for a letter" to pick a letter grade instead of a percent. The calculator then uses the common 10-point scale, where an A needs 93 percent, a B 83 and a C 73. Your school may use other cutoffs, so enter the percent from your syllabus when in doubt.

Two numbers frame every result. With a 0 on the final, your course grade is the grade so far times the remaining weight, the lowest it can end up. With 100 it is that plus the full weight of the final, the highest. If the score you need is above 100, the goal is out of reach unless your instructor offers extra credit; if it is below 0, you already have the grade. For what a course grade does to your grade point average, use the GPA calculator, and for percentages of points use the percentage calculator.

The formula

The calculation assumes that your current grade covers everything except the final and that all parts are on the same 0 to 100 percent scale. Dropped scores, curves and extra credit change the real outcome, so use the grade your grade book shows today.

Schools round differently: some round a course grade of 89.5 up to 90, so the true requirement can be a little lower than shown. The calculator keeps full precision and shows two decimals; ask your instructor how the final course grade is rounded.

Example

What score do I need on the final to finish with a 90?

  1. With a final worth 25 percent, the work before it counts for 75 percent: 88 × 0.75 = 66 points already earned.
  2. A 90 needs 24 more points from the final, which counts for 25 percent, so 24 / 0.25 = 96 percent on the final.

To finish the course with 90% you need 96% on the final exam.

Load this example into the calculator

Frequently asked questions

What grade do I need on my final exam?

Enter your current grade, the weight of the final and the grade you want. The score you need is (goal − current × (1 − weight)) / weight. With 88 percent now, a final worth 25 percent and a goal of 90, you need 96 percent on the final exam.

How do I calculate my final grade?

Multiply your grade before the final by the share of the course it covers, multiply the final exam score by its weight, and add the two. With 88 percent before a final worth 25 percent, a final score of 80 gives 88 × 0.75 + 80 × 0.25 = 86.

Can I predict my final exam grade with this calculator?

Yes. Open the predict tab, enter the score you expect on the final exam and read your resulting course grade and its letter. Try a few scores such as 70, 80 and 90 to see the range your grade can fall in; the two limits for a 0 and a 100 are shown too.

What does it mean if the score I need is above 100?

Your goal is out of reach with the points available. Even a perfect final would leave you below the grade you want, unless your instructor offers extra credit or a curve. The calculator shows the highest grade you can still reach, so you can set a goal that is possible.

Does a curve change the score I need?

It can. This calculator uses the raw percent you type, so it does not guess a curve. If your instructor curves the final, use the curved score or ask how the curve works, and treat the result here as the plain-score requirement.

How do I find the weight of my final exam?

Look in the syllabus or the grading policy of the course. Finals often count for 10 to 40 percent. If the syllabus lists points instead, divide the points of the final by the total points of the course and multiply by 100.

What if my class uses weighted categories like homework and tests?

Work out your current grade first: multiply the average of each category by its weight, add the results and divide by the weights used so far. Enter that number as your current grade and the final exam weight as given in the syllabus.

Why is my calculated grade slightly different from Canvas or my grade book?

The usual causes are rounding, dropped lowest scores, extra credit, a curve, or assignments that are not graded yet and count as zero in the grade book. This calculator uses exactly the percent you type, so enter the current grade your grade book shows.

Does this tool support GPA estimation?

This page does the final exam math for one course. To see how the resulting letter grade changes your grade point average, turn it into grade points and use the GPA calculator with your other courses.

Is this final grade calculator free, and does it work on mobile devices?

Yes to both. It is free to use without signing up and runs in any modern browser on phones, tablets and computers.

What percent do I need for each letter grade?

On the common 10-point scale an A+ is 97 percent and up, an A 93, an A- 90, a B+ 87, a B 83, a B- 80, a C+ 77, a C 73, a C- 70, a D+ 67, a D 63 and a D- 60. Below 60 is an F. Schools set their own cutoffs, so check your syllabus.

Last updated: Responsible editor: Jared Alan
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