Grade Calculator
Work out your current weighted grade and exactly what you need on the final exam to finish with the grade you are aiming for.
Grade Calculator
Assessments
The overall course grade you want to finish with.
Current grade
83.6%
You need 86.4% on the remaining 50% of the course to finish on 85%.
Letter grade
B
Still to play for
50%
Of the final grade
Worst case
41.8%
F · zero on the rest
Best case
91.8%
A- · full marks on the rest
Where your grade comes from
- Homework (20%)92.0% → 18.4 pts
- Midterm (30%)78.0% → 23.4 pts
- Points earned so far41.8 of 50
Each assessment contributes its score multiplied by its weight, not its score alone. A perfect quiz worth 5% moves your grade far less than a mediocre exam worth 40%.
The link carries the values you entered, so whoever opens it sees the same result. Nothing is stored on our side — the numbers travel in the link itself.
How the grade calculation works
A course grade is a weighted average of everything that counts toward it. The weights are the whole point: a perfect score on a 5% quiz moves your grade far less than a mediocre one on a 40% exam.
Your current grade
Only the work already graded counts:
current grade = Σ(score × weight) ÷ Σ(weight of graded work)
With 92% on homework worth 20% and 78% on a midterm worth 30%:
(0.92 × 20 + 0.78 × 30) ÷ 50 = (18.4 + 23.4) ÷ 50 = 83.6%
Dividing by the graded weight rather than by 100 is what makes this your grade right now, rather than your grade assuming zeros on everything not yet marked.
What you need on the final
Rearranged for the score required on the remaining work:
needed = (target × total weight − points earned) ÷ remaining weight
Continuing the example, targeting 90% with a 50% final: you have banked 41.8 points of 100, and need 90. So you need 48.2 points from 50 available — 96.4% on the final.
The calculator does not clamp this to 100. If the answer is 112%, that is what it says, because "this grade is no longer reachable" is precisely what a student needs to know. It also tells you when the reverse is true — that the target is already secured whatever happens.
Best and worst case
Two figures worth checking before an exam:
- Worst case — your grade if you score zero on everything remaining. In the example, 41.8%.
- Best case — your grade with full marks on everything remaining. Here, 91.8%.
The gap between them is how much is genuinely still at stake. Late in a term that range narrows sharply, which is useful for deciding where the remaining study time actually matters.
Weights that do not sum to 100
If your entered weights total something other than 100, the calculator flags it. Your current grade is still correct — it is computed across the graded portion — but the best and worst cases assume the weights you entered represent the whole course. Usually this means a category was missed, or the syllabus uses points rather than percentages.
For points-based courses, enter the point value of each item as its weight. The maths is identical: a 200-point final in a 500-point course is a weight of 200 against a total of 500.
What syllabi do that this cannot model
Some courses drop the lowest quiz, replace the midterm with the final if the final is higher, or apply a curve. These change the arithmetic materially. Read the syllabus and model the rule directly — for a dropped score, simply leave it out.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my current grade in a class?
Multiply each graded item’s score by its weight, add them, and divide by the total weight of the work graded so far - not by 100. Dividing by the graded weight gives your grade as it stands today. Dividing by 100 would assume zeros on everything not yet marked, which is your worst case rather than your grade.
What do I need on the final to get an A?
Subtract the points you have already banked from the points your target requires, then divide by the weight of the final. With 83.6% across 50% of the course and a 50% final, reaching 90% overall needs 96.4% on the final. Enter your own numbers above - and note the calculator will tell you plainly when a target is no longer reachable rather than capping the answer at 100%.
Can I still pass this class?
Check the best case figure above: it is your grade if you score full marks on everything remaining. If that number is below the pass mark, the grade is decided regardless of the final. If it is above, the calculator shows exactly what score gets you there. Either way it is better to know before the exam than after.
My weights do not add up to 100 - is that a problem?
Your current grade is still correct, because it is calculated across the work actually graded. The best and worst cases will be wrong, since they assume your entered weights cover the whole course. Usually a category has been left out. If your syllabus uses points rather than percentages, enter the point values directly - the maths works identically.
How do I handle extra credit?
Enter a score above 100 on the item that carries it. A 110% on an assessment worth 20% contributes 22 points instead of 20, which is exactly what extra credit does. If it is a separate bonus not tied to any category, add it as its own row with a small weight and a score above 100.
What if my professor drops the lowest score?
Leave that item out of the calculator entirely. Dropped scores are excluded from the weighted average, so including them - even at their real value - understates your grade. If you are not yet sure which score will be dropped, run it twice: once excluding your worst result, once including it, to see the range you are actually in.
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