For teachers and their students
Final Grade Calculator
Enter your current grade, the weight of the final and the grade you want.
- Runs in your browser
- No grades leave your device
- Print-ready tables
What you need for each grade
| Goal | Score needed on the final | Verdict |
|---|
- Runs in your browser
- No grades leave your device
- Print-ready tables
The formula behind it
Your course grade is a weighted mix of what you have already earned and the final exam. If the final counts for 20%, the rest of the course counts for 80%. To finish with a target grade T, you need a final score F so that current × (1 − w) + F × w = T, where w is the weight of the final as a fraction.
Solved for F that gives F = (T − current × (1 − w)) / w. With a current grade of 82%, a final worth 20% and a goal of 90%, you need (90 − 82 · 0.8) / 0.2 = 122%. That goal is out of reach, which is useful to know in advance, while a goal of 85% needs only 97%.
How to read the result
The big number is the score you need on the final, as a percentage. If it is above 100%, the goal is out of reach unless extra credit exists. If it is 0 or below, you are already safe: even a zero on the final keeps your grade at the target or higher. The table underneath shows the same calculation for A, B, C and D at once, so you can choose a realistic goal.
Use the quick buttons to set 90, 80, 70 or 60 percent as your target, or type any other value. Your current grade can be a percentage taken from the gradebook or the result of the weighted grade calculator.
Tips before the exam
A strict result is a plan, not a verdict. Check whether your teacher drops the lowest score, offers extra credit or rounds up. Remember that the final may count differently from what you assumed, so look up the weight in your syllabus. If you teach the class, the easy grader shows how many points on the exam itself make an A, B or C.
Questions and answers
What does “the final counts for” mean?
It is the share of the course grade that comes from the final exam, for example 20 or 25 percent. Look for it in your syllabus.
Why is the needed score above 100%?
Your current grade is too far from the target for one exam to close the gap. Without extra credit the target cannot be reached.
What if I need less than 0%?
Then your grade cannot fall below the target. Even a zero on the final would leave you at or above your goal.
Does the calculator store my numbers?
No. It runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.
Does it work for a midterm or a project?
Yes. Enter the weight of whatever work is still missing, for example a final project that counts for 15%.
More tools for teachers
Two more free classroom helpers from the same creator. Both open in a new tab.