Final Grade Calculator
Find out what you need to score on your final exam to finish the class with the grade you want. Enter your grade so far, your target and how much the final counts for, and the answer updates as you type. All three boxes are percentages.
How to find the score you need on your final
- Type your grade in the class so far, before the final, into Current grade (0 to 150).
- Check Target grade, the overall grade you want to finish with. It starts at 70 and goes from 0 to 100, so change it to 90 for an A or 60 to just pass.
- Enter how much of the whole class grade the final counts for in Final exam weight (0.01 to 100). Your syllabus usually says, for example 20 or 25.
- Read the box at the top, Score needed on the final. There is no button to press: it recalculates every time you change a number.
Until Current grade and Final exam weight are filled in, the box shows a dash and asks you to enter your current grade and the final's weight. If a number is out of range, a small note under that box tells you the range, such as Enter a number from 0 to 150.
What each box means
- Current grade: your grade on everything graded so far, not counting the final. It stands in for the rest of the class, which is worth 100 minus the final's weight. Extra credit is fine, so 104 works.
- Target grade: the overall grade you want when the class ends. Use the cutoff from your syllabus, because 89.5 and 90 can give very different answers.
- Final exam weight: the share of the class grade the final is worth. A final worth 20% of the class means 20, not 0.2.
The final grade formula, with examples
With the weight written as a fraction (20% = 0.20), the score you need is (target − current × (1 − weight)) ÷ weight. In words: take the points the rest of the class already gives you, see how many more you need to reach the target, and divide by how much the final is worth. The result is rounded to two decimals and shown without trailing zeros, so you see 86.67% or 85%.
- Current grade 82, Target grade 80, Final exam weight 30: the final needs to be 75.33%, and the message is You can do it!
- Current grade 84, Target grade 90, Final exam weight 25: the box shows 108%. That is over 100, so the message is Impossible without extra credit.
- Current grade 95, Target grade 70, Final exam weight 20: the formula gives a negative score, so the box shows 0% and the message is You have already achieved this grade!
What score do I need on my final to get an A, B or C?
This table is for a final worth 20% of the class, with a target of 90, 80 or 70. A result over 100% means the target is out of reach without extra credit; 0% means you have already secured it.
| Current grade | To finish with 90 | To finish with 80 | To finish with 70 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 170% | 120% | 70% |
| 80 | 130% | 80% | 30% |
| 85 | 110% | 60% | 10% |
| 90 | 90% | 40% | 0% (already secured) |
At 20% weight, every point your current grade sits below the target costs you four more points on the final. A heavier final shrinks that penalty and a lighter one grows it, which is why a 10% final rarely lets you recover a big gap.
What the messages under the number mean
- You can do it! The score you need is between 0 and 100%.
- Impossible without extra credit. You would need more than 100%. The real number is still shown, for example 110%.
- You have already achieved this grade! You need 0% or less, so the target is safe even with a zero on the final. The box shows 0%.
Midterms, projects and what this calculator does not do
The same math works for any single exam or remaining assignment, such as a midterm, a project or the last test. Enter the grade on everything before it and the share of the class it is worth. It is built for one remaining item and percentages only: there are no letter grades, no points, no GPA and no list of assignments, and nothing you type is saved.
More tools for studying and sums
Break revision into sessions with the pomodoro timer, or practice your arithmetic with basic math flashcards. For a quick sum on the side, use the basic calculator or type a whole problem into the expression calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What grade do I need on my final to pass?
Type your passing mark into Target grade, for example 60 or 70, then fill in Current grade and Final exam weight. The big number is the lowest score on the final that still lands you on that mark. If it reads 0%, you have already passed whatever you score.
What do I need on my final to get an A?
Set Target grade to the cutoff your class uses for an A, often 90 but sometimes 93 or 94, and read Score needed on the final. Check your syllabus for the exact cutoff, because the calculator only knows percentages. Try 90, 89.5 and 85 to see how much a small drop in the target changes the score you need.
What if the score I need on the final is over 100%?
The calculator still shows the real number, such as 110%, and adds the message Impossible without extra credit. Without bonus points on the final itself, a perfect score cannot reach that target. Lower the Target grade until the message changes to You can do it!. The target where the score needed reaches exactly 100% is the best overall grade you can still finish with.
Can I use this final grade calculator with extra credit?
Yes, in the Current grade box. It accepts up to 150, so a class that shows 103% because of extra credit works as it is. The Target grade stops at 100, and the weight of the final is a share of the class, so it cannot be above 100 either.
Is there a final grade calculator with points?
This one works in percentages only. If your class is graded in points, divide the points you have earned by the points possible so far and multiply by 100 to get the Current grade. The Final exam weight is the final's points divided by the total points in the class, times 100.
Does this final grade calculator work with weighted categories?
It does not list categories, but it does not need them. Enter the overall grade your gradebook shows for everything graded so far as the Current grade, since that figure already includes the category weights. Then enter what the final is worth in the whole class as the Final exam weight.
Can I use this exam grade needed calculator for a midterm or a project?
Yes. The word final is only a label. For a midterm, a project or the last test, enter your grade on everything graded before it as the Current grade and the share of the class it is worth as the Final exam weight. The same formula applies to any single remaining item.
Is my grade saved or uploaded?
No. The answer is worked out in your browser as you type, nothing is uploaded, and there is no account. Nothing is saved either, so reloading the page clears your numbers and puts Target grade back to 70.
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