Final Grade Calculator
Find out what score you need on your final exam to get the grade you want, from your current grade and how much the final is worth.
Your grade before the final, as a percentage.
Type a percentage or pick a letter below.
How much of the course grade the final is worth.
- Current grade
- 85% (B)
- Final exam weight
- 20%
- Best possible final grade (100% on the final)
- 88% (B+)
- Grade with a zero on the final
- 68% (D+)
| Target | Minimum % | Needed on the final |
|---|---|---|
| A | 93% | 125% (not possible) |
| A- | 90% | 110% (not possible) |
| B+ | 87% | 95% |
| B | 83% | 75% |
| B- | 80% | 60% |
| C+ | 77% | 45% |
| C | 73% | 25% |
| C- | 70% | 10% |
| D+ | 67% | Already secured |
| D | 63% | Already secured |
| D- | 60% | Already secured |
How this was calculated
- Final grade = current × (1 − w) + final score × w, where w is the final's weight as a decimal: w = 20% = 0.2.
- Rearrange for the final score: required = (desired − current × (1 − w)) ÷ w.
- The rest of the course is worth 1 − 0.2 = 0.8; your current 85% contributes 85% × 0.8 = 68 points.
- Required = (90 − 68) ÷ 0.2 = 22 ÷ 0.2 = 110%.
- 110% is above 100%, so a 90% is not reachable without extra credit. The best final grade you can get is 88% with a perfect score on the final.
How the final grade calculator works
Your course grade is a weighted average of everything before the final and the final itself. If the final is worth w (as a decimal, so 20% is 0.20), then final grade = current × (1 − w) + final score × w. The final grade calculator solves that equation for the only unknown, the final score: required = (desired − current × (1 − w)) ÷ w. Everything you have already earned is locked in; the final can only move the grade by w times the difference between your final score and your current average.
Worked example
You have an 85% going into a final worth 25% of the grade and you want to end with an 80%. The rest of the course is worth 75%, and your 85% there contributes 85 × 0.75 = 63.75 points. You need 80 − 63.75 = 16.25 more points from the final, which is worth 25 points, so 16.25 ÷ 0.25 = 65%. Now suppose instead you want a 90% with the final worth 20%. Your current grade contributes 85 × 0.80 = 68 points; you need 22 more from a final worth 20 points, which means 110%. Without extra credit that is not possible, and the calculator says so instead of pretending.
Reading the result
Anything at or under 70% is shown in green, because a passing-level effort will get you there. Between 70% and 100% is amber: possible, but study. Over 100% is red, and the tool tells you the best grade you can still reach with a perfect final so you can aim for that instead. A negative required score means you have already secured the target even if you scored zero, which is worth knowing before you pull an all-nighter.
Finding your numbers
Your current grade is the percentage in your online gradebook right now, before the final is entered. The weight is on the syllabus; typical finals are worth 15–30%, and comprehensive exams in college courses can be 40% or more. If your class uses total points instead of weights, the final's weight is its points divided by the total points in the course: a 200-point final in a 1,000-point class is 20%. If the final replaces a lower midterm score, or there is a separate "exam" category that also contains the midterm, the simple formula does not apply directly; compute the exam category as a whole instead.
Common mistakes
- Using the letter cut-off from the wrong scale. The letter picker uses 93 for an A and 90 for an A-; if your school gives an A at 90, type 90 instead.
- Entering the final's points as its weight. A 100-point final in a 500-point class is worth 20%, not 100%.
- Forgetting rounding rules. Many instructors round 89.5 up to 90. If you are that close, a small difference on the final matters more than the calculator's precision suggests.
Frequently asked questions
›How do I calculate what I need on my final?
Required final score = (desired grade − current grade × (1 − w)) ÷ w, where w is the final's weight as a decimal. With an 85% going in, a 25% final and a goal of 80%: (80 − 85 × 0.75) ÷ 0.25 = 65%.
›What if the calculator says I need more than 100%?
The grade you want is not reachable without extra credit. For example, going from 85% to 90% with a final worth 20% requires 110%. The result shows the best grade you can still reach with a perfect final.
›Where do I find the weight of my final?
On the syllabus. If the class uses total points instead, divide the final's points by the total points in the course: a 200-point final in a 1,000-point course is 20%.
›What if I need a negative score?
You have already locked in the grade you want: even a zero on the final leaves you at or above your target. The calculator shows the grade you would get with a zero.
›Can I pick a letter grade instead of a percentage?
Yes. Choose a letter from the drop-down and the target fills in with that letter's minimum on the standard scale (A 93%, A- 90%, B+ 87%, B 83%, and so on). Edit the number if your school's cut-offs differ.