Final Grade Calculator
Updated by Grade Calculator Plus
Find the score you need on your final exam to finish with the grade you want. The final grade calculator works it out for your target and for every letter grade.
If you already have your exam score, switch modes and it works as a final exam calculator, giving the course grade that score produces.
Enter your current grade, target and final weight.
| Letter | Course grade | Needed on the final |
|---|
How the final grade calculator works
The final grade calculator needs three numbers: your current grade (before the final), the course grade you want (your target grade), and the final exam weight (the share of the course grade the final is worth).
Needed score = (target grade − current grade × (1 − w)) ÷ w
Here w is the final weight as a decimal, so a final worth 20% gives w = 0.2. Your current grade covers the other 80% of the course. If you don't know it yet, work out your current grade first.
What your result means
| Result | What it means |
|---|---|
| Secured | The needed score is 0 or less. Even a 0 on the final keeps your target. |
| Reachable | Between 0 and 100. That's the score to aim for. |
| Perfect | Exactly 100. You need every point on the final. |
| Unreachable | Over 100. You'll see the best course grade a perfect final would give. |
When a target is out of reach, Grade Calculator Plus shows the best course grade you can still finish with, not just a number over 100. Results use your letter grade cutoffs: the 10-point scale with plus and minus, unless you pick another from the Scale menu under the calculator or change single cutoffs with "edit cutoffs".
Finding your final weight
Your syllabus usually lists it, often as a line like "Final exam: 20%". If it doesn't, ask your teacher. A final worth 0% can't change your grade, so the calculator only tells you whether you've already reached the target. A final worth 100% ignores your current grade, and the needed score is simply your target.
If your course has a semester exam on top of two terms, or several category weights, those calculators fit better.
Example
Your current grade is 85%, the final is worth 20%, and you want 80% in the course.
Needed score = (80 − 85 × 0.8) ÷ 0.2 = (80 − 68) ÷ 0.2 = 60%. That's reachable.
Aim for 90% instead and you get (90 − 68) ÷ 0.2 = 110%, which is unreachable. A perfect final adds 20 points to the 68, so 88% is the best you can finish with.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need on my final to get a B?
Set your target to 83%, where a B starts on the 10-point scale with plus and minus. With a current grade of 85% and a final worth 20%, you need 75% on the final. If your school puts the B cutoff elsewhere, use that number; the table above shows the score for every letter grade.
How are final grades calculated?
Your course grade after the final is your current grade times the share of the course it covers, plus your final exam score times the final weight. With a current grade of 85%, a final worth 20% and a final score of 70%, that's 85 × 0.8 + 70 × 0.2 = 82%.
What if I need more than 100% on the final?
Then the final alone can't get you to that target, unless your teacher offers extra credit or curves the exam. The final grade calculator marks the result as unreachable and shows the best course grade a perfect final would give you, so you can see which lower target is still realistic.
Can I still pass if I fail the final?
Yes, as long as your final score reaches the needed score for the lowest passing course grade. Enter that grade as your target. If the needed score is 0 or below, you pass even with a 0 on the final; if it's 30%, that's the least you need. Your school decides what counts as passing.