Going into finals week, the useful question is not "what is my grade?" but "what do I need on the final?" This final grade calculator answers it. Enter your current grade in the course, how much the final exam is worth, and the course grade you are aiming for, and it returns the exact percentage you need on the final. It also shows the score needed for an A, B, C and D on a standard 90/80/70/60 scale, and your course grade if you score 0% or 100%, so you know how much is really at stake.
The calculation assumes your current grade already reflects everything except the final, weighted the way your syllabus describes. To check the grade on an individual test, use the test grade calculator; to see how the course grade affects your GPA, use the college gpa calculator.
How to use the final grade calculator
- Enter your current grade in the course as a percentage. Most learning management systems (Canvas, Blackboard, Google Classroom) show this as a running total.
- Enter the weight of the final exam from the syllabus, for example 20%, 25% or 30%.
- Enter the overall course grade you want to finish with.
- Read the score you need on the final. The table shows what you need for each letter-grade threshold.
Formula
where w is the final exam's weight as a decimal (25% = 0.25). The course grade after the final is a weighted average: Current × (1 − w) + Final × w. Solving that for Final gives the formula above.
Worked example
You have an 84% going into a final worth 25% of the course, and you want at least an 85%.
- Your current work counts for 1 − 0.25 = 0.75 of the grade: 84 × 0.75 = 63 points.
- You need 85 − 63 = 22 more points from the final.
- The final is worth 25 points of the 100, so you need 22 ÷ 0.25 = 88% on the final.
For an A (90%): (90 − 63) ÷ 0.25 = 108%, which is out of reach without extra credit. For a B (80%): (80 − 63) ÷ 0.25 = 68%. Even a 0% on the final leaves a 63%, and a perfect 100% gives 88%.
When your course uses points instead of percentages
Some courses total points rather than weighting categories. If your syllabus says the final is worth 200 of 1,000 points, its weight is 200 ÷ 1,000 = 20%. Your current grade is the points you have earned divided by the points possible so far. For example, 680 of 800 points is 85%. Then use the calculator as normal.
If your course weights categories (homework 20%, quizzes 15%, midterm 25%, final 40%), make sure your current grade is the weighted average of everything except the final, which most online gradebooks already display.
Rounding and grading scales
Grading scales are set by your instructor or school, not universally. Many U.S. courses use 90/80/70/60 cut-offs, but some use 93 for an A, plus/minus grades, or round 89.5 up to 90. Check your syllabus before concluding a grade is out of reach, and remember that some instructors drop the lowest score or curve the final; the test curve calculator shows how common curves work.
Caveats and assumptions
- The result assumes your current grade is exactly the weighted average of all non-final work. If some assignments are still ungraded, the answer will change.
- A required score above 100% means the target is not reachable unless extra credit or a curve is available.
- If your course has a rule such as "you must pass the final to pass the course", that applies regardless of the math.
- Grading scales and rounding vary; this calculator uses the percentages you enter exactly.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate what I need on my final?
Subtract your current grade times (1 − final weight) from your target grade, then divide by the final weight. With an 84%, a 25% final and an 85% goal: (85 − 84 × 0.75) ÷ 0.25 = 88%.
How much will my final affect my grade?
Your course grade can move anywhere between Current × (1 − w) if you score 0% and Current × (1 − w) + 100 × w if you score 100%. For an 84% with a 25% final, that is a range of 63% to 88%.
What if the result is over 100%?
The target cannot be reached on the final alone. Ask whether extra credit, a curve or a dropped score is available, or aim for the next letter grade down.
What if the result is negative?
You have already secured that grade; even a 0% on the final would leave you at or above the target (unless your course requires a minimum final score).
How do I find the final exam weight?
It is in your syllabus. If the course uses points, divide the final's points by the total points in the course.
Sources
- University of Illinois Office of the Registrar — Calculate Your GPA — how course grades feed into GPA
- Indiana University — Grading scales and curving (IUSO Teaching Toolkit) — how instructors set grading scales and weights
This calculator gives estimates for planning and education. Check measurements, local codes, supplier specs and your school's official policy before relying on a result. See our disclaimer and how we build and check calculators.