Grade Calculator
Calculate weighted averages and final exam targets.
| Assignment | Score (%) | Weight (%) |
|---|
Grade Results
What Is a Grade Calculator?
A grade calculator computes your weighted course average from individual assignment, quiz, and exam scores — and, just as usefully, tells you what score you still need on remaining work, such as the final exam, to earn the letter grade you want. Because tasks count for different percentages of the course grade, a plain average misleads: a 95% on homework worth 10% moves your average far less than an 80% midterm worth 30%. A weighted grade calculator applies each category's weight, so the result matches the number your instructor will compute at the end of the term.
Use it two ways: enter every score to see your final weighted and letter grade, or enter only finished work, leave the remaining exam's score blank, choose a target grade, and the calculator solves for the score you need.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter each assignment or category (Homework, Quizzes, Midterm, Final Exam) with its score as a percentage and its weight from your syllabus.
- Click + Add Assignment for more rows, or Remove to delete one.
- Leave the Score box empty for anything you have not taken yet (like the final exam) and pick your Target Grade.
- Click Calculate Grade to see your current weighted grade, letter grade, weight completed, and the score needed on the blank item.
Weights can be any positive numbers — percentages, points, or credit hours — the calculator divides by the total automatically.
The Weighted Grade Formula
Your course grade is the sum of each score × weight product, divided by the total weight:
Weighted Grade = (S₁W₁ + S₂W₂ + … + SₙWₙ) ÷ (W₁ + W₂ + … + Wₙ)
- S₁, S₂, …, Sₙ — your score (as a percentage) on each assignment or category
- W₁, W₂, …, Wₙ — the weight of that assignment or category
- Numerator — the sum of every score × weight product
- Denominator — the sum of the weights; dividing by it normalizes the result for any weight total
Worked Example: Computing a Weighted Course Grade
Suppose your syllabus splits the course into four parts:
| Assignment | Score | Weight | Score × Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homework (average) | 88 | 20% | 1,760 |
| Quizzes (average) | 92 | 20% | 1,840 |
| Midterm | 81 | 25% | 2,025 |
| Final Exam | 85 | 35% | 2,975 |
| Total | 100% | 8,600 |
Step 1: multiply each score by its weight (last column above). Step 2: add the products: 1,760 + 1,840 + 2,025 + 2,975 = 8,600. Step 3: divide by the total weight: 8,600 ÷ 100 = 86.0%, a B on the standard scale below. A plain average, (88 + 92 + 81 + 85) ÷ 4 = 86.5%, lands close only by coincidence; with more lopsided weights the two methods diverge by several points.
How to Find the Score You Need on the Final Exam
Rearranging the weighted grade formula solves for the unknown final-exam score:
Needed Score = (Target × Total Weight − Points Earned So Far) ÷ Final Exam Weight
Take the same course before the final: Homework 88 (weight 20), Quizzes 92 (weight 20), and Midterm 81 (weight 25). Your points earned so far are 88×20 + 92×20 + 81×25 = 5,625 across 65% of the course — a current average of 5,625 ÷ 65 = 86.5%. The final exam carries the remaining 35%.
- Target A (90%): Needed = (90 × 100 − 5,625) ÷ 35 = 3,375 ÷ 35 ≈ 96.4%. Check: (5,625 + 96.4 × 35) ÷ 100 ≈ 90.0%. An A is possible, but only with a near-perfect final.
- Target B (80%): Needed = (80 × 100 − 5,625) ÷ 35 = 2,375 ÷ 35 ≈ 67.9%. A solid B is well within reach.
This is exactly what the calculator computes when you leave a score blank. If the needed score comes out above 100%, the target is mathematically out of reach; below 0%, you have already secured it.
Standard Letter Grade Scale
Most US schools convert percentage grades to letters with a plus/minus scale like this one, and each letter carries grade points used for GPA:
| Letter Grade | Percentage Range | GPA Points |
|---|---|---|
| A | 93–100 | 4.0 |
| A− | 90–92 | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87–89 | 3.3 |
| B | 83–86 | 3.0 |
| B− | 80–82 | 2.7 |
| C+ | 77–79 | 2.3 |
| C | 73–76 | 2.0 |
| C− | 70–72 | 1.7 |
| D+ | 67–69 | 1.3 |
| D | 63–66 | 1.0 |
| D− | 60–62 | 0.7 |
| F | Below 60 | 0.0 |
Cutoffs vary by school — some treat anything 90 or above as an A. This calculator's letter output uses the simple scheme A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, so always confirm the scale in your syllabus.
Weighted vs. Unweighted GPA
Your course grade feeds your GPA, but the two are not the same thing. An unweighted GPA uses the 4.0 scale from the table above for every class, regardless of difficulty, and caps out at 4.0. A weighted GPA adds bonus points for advanced courses — typically +0.5 for honors and +1.0 for AP or IB — so an A in an AP class can be worth 5.0 grade points and a weighted GPA can exceed 4.0. Colleges generally review both. Once you have each course's letter grade, our GPA Calculator computes both versions for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I already have all of my scores?
Enter every score with its weight and click Calculate Grade. The calculator shows your final weighted grade, the letter grade it maps to, and the total weight accounted for.
What if my weights do not add up to 100%?
That is fine. The calculator divides by the sum of whatever weights you enter, so percentages or raw points both work: 200 points and 300 points behave exactly like 40% and 60%.
How do I calculate the score I need on my final exam?
Enter finished assignments with scores and weights, add a final-exam row with its weight but a blank score, choose your target grade, and click Calculate Grade. The Needed on Final field shows the required score.
What does "Impossible (over 100%)" mean?
Even a perfect 100 on the remaining work cannot lift your weighted grade to the target. Double-check the weights you entered, or select a lower target grade to see what is still achievable.
What letter grade is an 86%?
An 86% is a B on the standard plus/minus scale (83-86). Under the simpler cutoffs this calculator uses (A at 90+, B at 80+, C at 70+, D at 60+), 86% is also a B. Always verify the scale your school uses, since cutoffs differ.
Is my course grade the same as my GPA?
No. Your course grade is a percentage for one class; your GPA averages the grade points from the letter grades of all your classes. An unweighted GPA uses a 4.0 maximum, while a weighted GPA adds bonus points for honors, AP, or IB courses and can exceed 4.0.
Do all schools use the same grading scale?
No. Letter-grade cutoffs, plus/minus usage, final-exam weights, and passing thresholds vary by school and even by instructor. Check your syllabus, then enter the weights it specifies.