Final Grade Calculator

What this final grade calculator does

This final grade calculator answers the question every student asks in the last week of term: what score do I need on the final exam to end up with the grade I want? Enter your current grade, how much the final is worth, and your target, and it tells you the exact score required. Flip to the second tab and it works the other way, showing what your course grade will be if you score, say, 75% on the final.

It also shows your best and worst possible outcomes, the score you need for every letter grade, and a way to work out the final’s weight from points if your syllabus only lists point values.

How to use the final grade calculator

1. Enter your current grade as a percentage. If you’re not sure, our Grade Calculator works it out from your category scores.
2. Enter the weight of the final exam. If the syllabus says “final: 200 points out of 800”, open Work it out from points and the calculator converts it to 25%.
3. Type the overall grade you want and read the required score.
4. Check the table underneath for the score needed for each letter, and the best and worst case.
5. Switch to What if I score…? to see how a particular exam result would change your grade.

The final grade formula

Your final course grade is your current grade weighted by everything except the exam, plus the exam score weighted by its share:

final grade = current × (1 − weight) + exam score × weight

Rearranged to find the score you need:

needed = (target − current × (1 − weight)) ÷ weight

Example: you have 85% and the final is worth 30%. To finish with 90% you need (90 − 85 × 0.7) ÷ 0.3 = 101.7%, which isn’t possible. To finish with 88%, a B+, you need (88 − 59.5) ÷ 0.3 = 95%. To hold a B (83%) you need just 78.3%. Seeing the whole table at once makes it much easier to decide where to put your revision time.

How much can the final change your grade?

The exam’s weight sets the range. With a 30% final, your grade can move at most 30 points: a zero drops an 85% to 59.5%, and a perfect score lifts it to 89.5%. Each 10% on the exam moves your course grade by 3 points. With a 50% final, the swing is twice as large. If your current grade sits near a letter boundary, that’s where the final matters most.

Grading scales in the final grade calculator

The letter table uses the US plus/minus scale by default (A 93, A− 90, B+ 87, B 83 and so on), with a simple 10-point scale and UK degree classifications (First 70, 2:1 60, 2:2 50, Third 40) as alternatives. The percentages are what matter; if your school’s letters differ, the table still gives you the right numbers. See this overview of US grading for how letter bands vary.

Related tools

Find your current grade with the Grade Calculator, turn course grades into a GPA with the GPA Calculator, and, if you’re marking rather than sitting the exam, build a score chart with the Easy Grader. Our guide answers what do I need on my final in more depth, including tips for revising toward a specific target.

Frequently asked questions

What if the final grade calculator says I need more than 100%?

Your target isn’t reachable through the exam alone. Pick a lower target from the letter table, and ask your teacher whether extra credit, a curve or a dropped score is possible.

What if I need a negative score?

That means you’ve already secured your target: even a zero on the final would leave you above it. The calculator says “already secured” in the table.

How do I find my current grade?

Most learning platforms show it. If not, combine your category averages using their weights, which the Grade Calculator does for you.

Does the current grade include the final’s weight?

No. Enter the grade you have on everything graded so far, out of 100. The calculator applies the final’s weight itself. If your platform shows a “total” that treats the final as zero, don’t use that number.

Can I use points instead of percentages?

Convert the final’s points to a weight with the built-in helper (final points ÷ course points). Then enter your current grade as a percentage.

What’s a realistic target?

Look at your best case first. If a perfect final gets you to 89.5%, aiming for 90% is pointless; aim for the highest letter the table marks as reachable.