Final grade calculator
Find the score you need on the final exam.
- Works from your current grade
- Flags goals that are out of reach
- Updates as you type
How to calculate the score you need
- Enter your current grade.
- Enter how much the final exam is worth.
- Enter your goal and read the score you need.
The algebra behind it
Your final course grade equals your current grade times (1 minus the final's weight), plus your final exam score times the final's weight. Solve that equation for the final exam score and you get the score you need: needed score = (goal grade - current grade x (1 - exam weight)) / exam weight.
The exam weight matters more than it looks. With an 80% average and a goal of 85%, a final worth only 10% needs a 130% (impossible), while the same goal with a final worth 50% only needs 90%. A lighter final weight leaves less room for it to pull your grade up.
Two worked examples
| Current grade | Final weight | Goal grade | Score needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 88% | 20% | 90% | 98% |
| 90% | 20% | 93% | Over 100% |
The first row is reachable: (90 - 88 x 0.8) / 0.2 = 98, so a 98% on the final gets you there.
A score over 100% means the goal is out of reach. With a 90% average and a final worth 20%, even a perfect 100 only reaches 92%, so a 93% goal cannot happen.
When the score you need is very low or negative
A needed score at or below 0% means the grade is already secured before the final counts for anything. With a 90% average worth half the course grade, you are guaranteed at least 45% from that average alone, so a 40% goal is already met: (40 - 90 x 0.5) / 0.5 works out to -10%.
Even a 0 on the final keeps you above the goal in that case. There is nothing to calculate for the final itself once the needed score drops to 0% or below.
Final grade calculator FAQ
I have an 80% and the final is worth 30%. What do I need for an 85%?
You need 96.67% on the final: (85 - 80 x 0.7) / 0.3 = 96.67.
What if the score needed is over 100%?
The tool tells you your goal is not reachable and shows the best grade you can still get with a perfect final.
What if I do not need any particular score?
If the math comes out at 0% or below, you have already secured that grade even with a 0 on the final.
What counts as the exam weight?
The percent of your total course grade the final exam is worth, as stated in your syllabus.
What is the highest grade I can still reach if my goal needs over 100%?
Enter 100 as a hypothetical final score to see your ceiling. With a 90% average and a final worth 20%, that ceiling is 92%.
Does the final weight have to be a whole number?
No. Enter any percent your syllabus lists, including a decimal like 12.5%, and the calculator handles it the same way.
I have a 70% and the final is worth 40%. What do I need for a 75%?
82.5%: (75 - 70 x 0.6) / 0.4 = 82.5.
Does a heavier final weight make the needed score more sensitive to my current grade?
No, less sensitive. More of the course grade is still up for grabs, so a change in your current grade moves the needed score less. A light final weight makes a weak current grade much harder to recover from.