Find out exactly what you need to score on the final exam to keep — or boost — your overall grade. Enter three numbers and you'll have your answer in a second.
How is your final grade calculated?
Your final grade is a weighted average of two things: everything you've done in the class so far, and the final exam. The formula is straightforward — you multiply each piece by its weight and add them together.
The formula
Final grade = (Current grade × (1 − Final weight)) + (Final exam score × Final weight)
Solving for what you need on the final
Required final score = (Desired grade − Current grade × (1 − Final weight)) ÷ Final weight
A worked example
Say your current grade is 87% and the final is worth 25% of your overall grade. You want to land at 90% overall. Plugging in: required = (90 − 87 × 0.75) ÷ 0.25 = (90 − 65.25) ÷ 0.25 = 99. You'd need a 99 on the final to hit 90% overall — high, but not impossible.
When to use this calculator
Use the Final Grade Calculator anytime your course has a single weighted final exam — true for most U.S. high school and college classes. If your teacher breaks the grade into multiple categories (homework, quizzes, exams, projects), use the Weighted Grade Calculator instead. If you already know your grade and want to know your letter grade, the conversion table is built in below.
Final grade calculator — questions students ask
What's the formula for figuring out my final grade?
Final grade = current grade × (1 − final weight) + final score × final weight. The Final Grade Calculator rearranges this to solve for the final score you need to hit a target overall grade.
My teacher uses weighted categories (homework, quizzes, exams). Which calculator do I use?
Use the Weighted Grade Calculator instead — it handles any number of categories with custom weights. Use this Final Grade Calculator only when the final exam is a single weighted component.
What percentage do I need to get an A?
On the standard U.S. scale, 90–100% is an A (with A+ ≥ 97 and A− at 90–92), 80–89 is a B, 70–79 is a C, 60–69 is a D, and below 60 is failing. Some schools use stricter cutoffs (93 for A) — check your syllabus.
Does this work for college courses?
Yes. The math is the same whether you're in high school or college, and whether the course uses percentage or letter grades. Just convert any letter grades to their percentage equivalents before entering.
How do I factor in extra credit?
Simplest: bump up your current grade by the extra credit percentage before entering. For example, if you currently have 85% and the teacher just announced 3 extra credit points, enter 88% as your current grade.
