Grade Calculator

Grade calculator at a glance#

A grade calculator turns your scores into a percentage and a letter grade. For a weighted grade, multiply each category score by its weight, add those results, then divide by the total weight. With weights that already add up to 100%, you just add the weighted scores.

To find a weighted grade by hand, write each weight as a decimal and multiply it by the score. Say homework is 20%, the midterm is 30%, and the final is 50%, and you score 100, 90, and 80. That is 100 times 0.20 = 20, 90 times 0.30 = 27, and 80 times 0.50 = 40. Add them: 20 + 27 + 40 = 87%, which is a B. The full formula is (w1 times g1 + w2 times g2 + ...) divided by (w1 + w2 + ...), where g is each score and w is its weight.

Enter your scores and weights in the calculator above for your exact average and letter grade. The scale here is the common US one, so check your school grading scale, since cutoffs and plus or minus bands can differ.

Letter grades and the grading scale#

Most US schools map a percentage to a letter using whole-number cutoffs, often split further with plus and minus bands. A common scale runs A+ 97 to 100, A 93 to 96, A- 90 to 92, B+ 87 to 89, B 83 to 86, B- 80 to 82, C+ 77 to 79, C 73 to 76, C- 70 to 72, D+ 67 to 69, D 63 to 66, D- 60 to 62, and F below 60. Your school sets its own cutoffs, so confirm them before converting a score.

How weighted grades work#

A weighted grade reflects that some work counts for more. Each category (homework, quizzes, midterm, final) has a weight, and your final grade is the sum of each score times its weight, divided by the total weight. The formula is (w1 times g1 + w2 times g2 + ...) divided by (w1 + w2 + ...), where g is each score and w is its weight. When the weights already add to 100%, you just add the weighted scores.

Worked example: homework is 20%, the midterm 30%, the final 50%, and you score 85, 90, and 80. That is 85 times 0.20 = 17, 90 times 0.30 = 27, and 80 times 0.50 = 40. Add them for 17 + 27 + 40 = 84%, a B on the scale above. Because the final carries half the grade, a weak score there pulls the result down more than a weak homework score.

Finding the score you need#

To work out the score you need on a remaining assessment, subtract the points you have already earned (each completed score times its weight) from your target final grade, then divide by the remaining weight. For example, if you have 50% of the grade locked in at 44 points and want an 85% overall, you need (85 minus 44) divided by 0.50 = 82% on the rest. The calculator above does this for you when you mark an item as not yet graded.

Grade calculator FAQ#

How do you calculate a test grade?#

Divide the points you earned by the total points possible, then multiply by 100 for a percentage. Score 45 out of 50 and that is 45 divided by 50 = 0.90, or 90%. Match the percentage to your school's scale for the letter grade.

What is the formula for a weighted grade?#

Weighted grade = (w1 times g1 + w2 times g2 + ...) divided by (w1 + w2 + ...). Multiply each score by its weight, add the results, and divide by the total of the weights. If the weights add to 100%, the divisor is 1 and you simply sum the weighted scores.

Can you give a weighted grade example?#

Say an assignment worth 10% earns 90 and a test worth 20% earns 80. Multiply: 90 times 0.10 = 9 and 80 times 0.20 = 16. Add the scores (25) and the weights (0.30), then divide: 25 divided by 0.30 = 83.3%.

How do percentage grades translate into letter grades?#

By fixed cutoffs: typically 90 to 100 is an A, 80 to 89 a B, 70 to 79 a C, 60 to 69 a D, and below 60 an F. Schools that use plus and minus split each band further, as in the scale above.

What score do I need on my final?#

Subtract the weighted points you have already earned from your target grade, then divide by the final's weight. If you hold 60 points going into a final worth 40% and want 80% overall, you need (80 minus 60) divided by 0.40 = 50% on the final.

What do I need to use a grade calculator?#

The weight of each category, the scores you earned in each, and your school's grading scale. With those three pieces the calculator returns your current average and the equivalent letter grade.

Why did I fail a course despite good assignment scores?#

Heavily weighted items can outweigh many small ones. If exams are 60% of the grade and assignments 40%, strong homework cannot offset failing the exams. Check the weight on each category to see where the grade was decided.