Here’s the simple, most advanced Final Grade Calculator to help you calculate your final grades.
How to Calculate Your Final Exam Score
Want to know what score you need on your final exam to reach your desired course grade? You’ll need three things:
- Current Course Grade (CCG): your grade so far (e.g., 88%).
- Desired Course Grade (DG): your target (e.g., 90%).
- Final Exam Weight (FEW): how much the exam counts (e.g., 30%).
Step-by-Step Final Grade Calculation
Step 1: Find the weight of your current work
What to do: subtract the final exam weight from 100%.
Formula: 100% − Final Exam Weight
Example: Final Exam Weight = 30% → 100% − 30% = 70%
Step 2: Calculate your weighted current grade
What to do: multiply your current grade by the weight of your current work (as a decimal).
Formula: Current Grade × Current Work Weight
Example: Current Grade = 88%, Weight = 70% (0.70) → 88 × 0.70 = 61.6
Step 3: Figure out the points you still need from the final
What to do: subtract your weighted current grade from your desired course grade.
Formula: Desired Grade − Weighted Current Grade
Example: Desired Grade = 90% → 90 − 61.6 = 28.4
Step 4: Calculate your required final exam score
What to do: divide the points needed by the final exam weight (as a decimal).
Formula: Points Needed ÷ Final Exam Weight
Example: Final Exam Weight = 30% (0.30) → 28.4 ÷ 0.30 ≈ 94.7%
Quick Reference Example
| Item | Value | How It’s Calculated |
|---|---|---|
| Current Course Grade | 88% | Given |
| Desired Course Grade | 90% | Given |
| Final Exam Weight | 30% | Given |
| Current Work Weight | 70% | 100% − 30% |
| Weighted Current Grade | 61.6 | 88 × 0.70 |
| Points Needed from Final | 28.4 | 90 − 61.6 |
| Required Final Score | 94.7% | 28.4 ÷ 0.30 |
Key takeaway: In this example, you’d need 94.7% on your final exam to boost your 88% course grade to a 90%. Plug in your own numbers to find your target score.
Final Grade Calculator – Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I calculate the score I need on my final exam?
You find the needed final score by subtracting your weighted current grade from your target course grade and dividing by the final’s weight. Formula: (Target − Current × (1 − FinalWeight)) ÷ FinalWeight.
2. What numbers do I need to use the final grade calculator?
You need your current course average, your target course grade, and the final exam weight as a percentage (e.g., 20%, 30%, 40%).
3. How do I convert the final exam weight into a decimal?
You convert the final’s weight to a decimal by dividing by 100. Example: 30% → 0.30.
4. Can you show a quick example of the required final score calculation?
If Current = 88%, Target = 90%, FinalWeight = 30% (0.30), then Required = (90 − 88 × 0.70) ÷ 0.30 = (90 − 61.6) ÷ 0.30 = 28.4 ÷ 0.30 ≈ 94.7%.
5. What if my current grade isn’t known exactly?
If your current grade isn’t exact, estimate with the latest posted average or enter your known category scores into a class grade calculator to get a current average first.
6. Does extra credit change the score I need on the final?
Yes, extra credit can raise your current average and reduce the required final score, but only if it is counted before the final is calculated.
7. What if the final exam replaces my lowest test grade?
If the final replaces your lowest test, your effective current average increases, which usually lowers the score needed on the final; check your syllabus for the exact replacement rule.
8. What if my course has multiple finals or a final split into parts?
If your course has multiple final components, add their weights together and treat them as one final, or compute the contribution of each part separately and sum them.
9. How do I handle a final project instead of a final exam?
You treat a final project the same as a final exam by using the project’s weight in the same formula for the required score.
10. What if the final is optional?
If the final is optional, compare your current grade to your target and only take the final if it can improve your overall grade based on its weight and potential score.
11. What if I only need the minimum score to pass the class?
You set the target grade to your school’s passing threshold (e.g., 60% or 65%) and use the calculator to find the minimum final exam score needed to pass.
12. How does grading on a curve affect the final exam calculation?
Curving can reduce the required raw score on the final if the instructor scales results upward, but you should calculate using uncurved values unless the curve policy is known.
13. Do rounding rules matter for my final grade?
Yes, rounding can determine whether you meet a cutoff, so check whether your instructor rounds at the category level, the final average, or not at all.
14. What if my teacher changes the final’s weight near the end?
If the final’s weight changes, re-enter the new weight in the calculator and recompute, because even small weight changes can shift the required score.
15. Can missing assignments before the final change what I need?
Yes, zeros or missing work lower your current average and increase the required final score, so submit any allowable late work before calculating.
16. How do I include participation or attendance that is added at the end?
You adjust your current average to include any end-of-term participation points first, then rerun the final exam calculation with the updated current grade.
17. What if I have several remaining assessments besides the final?
If you have multiple remaining items, estimate their expected scores and update your current average accordingly before calculating the required final score.
18. Why does the calculator say I need more than 100% on the final?
You need over 100% when your target grade is mathematically unreachable given your current average and the final’s weight, which means you must adjust the target or improve pre-final scores.
19. Can I lock in a specific letter grade using the final?
Yes, set the target to the percentage cutoff for that letter (e.g., 90% for an A) and compute the required final score to secure that letter grade.
20. What’s the exact formula the calculator uses?
The calculator uses RequiredFinal = (Target − Current × (1 − w)) ÷ w, where w is the final weight as a decimal (e.g., 30% → 0.30).