Fill in each row. Your result updates as you go.
How your result is calculated
What do I need on the final?
Pick the semester grade you want and how much the final counts.
Keep going
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On this page · 5 sections
What a semester average calculator does
A semester grade calculator multiplies each quarter, six-weeks or exam grade by its weight, adds the results and divides by the total weight. You get the one grade that goes on your transcript, as a percent and a letter.
It’s built for the moment report cards post and you want to know where the semester landed, or for the week before exams when you want your standing so far. It doesn’t total single assignments, so get each quarter grade first.
How to use the semester grade calculator for high school
List each part
Put a name like Quarter 1 under Part (optional), then type the score under Grade as a percent, points or a letter. Use + Add part for more rows.
Set the weights
Pick a Semester split to fill the weights, or type each part’s share under Weight. Leave every Weight blank and the parts count equally.
Check the scale
Open Options and choose your Grading scale (plus/minus, 10-point or 7-point) so the letter matches your school. Your semester grade appears below the rows.
How to calculate your final grade for a semester
Semester grade = Σ(Grade × Weight) ÷ Σ(Weight)
Grade
The percent you earned on one part, such as a quarter or the exam.
Weight
How much of the semester that part is worth, from your syllabus.
Σ
“Add up across every part.” With no weights, it’s a plain average.
Take a Chemistry semester where each quarter is worth 40% and the final exam 20%. You earned 88% in Quarter 1, 84% in Quarter 2 and 79% on the final.
| Part | Grade | Weight | Grade × weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter 1 | 88% | 40% | 88 × 0.40 = 35.2 |
| Quarter 2 | 84% | 40% | 84 × 0.40 = 33.6 |
| Final exam | 79% | 20% | 79 × 0.20 = 15.8 |
| Total | 100% | 84.6 |
Divide 84.6 by the total weight of 1.00 and you get 84.6%. The calculator shows 84.6% B, with Grade points 3.0 and Weights add up to 100%.
How to read your semester grade, with or without the final
Your semester grade is the large figure, a percent with its letter. Under it you’ll see the grade points that letter earns and either how many parts you entered or what your weights add up to.
To see your semester grade without the final, enter only the quarters with their real weights. When the weights total less than 100%, the heading reads Semester grade so far, which is your standing before the exam. Enter 88 and 84 at 40% each with no final, and you’ll see 86% B, based on 80% of the semester.
From there, press What do I need on the final? and fill in Semester grade I want and Final exam counts (%). With those two quarters, a B+ goal and a 20% final, it shows 91% on the final. It may instead say Out of reach or Already safe. A line under it lists every letter.
The letters follow the site chart below on the plus/minus setting. Schools set their own cutoffs, so check your handbook.
| Letter grade | % range | Grade points |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97–100 | 4.0 |
| A | 93–96 | 4.0 |
| A− | 90–92 | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87–89 | 3.3 |
| B | 83–86 | 3.0 |
| B− | 80–82 | 2.7 |
| C+ | 77–79 | 2.3 |
| C | 73–76 | 2.0 |
| C− | 70–72 | 1.7 |
| D+ | 67–69 | 1.3 |
| D | 63–66 | 1.0 |
| D− | 60–62 | 0.7 |
| F | Below 60 | 0.0 |
How semester exams and six-week grades change your average
The way your school splits the semester changes the math. Sylvania Schools in Ohio counts each quarter 40% and the exam 20%. Each Semester split links to its source under the result.
Six-week grading periods. Some districts split each semester into three six-week periods plus an exam. Fort Worth ISD counts each six weeks as 2/7 of the semester grade and the semester exam as 1/7. To do this by hand, double each six-weeks grade, add the exam and divide by 7.
Here, pick 3 six weeks ×2 + exam ×1 under Semester split, or enter weights of 2, 2, 2 and 1. When the weights add up to 10 or less, the calculator treats them as ratios rather than percents. Six-weeks grades of 91, 86 and 89 with an 80 on the exam give 87.43% B+.
Equal quarters. Many semesters are just two quarters with no separate exam. Leave Weight empty on every row and the tool takes a plain average. Fill in some weights but not others and it asks you to finish or clear them.
Exam caps and rounding. Districts often limit the exam’s share. In Fairfax County Public Schools, an exam covering the whole course can be no more than one-fifth of the course grade. The same policy rounds a 100-point average up when the decimal is 0.5 or more, so an 89.5 would count as 90. If yours rounds, tick Round to a whole percent in Options.
Weights over 100%. If your parts add up to more than 100, the calculator flags the total and the grade divides by that total.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate a semester grade?
Multiply each quarter or exam grade by its weight, add those products, and divide by the total weight. Quarters of 90 and 80 at 40% each plus a 70 exam at 20% give 36 + 32 + 14 = 82%. Your syllabus lists the weights.
How do you calculate a semester grade without the final exam?
Enter only the quarters with their real weights, such as 40% each, and the calculator divides by 80 instead of 100. The result is labeled Semester grade so far. It tells you where you stand walking into the exam.
How does a student calculate a semester average with six-weeks grades?
In schools where each six weeks counts twice and the exam once, multiply each six-weeks grade by 2, add the exam grade, and divide by 7. Grades of 85, 90 and 80 with a 75 exam make (170 + 180 + 160 + 75) ÷ 7, about 83.6%. Check your district’s handbook, because some use other splits.
What score do I need on my semester exam for an A or a B?
Enter your quarter grades, then open the planner under the result and pick your goal and the exam’s weight. Quarters of 88 and 84 at 40% each need 71% on a 20% exam for a B; an A would take 121%, so it shows Out of reach. A line under the answer lists every letter.
Does this semester grade calculator work for high school?
Yes, it handles quarters, six-week periods, midterms and semester exams the way high schools report them. Choose your Grading scale under Options so the letter matches your school. You can then take that letter to a GPA calculator.
Sources
- Semester Grade CalculatorWestern Hills High School, Fort Worth ISD
- Determining Quarter and Final GradesFairfax County Public Schools
- Grading ScaleSylvania Schools