acalculator

What final grade do I need?

Enter your current grade, what the final is worth, and the course grade you want. Or fill in any three of the four to find the last one.

Your numbers

Final exam grade
88%

With 84% now and a final worth 25%, 88% on the final gives a course grade of 85%.

Course letter grade
B
Course grade with 0% on the final
63%
Course grade with 100% on the final
88%

Final exam grade: 88%. With 84% now and a final worth 25%, 88% on the final gives a course grade of 85%.

How to calculate

Computes the final exam grade needed for a course grade, or the course grade from a final exam score, from the current grade and the weight of the final.

Example with the default inputs (Current grade 84%, Final exam weight 25%, Course grade 85%): With 84% now and a final worth 25%, 88% on the final gives a course grade of 85%.

Formula: overall = current × (1 − weight ÷ 100) + final × weight ÷ 100

  • The current grade is your grade on everything before the final, and the final exam makes up the rest of the course.
  • Grades are in percent; values above 100% (extra credit) are allowed.
  • Letter grades follow the Tompkins Cortland Community College (SUNY) scale: A 93 and up, A- 90 to below 93, B+ 87, B 83, B- 80, C+ 77, C 73, C- 70, D+ 67, D 63, D- 60, F below 60.

Machine-readable copies: Markdown, JSON.

Worked examples

Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.

  1. Current grade 84%, Final exam weight 25%, Course grade 85% gives Final exam grade 88%, Course grade with 0% on the final 63%, Course grade with 100% on the final 88%, Course letter grade B.Source: hand calculation in content.mdx: (85 − 84 × 0.75) ÷ 0.25 = 88%
  2. Current grade 84%, Final exam weight 25%, Final exam grade 72% gives Course grade 81%, Course letter grade B-.Source: hand calculation in content.mdx: 84 × 0.75 + 72 × 0.25 = 81%
  3. Current grade 78%, Final exam weight 20%, Course grade 90% gives Final exam grade 138%, Note Above 100%: this course grade needs extra credit on the final..Source: hand calculation in content.mdx: (90 − 78 × 0.8) ÷ 0.2 = 138%
  4. Final exam weight 40%, Final exam grade 95%, Course grade 89% gives Current grade 85%.Source: hand calculation in content.mdx: (89 − 95 × 0.4) ÷ 0.6 = 85%
  5. Current grade 80%, Final exam grade 92%, Course grade 83% gives Final exam weight 25%.Source: hand calculation in content.mdx: 100 × (83 − 80) ÷ (92 − 80) = 25%

How it works

The course grade is a weighted average of two parts: everything before the final (your current grade) and the final exam. With the final's weight w in percent:

overall = current × (1 − w ÷ 100) + final × w ÷ 100

Fill in any three and the calculator finds the fourth:

  • final = (overall − current × (1 − w ÷ 100)) ÷ (w ÷ 100)
  • current = (overall − final × w ÷ 100) ÷ (1 − w ÷ 100)
  • w = 100 × (overall − current) ÷ (final − current)

It also shows the course grade with 0% on the final, current × (1 − w ÷ 100), and with 100% on the final, that plus w. A final exam grade above 100% shows the note "Above 100%: this course grade needs extra credit on the final." Below 0% shows "Below 0%: you have this course grade whatever you score on the final." Exactly 0% or 100% has no note, and the notes also show for a typed final exam grade.

The course grade gets a letter on the Tompkins Cortland Community College scale: A 93 and up, A- 90 to below 93, B+ 87, B 83, B- 80, C+ 77, C 73, C- 70, D+ 67, D 63, D- 60 (each up to below the next limit), and F below 60.

Assumptions

  • The final exam is the only part of the course still to come. If other work is not graded yet, use the grade calculator.
  • The final's weight is above 0% and below 100%.
  • The current grade and the course grade are from 0% to 200%, so extra credit counts. The final exam grade is from −1,000% to 1,000%, so a grade needed below 0% (the course grade is secured) or above 100% (extra credit is needed) still shows, with a note. A value solved outside these ranges gives no answer.
  • A weight is found only when the course grade lies strictly between the current grade and the final exam grade. Otherwise no weight from 0% to 100% fits (and when the final equals the current grade, every weight gives the same course grade), so there is no answer.

Worked examples by hand

The grade needed on the final. Current 84%, final worth 25%, course grade wanted 85%: (85 − 84 × 0.75) ÷ 0.25 = (85 − 63) ÷ 0.25 = 22 ÷ 0.25 = 88%. With 0% on the final the course grade is 63%; with 100% it is 63 + 25 = 88%. The course grade of 85% is a B.

The course grade from a final score. Current 84%, final worth 25%, 72% on the final: 84 × 0.75 + 72 × 0.25 = 63 + 18 = 81%, a B-.

A target out of reach. Current 78%, final worth 20%, 90% wanted: (90 − 78 × 0.8) ÷ 0.2 = (90 − 62.4) ÷ 0.2 = 27.6 ÷ 0.2 = 138%, so extra credit is needed.

The current grade. Final worth 40%, 95% on the final, course grade 89%: (89 − 95 × 0.4) ÷ 0.6 = (89 − 38) ÷ 0.6 = 51 ÷ 0.6 = 85%.

The weight of the final. Current 80%, final 92%, course grade 83%: 100 × (83 − 80) ÷ (92 − 80) = 300 ÷ 12 = 25%.

Other questions people ask

How do I calculate what I need on my final?

Needed = (grade you want − current grade × (1 − final weight)) ÷ final weight, with the weight as a decimal. With 84% now, a final worth 25%, and 85% wanted: (85 − 84 × 0.75) ÷ 0.25 = (85 − 63) ÷ 0.25 = 88%.

How do I calculate my course grade after the final?

Course grade = current grade × (1 − final weight) + final exam grade × final weight. With 84% now, a final worth 25%, and 72% on the final: 84 × 0.75 + 72 × 0.25 = 63 + 18 = 81%.

What if I need more than 100% on the final?

Then the course grade you want cannot be reached with the final alone, unless the final gives extra credit. The page shows the course grade you get with 100% on the final, so you can see the best case.

What does the weight of the final mean?

It is the share of the course grade the final exam is worth, from your syllabus. A final worth 25% means your current grade makes up the other 75%.

What if my class uses points instead of percentages?

Use percent for both. Your current grade is the points you have divided by the points possible so far. The final weight is the final exam points divided by the total points in the course. A 200-point final in an 800-point course is worth 25%.

Can it find the weight of the final?

Yes. Clear the weight and enter the current grade, the final exam grade, and the course grade. Weight = 100 × (course grade − current) ÷ (final − current). With 80% now, 92% on the final, and 83% overall: 100 × 3 ÷ 12 = 25%.