How to Calculate Your Final Grade
Most courses don't grade everything equally. Homework might be worth 20% of your mark, quizzes 15%, a midterm 25%, and the final exam the remaining 40%. Your overall grade is a weighted average — each component counts in proportion to its weight, not just its score. A 100% quiz average means little if quizzes are only 10% of the grade and the final exam is 50%.
This calculator handles the two questions students actually ask near the end of a term: “what do I need on the final to get a B?” and “if I get an 85 on the final, what's my grade?” Both use the same underlying formula — only which variable you're solving for changes.
The Weighted Average Formula
If your current grade (on everything graded so far) is C, and the remaining work is worth a fraction w of your total grade, then your final course grade F is:
F = C × (1 − w) + S × w
where S is the score on the remaining work. Rearranging for S when you have a target grade F gives the “what do I need” version: S = (F − C×(1−w)) / w. If that comes out above 100%, the target isn't reachable — your maximum possible grade is C×(1−w) + 100×w, which the calculator shows as the “best case” figure.
Worked Example — “What do I need on the final?”
Problem: You're at 82% going into a final exam worth 30% of your grade. You want to finish with at least a 90%.
Coursework contribution: 82 × 0.70 = 57.4
Points still needed: 90 − 57.4 = 32.6
Required exam score: 32.6 / 0.30 = 108.7% — not possible. Your best case (100% on the final) is 57.4 + 30 = 87.4%, so a 90% isn't reachable with this weighting — useful to know before the exam, not after.
Worked Example — “What will I get?”
Problem: Same course, but you expect to score 78% on the final.
F = 82 × 0.70 + 78 × 0.30 = 57.4 + 23.4 = 80.8%.
A Few Things to Check Before You Trust the Number
Weights should sum to 100%. This calculator assumes the “current grade” weight and the “remaining” weight together make up your whole course grade. If there are other ungraded components besides the final (a project, participation), you'll need to fold those into the current-grade figure first.
Dropped scores and curves aren't included. Some instructors drop your lowest quiz or apply a curve after grading — this tool computes the straightforward weighted average from the numbers you enter, which is the right starting point even if your school applies an adjustment afterward.
Check your syllabus for the exact breakdown. “Current grade” and “weight remaining” are often listed directly in your school's grade portal — use those exact figures rather than estimating.