Final Grade Calculator

Before a final exam the useful question is not what you have, but what you still need. This calculator takes your current standing, the grade you want and what the final is worth, and returns the score required — including the honest answer when that score is above full marks and the target is no longer reachable.

How to use it

1. Enter your current grade and the grade you are aiming for.
2. Enter what percentage of the total the final exam carries.
3. Read the score you need, and whether it is actually achievable.

Examples

• At 78% with a final worth 40%, you need 95.5% to finish at 85%.
• At 40% with a final worth 20%, no score on the final reaches 90% — the best possible is 52%.

Frequently asked questions

What do I need on my final to get the grade I want?

Subtract the portion of the target already covered by your existing marks, then divide what remains by the final's weight. At 78% going into a final worth 40%, reaching 85% overall requires 95.5% in that paper. The lower the weight of the final, the harder it is to move the outcome.

What if the score needed is above 100%?

Then the target is not reachable through that exam, and the calculator says so rather than printing an impossible number without comment. It also shows the best grade still available to you, which is the figure worth planning around — knowing the ceiling early is more useful than discovering it afterwards.

How do I find what my final is worth?

It is in the syllabus or course handbook, usually as a percentage of the total assessment. If the course lists several components — assignments, mid-term, final — the final's share is what you enter here. Ask the instructor if it is not written down; nobody minds the question.

Does this work for weighted assignments too?

Yes, if you treat the remaining assessment as one block. Enter your current weighted grade, the combined weight of everything left, and the target — the answer is the average you need across all remaining work rather than on a single paper.