What Is a Weighted Grade?
A weighted grade is an average where some work counts for more than other work. A midterm worth 25% of your course moves your grade more than a quiz worth 5%, so a plain average of your scores can be misleading. Multiply each grade by its weight, and the big items count for what they should.
Which tab should I use?
- Course Grade: to work out your grade from each assignment and exam, and what you need on everything still to come.
- Final Exam: when you already know your current grade and just want the score you need on the final.
How to Calculate a Weighted Grade
Multiply each grade by its weight, add them up, and divide by the total weight graded so far:
Example
Homework of 90% worth 20%, quizzes of A- (91%) worth 20%, and a midterm of 85% worth 25%:
- Top: 90 × 20 + 91 × 20 + 85 × 25 = 5,745
- Bottom: 20 + 20 + 25 = 65
- Grade so far: 5,745 ÷ 65 = 88.38%, a B+.
The grade you need on the remaining work
In the example, an A- starts at 90%, and 35% of the course is left: (90 × 100 − 5,745) ÷ 35 = 93%.
The letter grade scale
This calculator uses a typical US scale. Schools differ, so check your syllabus, and type a percent when you have one, because it's more exact than a letter.
| Letter | Starts At | A Typed Letter Counts As | Grade Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97% | 98.5% | 4.3 |
| A | 93% | 94.5% | 4.0 |
| A- | 90% | 91% | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87% | 88% | 3.3 |
| B | 83% | 84.5% | 3.0 |
| B- | 80% | 81% | 2.7 |
| C+ | 77% | 78% | 2.3 |
| C | 73% | 74.5% | 2.0 |
| C- | 70% | 71% | 1.7 |
| D+ | 67% | 68% | 1.3 |
| D | 63% | 64.5% | 1.0 |
| D- | 60% | 61% | 0.7 |
| F | 0% | 0% | 0.0 |
How to Use the Grade Calculator
"I have 90% on homework, an A- on quizzes and 85% on my midterm. What's my grade, and what do I need on the rest to finish with an A-?" This calculator answers that.
Let's enter the numbers for this example in each box. They are already filled in when the calculator opens, so you can follow along and then change any box to match your own course.
- Assignment or Exam: Enter Homework, which is a name for your own reference. It's optional.
- Grade: Enter 90, which is your homework grade. It can be a percent, a letter or a fraction, such as 90, A- or 18/20. Extra credit can take it above 100.
- Weight %: Enter 20, which is the share of the course this item counts for. Your syllabus usually lists it.
- The other rows: Enter Quizzes, A- and 20, then Midterm, 85 and 25. Click + Add Row for more items, or × to remove one. Empty rows are skipped.
- Weight Format: Choose Percent of the course, which matches the weights above. Choose Points if your class adds up points; the columns change to Earned and Possible.
- Weight Still to Come: This shows 35, which is filled in for you as 100% minus the weights above. In Points format, enter the points still to come yourself.
- Course Grade Goal: Enter A-, which is the grade you want to finish with. You can also enter a percent, such as 90, or leave it empty.
On the Final Exam tab, the default question is what you need on a final worth 20% to finish with a B+ when your grade is 85%:
- Current Grade: Enter 85, which is your grade going into the final.
- Grade You Want: Enter B+, which is the course grade you're aiming for.
- Final Is Worth: Enter 20, which is the share of the course that the final counts for.
Calculate and Reset
Click Calculate to see your results. If a box has a problem, such as weights adding up to more than 100%, a message pops up under that box instead. With the default numbers you get:
- Your Results: a short summary in words: your grade so far (88.38%, a B+), how high and low the course can finish, and what your goal takes.
- Your Grade So Far: the headline number, with its letter and grade points.
- With 100% and With 0 on the Rest: 92.45% and 57.45%, the highest and lowest your course grade can finish.
- Needed on the Rest: 93%, the average you need on the remaining work to reach your goal.
- Where your grade comes from: a chart of how much of each item's weight you earned and lost, and how much is still to come.
- Your Grades: each item's grade, letter, weight and weight earned. Download Excel saves it with the formulas.
- Grade Needed: what you need on the rest for every letter, so you can see your options without trying each goal.
- Share Results: a link that opens this calculator with your numbers filled in. Copy it, or share it on Facebook or X.
On the Final Exam tab, the default numbers give 95% needed on the final, with a table of the course grade each score would bring. Click Reset to put the boxes on the tab you're using back to their defaults and show the default results again.
Your teacher's grading rules decide your actual grade, including dropped scores, curves and rounding, which this calculator doesn't apply.