Grade Calculator

Name	Grade (%)	Weight (%)
Name	Grade (%) %	Weight (%) %
Name	Grade (%) %	Weight (%) %
Name	Grade (%) %	Weight (%) %

Grade calculator: weighted average and final exam target

This calculator computes your course grade as a weighted average of assignment scores and solves for the minimum final exam score needed to reach a target course grade. Raw syllabus math only; no curves or dropped-grade rules.

What this calculator does

The widget computes a weighted course average from grades and syllabus weights you enter in the assignments table, then solves for the minimum final exam score needed to hit a target course grade given the final’s weight in Final grade planning. An Auto-balance badge warns when table weights do not sum to 100%. It does not apply curves, drop-lowest rules, grade replacement, or letter-grade cutoffs from your registrar.

Weighted average (entered rows):

$\text{Current} = \frac{\sum_i (\text{score}_i \times \text{weight}_i)}{\sum_i \text{weight}_i}$
When weights sum to 100%, this matches a straight weighted course grade.
Required final score:

$\text{Required} = \frac{100 \cdot d - c \cdot (100 - W)}{W}$
d = desired course %, c = current average on other work, W = final weight %.

How the math works

Enter three completed items in the table: homework 80% at weight 10%, midterm 85% at 30%, and project 90% at 35% (total weight 75%, leaving 25% for the final). The widget multiplies each grade by its weight, adds those products, and divides by 75 to show a current weighted average of about 86.7%.

In Final grade planning, set desired course grade to 90% and final exam weight to 25% (the widget defaults). It treats your 86.7% as the average on the non-final portion and solves for the exam score: (100 × 90 − 86.7 × 75) ÷ 25 = 100%. That number appears under Required score on final.

If you lower the target to 88%, the required final drops to about 92%. If your current average on the other 75% is only 85% but you still want 90%, the solve returns 105% and the widget shows Impossible goal because no real exam score can reach it. When all rows sum to 100% with no separate final block—for example 80/10, 85/30, 90/60—the course average is 87.5% with no final planning step.

Limits of the model

Real classes curve, drop lowest scores, round differently, or replace grades in ways this page does not model. Enter only assignments that count, with weights that match the published breakdown. End-of-term scaling can still change letter boundaries after you calculate a target. Letter grades, grade point average (GPA) across courses, and credit-hour weighting belong in separate tools.

Grade Calculator FAQ

How is my course grade calculated from assignments?

In Assignments / exams, enter each score (0–100) and syllabus weight (%). The widget sums grade × weight for every row, then divides by the total weight you entered to show Current weighted average under the table. When weights sum to 100%, that equals

\sum (\text{Grade} \times \text{Weight}) / 100

. Example with full weights: 80% at 10%, 85% at 30%, 90% at 60% → 87.5%.

What score do I need on the final to hit my target?

Enter completed work in the table (exclude the final). In Final grade planning, set desired course grade % and final exam weight % (defaults: target 90%, final 25%). The widget solves

\text{Required} = \frac{100 \cdot \text{Desired} - \text{Current} \cdot (100 - W)}{W}

. Example: 86.7% on 75% of the course, want 90%, final 25% → you need 100% on the exam. Above 100% shows Impossible goal.

What does the Auto-balance badge mean?

When table weights do not sum to 100%, the badge next to + Add row shows how much weight is missing or over (for example, 25% remaining when you entered 75% for completed work). That usually means a typo, a forgotten category, or the final still listed as a row when you also set final weight in Final grade planning.

Why must weights match the syllabus?

Professors publish the grading breakdown for a reason. If homework is 20% but you enter 25%, your current weighted average drifts. Pull percentages from the syllabus or your learning management system (LMS) gradebook and use the Auto-balance badge to catch typos before you trust the required-final line.

Does this handle curves or dropped lowest grades?

No. The math is a straight weighted average plus a linear final solve. If the lowest quiz is dropped, remove that quiz from the table and enter weights only for categories that count. End-of-term curves can still move letter cutoffs after you calculate a target.

Can I enter letter grades instead of percentages?

Each row expects numbers 0–100 in the Grade (%) column. Map letters to your school’s scale (B+ might be 87) before typing. When the syllabus only shows letters, check the LMS for the numeric equivalent.

How does extra credit fit in?

If bonus points raise a category score above 100%, enter the boosted percentage (e.g. 105% on a 10% quiz). Confirm with the syllabus how extra credit stacks; some instructors cap category scores at 100%.

What does Impossible goal mean?

In Final grade planning, when the required final score exceeds 100%, the results card shows Impossible goal in red instead of a percentage. Example: 85% average on the other 75% of the course, target 90%, final weight 25% → required score 105%. Lower the target or improve scores on work still in play.

Assignments / exams

Final grade planning

How to use this calculator

Reading your weighted average

Worked scenarios

Example: three assignments (75% of the course) → 86.7% current

Example: unreachable target (Impossible goal)

Auto-balance badge in Assignments / exams

Dropped quizzes change what you enter