Calculate the final exam score you need to reach your desired class grade, or find your overall grade and class average from scores.

Find the final score required to reach a target.

Use your syllabus’s weights and grade scale. Letter inputs use approximate reference percentages; enter exact percentages when known. Current grade excludes the final.

Related Calculators

Final Class Average Formula

The calculator runs three formulas, one per calculation mode.

Need on final:

required = (goal - current × (1 - w)) / w

Overall grade after the final:

overall = current × (1 - w) + final × w

Average of student scores:

average = (sum of scores) / (number of scores)
  • required = score you need on the final exam, in percent
  • goal = desired final class grade, in percent
  • current = current class grade before the final, in percent
  • final = score earned on the final exam, in percent
  • w = final exam weight as a decimal (25% = 0.25)
  • sum of scores = total of every score entered
  • number of scores = how many scores you entered

The “Score needed on final” mode solves for the score you must earn to hit a target. The “Overall class grade” mode combines a known final score with your pre-final grade to show where you actually land. The “Average scores” mode takes a list of scores and returns the mean, with an optional max-points field that converts the raw average to a percent.

Reference Tables

This illustrative letter/GPA scale is a reference, not a universal school policy. Decimal percentages follow the lower cutoff until the next grade threshold.

Percent Letter GPA (4.0)
97-100A+4.0
93-96A4.0
90-92A-3.7
87-89B+3.3
83-86B3.0
80-82B-2.7
77-79C+2.3
73-76C2.0
70-72C-1.7
67-69D+1.3
63-66D1.0
60-62D-0.7
Below 60F0.0

Illustrative final-exam weight ranges; use the actual weight in your syllabus:

Course type Example final weight
High school regular10-20%
High school AP / honors15-25%
College intro lecture20-30%
College upper division25-40%
Graduate seminar30-50%

Example Problems

Example 1: How high do you need to score?

Your current grade is 84%. You want an A- (90%) and the final is worth 25%.

required = (90 − 84 × 0.75) ÷ 0.25 = (90 − 63) ÷ 0.25 = 108%

That target is not reachable without extra credit. Lower the goal to 88% and the required score becomes 100%.

Example 2: What will your final grade be?

You walk into the final with a 78%. The final exam is 30% of the grade and you score 91%.

overall = 78 × 0.70 + 91 × 0.30 = 54.6 + 27.3 = 81.9%

That lands at a B-.

FAQ

What if my syllabus uses points instead of weights?
Use the “Average scores” mode. Enter every score and put the total points possible per item in the max field, or enter the running point total and total points possible as a single score and max.

The required score is over 100%. Can I still pass?
A required score above 100% means the chosen target is unreachable without extra credit or changed assumptions. It does not by itself determine whether you can pass the course.

Why does the result change when I switch between percent and letter input?
Letter grades are converted to representative reference percentages (B = 85, A- = 91, and so on). If you know the exact percent, enter it for a more precise result.

Does this account for dropped lowest scores or curves?
No. Apply those adjustments to your current grade first, then enter the adjusted value.