Final Grade Calculator
This final grade calculator answers the classic end-of-semester question: what do I need on the final? Enter your current grade, the final exam’s weight, and the course grade you want, and it solves for the required final-exam score. It also shows your best possible outcome and warns you when the target is mathematically out of reach, so you can plan your study time realistically.
Your grade going into the final, as a percent.
Share of the course grade the final is worth, as a percent.
The overall grade you are aiming for, as a percent.
Required final-exam score
110%
- Score needed on the final
- 110%
- Points already bankedYour current grade times the non-final portion.
- 68%
- Best possible course gradeIf you score 100% on the final.
- 88%
How it was calculated
- Non-final portion: 85% × 0.80 = 68.0 pts banked.
- Needed on final: (90% − 68.0) ÷ 0.20 = 110.0%.
- Best possible: 68.0 + 100 × 0.20 = 88.0%.
How it works
Your course grade is (current grade × non-final share) + (final score × final share). Solving that equation for the final score gives: needed = (desired − current × (1 − w)) ÷ w, where w is the final’s weight as a decimal.
The "points already banked" row is simply your current grade times the portion of the course already decided — it cannot change no matter what happens on the final.
The best possible grade assumes a perfect 100% final: banked points plus the full final share. If your target sits above that number, no final-exam score can get you there.
Worked examples
85% going in, final worth 20%, want a 90
Banked: 85 × 0.80 = 68 pts. Needed: (90 − 68) ÷ 0.20 = 110%. That is impossible — the best you can finish with is 68 + 20 = 88%, so an 89 or a B+ is the realistic stretch goal.
88% going in, final worth 25%, want a 90
Banked: 88 × 0.75 = 66 pts. Needed: (90 − 66) ÷ 0.25 = 96%. Tough but doable — and a perfect final would land you at 91%.
How to measure
- Use the gradebook average that includes everything except the final — not the average shown after the final is entered as a zero placeholder.
- Confirm the final’s weight in the syllabus; "the final counts double" usually means a stated percent, not literally 2×.
- If some coursework is still ungraded, estimate your current grade conservatively (round down) so the required score is not understated.
- Run the numbers for two targets — your dream grade and your fallback grade — so you know the minimum score that keeps you safe.
Assumptions & limitations
Planning estimate
- The calculation assumes your current grade already reflects all non-final coursework with correct weights and no pending drops or curves.
- It treats the final as a single score worth the stated weight; multi-part finals should be averaged into one score first.
- Results above 100% are flagged as impossible — the calculator does not assume extra credit on the final unless you fold it into the weight yourself.
- Letter-grade cutoffs are not applied here; convert your percent target using your syllabus scale (commonly 90/80/70/60).
Frequently asked questions
It depends on your current grade and the final’s weight. With an 88% average and a final worth 25%, you need a 96% for a 90. Enter your own numbers above — if the answer tops 100%, the A is out of reach and the calculator will tell you your best possible finish instead.
Sometimes. Your grade with a zero on the final is just your current grade times the non-final share — e.g. 70% × 0.80 = 56% if the final is worth 20%. If that clears your school’s passing cutoff, skipping is survivable, though rarely advisable.
Because the points you have already banked plus a perfect final still fall short of your target. The gap is real: each missing point must come from the final’s limited share. Lower the target or accept the best-possible grade the calculator shows.
Not directly — replacement rules change the equation. Compute your current grade with the replacement already applied (or with the lowest exam dropped), then run the calculator on that adjusted average.
Mathematically exact given your inputs. The usual error is in the inputs: an optimistic current grade or a misread weight. Double-check both against the syllabus and gradebook before trusting the number.