Final Grade Calculator
Find out exactly what score you need on your final exam to reach your target grade — or predict your final course grade based on your expected exam performance.
%
%
%
Minimum Exam Score Needed
>100%
Not achievable — even a perfect exam won't reach your goal.
Current Grade
85.0%
Exam Weight
30%
Target Grade
A-
How to Use the Final Grade Calculator
This calculator answers the two most common questions students have before finals week. Choose a tab based on what you want to know:
- What Do I Need? — Enter your current grade, the exam's weight, and your desired final grade. The calculator tells you the minimum score you must earn on the final to hit your goal.
- What Will I Get? — Enter your current grade, the exam's weight, and the score you expect to earn. The calculator projects your final course grade.
All three fields are required and results update as you type. No submit button needed.
Formula: Minimum Score Needed
The formula is derived by solving the weighted average equation for the unknown exam score:
Final Grade = Current Grade × (1 − Exam Weight) + Exam Score × Exam Weight
Solving for Exam Score:
Exam Score = (Desired Grade − Current Grade × (1 − Exam Weight)) ÷ Exam Weight
Solving for Exam Score:
Exam Score = (Desired Grade − Current Grade × (1 − Exam Weight)) ÷ Exam Weight
Formula: Projected Final Grade
Final Grade = Current Grade × (1 − Exam Weight) + Exam Score × Exam Weight
Example: 85 × (1 − 0.30) + 78 × 0.30 = 59.5 + 23.4 = 82.9% → B
Example: 85 × (1 − 0.30) + 78 × 0.30 = 59.5 + 23.4 = 82.9% → B
Worked Example
Goal: Achieve 90% (A-) with a 30% final exam
Current grade: 85% | Exam weight: 30% | Desired: 90%
Needed = (90 − 85 × 0.70) ÷ 0.30 = (90 − 59.5) ÷ 0.30 = 30.5 ÷ 0.30 = 101.67%
Result: A perfect score won't quite get you to 90% — you'd need extra credit. Try targeting 88% instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
It means your desired grade is mathematically impossible without extra credit, no matter how well you do on the final. Consider lowering your target grade or asking your professor about bonus opportunities.
Good news — your current grade is already high enough that even a zero on the final would keep you at or above your desired grade. You've effectively locked in the grade regardless of your exam performance.
Check your learning management system (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, etc.) for a running grade. If it's not shown, use our Grade Calculator to add up all your graded work. Make sure it excludes the final exam, which hasn't been graded yet.
Not directly. In those cases you'd need to compute both scenarios — with and without the replacement — and compare. Use the Grade Calculator to build out both versions with their respective weights and see which produces a higher grade.
Run the calculator multiple times — once for each possible weight your professor might apply. This gives you a range of required scores, and you can use the most conservative estimate to be safe.