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Grade Needed Calculator

Find out exactly what score you need on remaining coursework to achieve your target final grade. Enter your current grade (78%), the weight of work completed (60%), and your target (85%) — and get the answer instantly. Use Multiple for several remaining assignments with different weights.

Enter your current grade, the percentage of the course already completed, and your target final grade to find out what you need on the remaining work.

Current grade (%)

Course weight completed so far (%)

Target final course grade (%)

Grade Needed on Remaining Work

95.5%

Need 95.5% (A) on the remaining 40% of the course

Current Grade

78%

Remaining

40%

Target

85%

How to Use the Grade Needed Calculator

This calculator answers the most common student question: "What do I need to score on the final / remaining work to get a [target grade]?" Use What Grade for a single remaining block of work, or Multiple for several remaining assignments each with different weights.

What Grade Tab

Enter your current grade percentage (e.g., 78%)
Enter the percentage of the course already completed (e.g., 60% — if you've done homework, midterms, quizzes worth 60% of the grade)
Enter your target final course grade (e.g., 85%)
The calculator instantly shows the exact score you need on the remaining 40% of the course.

Multiple Tab

Enter your current grade and the weight of completed work.
Add each remaining assignment with its name and weight percentage.
The calculator shows the uniform score you'd need on every remaining assignment to hit your target, plus a per-assignment breakdown.

The Formula

Grade Needed = (Target − Current × Completed Weight) ÷ Remaining Weight

Where weights are expressed as decimals (60% = 0.60)

Example:
Current Grade: 78%, Completed: 60%, Target: 85%
Grade Needed = (85 − 78 × 0.60) ÷ 0.40
= (85 − 46.8) ÷ 0.40
= 38.2 ÷ 0.40
= 95.5%

Worked Examples

Example 1: You have 78% and the final exam is worth 30% of the grade. You want a B (83%).

Completed weight = 70% (100 − 30). Grade Needed = (83 − 78 × 0.70) ÷ 0.30 = (83 − 54.6) ÷ 0.30 = 28.4 ÷ 0.30 = 94.7%

Example 2: You have 92% and the final is worth 40%. You want an A (93%).

Grade Needed = (93 − 92 × 0.60) ÷ 0.40 = (93 − 55.2) ÷ 0.40 = 37.8 ÷ 0.40 = 94.5%

When the Result Is "Impossible"

If the calculator shows "Impossible" or a score above 100%, it means your target grade is not mathematically achievable given your current grade and the remaining weight. To salvage the situation:

Lower your target grade to something achievable
Ask your professor about extra credit opportunities
Check if any assignments can be resubmitted
Speak with your academic advisor about your options

When the Result Is Negative or Shows "Already Achieved"

A negative result means your current grade is already so high that even scoring 0% on remaining work would still meet your target. You've mathematically secured the target grade. This commonly happens when you're going for a lower target (e.g., you want a C but already have a B+).

How to Find Your Current Weight Completed

Check your syllabus for the grade breakdown. Add up the weights of every component you've already received a grade for.

Example syllabus: Homework 20% | Quizzes 15% | Midterm 1 (15%) | Midterm 2 (15%) | Final 35%

If you've completed Homework + Quizzes + both Midterms: completed weight = 20+15+15+15 = 65%

Grade Scale Reference

A+ 97–100 | A 93–96 | A- 90–92 | B+ 87–89 | B 83–86 | B- 80–82
C+ 77–79 | C 73–76 | C- 70–72 | D+ 67–69 | D 63–66 | D- 60–62 | F 0–59

Frequently Asked Questions

Use the What Grade tab. Enter your current grade percentage, enter the course weight that has already been completed (everything except the final), and enter your target grade. The calculator instantly tells you the exact score you need on the final exam. For example: if your current grade is 80%, the final is worth 30% of the grade, and you want an 85%, you need (85 − 80×0.70) ÷ 0.30 = 99.7% on the final.

Completed weight is the total percentage of the course grade represented by assignments you've already received scores for. If your syllabus says homework is 20%, quizzes 15%, midterm 25%, and final 40% — and you've completed homework, quizzes, and the midterm — then your completed weight is 20+15+25 = 60%. The remaining 40% is the final exam.

A result above 100% means the target grade is mathematically impossible given your current scores. Your options are: (1) lower your target grade to something achievable, (2) ask your professor about extra credit or assignment resubmission, (3) talk to your academic advisor about academic forgiveness or grade replacement policies. Getting a 110% on a standard exam isn't possible, so you need to adjust your plan.

The Multiple tab calculates the uniform score you'd need on ALL remaining assignments if you scored the same on each. For example, if you need a 90% average across your midterm 2 (20%), project (15%), and final (25%), the calculator determines that 90% on each of those three remaining assignments would achieve your target. Each assignment shows this same target score alongside its weight.

Yes. Set your target grade to the minimum passing percentage your institution requires for pass/fail credit (typically 60% or 70%). The calculator will then show you the minimum score you need on remaining work to pass. Check with your registrar for the exact passing threshold for your institution's pass/fail grading.

Some syllabi list approximate percentages that round to slightly above or below 100%. Use the weights as listed and note the small discrepancy. The calculator uses the exact weights you enter — if completed + remaining doesn't equal 100%, the result is still mathematically valid for the weights given, but may differ slightly from your professor's calculation. When in doubt, ask your professor for the exact percentages.