Final Grade Calculator
Enter your current grade, how much your final is worth, and the grade you want. This tells you the exact score you need on the exam — and whether it is still reachable.
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Your running % now
% of the course
Target course %
You need
99.0%
Score 99.0% or better on the final and you finish the course at 90% or above.
The formula
Everything not on the final is already locked in. If your final is worth w of the course, the other 1 − w is your current grade, frozen. So the score you need is whatever closes the gap:
needed = (target − current × (1 − weight)) ÷ weight
The leverage is entirely in the weight. A final worth 40% can move your grade a long way; a final worth 10% almost cannot move it at all, which is worth knowing before you spend a week on it.
A worked example
You are sitting at 87%. The final is worth 25%. You want an A−, so 90%.
The 75% of the course already graded contributes 87 × 0.75 = 65.25 points. To land on 90 you need 24.75 points from the final, and the final is only worth 25 — so you need 24.75 ÷ 0.25 = 99% on the exam.
That is the useful part. Three points of course grade looked close; it actually required a near-perfect final. Knowing that in week 10 instead of finals week is the entire point of running the number.
What the answer means
- 0 or below — you have already secured the grade. Even a zero on the final leaves you at or above your target.
- 1 to 100 — reachable. This is the score to aim at.
- Over 100 — not reachable from the final alone. Ask about extra credit, a dropped lowest score, or a curve before you write the grade off.
Common questions
What grade do I need on my final?
Take the grade you want, subtract your current grade multiplied by the share of the course that is already graded, then divide by the final's weight. Written out: needed = (target − current × (1 − weight)) ÷ weight. The calculator on this page does exactly that, and tells you when the number it produces is impossible.
Where do I find my current grade and my final's weight?
Your current grade is the running total in your course's grade book. The final exam's weight comes from your syllabus — the grading breakdown that says something like 'Final exam: 30%'. If your syllabus lists weights but your grade book does not apply them, the weighted grade calculator will give you a truer current grade to start from.
Can I still pass if the number comes back over 100?
Not from the final alone. A result above 100% means the grade you want is no longer reachable with a perfect final. Extra credit, a dropped lowest score, or a curve can still change the outcome, so it is worth asking your professor before assuming the grade is fixed.
Does this work if my final is cumulative or replaces a midterm?
Use the weight your syllabus assigns the final in the grading breakdown. If your syllabus says the final can replace a lower midterm score, run the calculation twice — once with the final's own weight, once with the final plus the midterm weight it would take over — and compare.
Is this calculator free?
Yes. There is no account, no email and no limit, and the arithmetic runs in your browser — nothing you type is sent anywhere.