Final Grade Calculator
"What do I need on my final?" — reverse-calculate the required score to hit your target, or project your overall grade from an expected final.
What I Need · Solve for the score you need on the final to hit a target overall grade. Use this before the exam, when planning how hard to study.
Inputs
%
% of overall
%
Try a "What I Need" example:
Answer
Score needed on final
101.67%
Achievable without extra credit?
No
Interpretation
- A score above 100% would be required on the final. Not achievable without extra credit. You'd need 101.67%.
Show your work
Given
- c = 85%
- w = 30% of overall
- t = 90%
- Weight of everything else(100 − 30)% = 70% of overall= = 0.7 as a fraction
- Locked-in contribution from current gradec × (1 − w/100) = 85 × 0.7= 59.5%
- Solve for required final scoref = (t − locked-in) / (w/100) = (90 − 59.5) / 0.3= 101.67%
Required score on final
Requires extra credit
f = 101.67%
How the final grade calculator works
Your overall course grade is a weighted average of your pre-final work and your final exam. If your current grade going into the final is C, the final is worth w% of the course, and your final score is F, then:
Overall = C × (1 − w/100) + F × (w/100)
Required mode solves that equation for F given a target overall grade T:
Required F = (T − C × (1 − w/100)) ÷ (w/100)
If the required score is above 100, the target can only be hit with extra credit. If it is below 0, you have already secured the target regardless of the final.
Two modes you'll actually use
- Required score (target mode) — the classic "what do I need on my final?" question. Enter your current grade, the final's weight, and your target overall grade.
- Projection mode — enter an expected final exam score instead, and see what your overall grade will land at. Useful after you've taken the final but before grades are posted.
Reading the interpretation note
- Already secured — required score is at or below 0. You can walk into the exam, score a zero, and still hit the target.
- Low bar — required score is 0–60. Even a weak final keeps you at target.
- Comfortable — required score is 60–90. Reachable with normal prep.
- Tight — required score is 90–100. Doable, but leaves no room for mistakes.
- Needs extra credit — required score is above 100. Target is only reachable if the class offers extra-credit opportunities on the final.
Common pitfalls
- Final weight vs. grade weight — enter the weight of the final exam (e.g., 30%), not the weight of all remaining work. If your syllabus says the final is 30%, use 30.
- Current grade = pre-final average — use your current weighted average excluding the final. If the syllabus already bakes the final into the published grade, the calculator's logic will be off.
- Curved courses — if your course is curved, the "target" is the raw score needed before the curve. The curve is applied after.