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Weighted Grade Calculator — Category Weights & Grade Needed

Calculate your weighted course grade from category weights and scores, plus the exact score needed on a remaining exam to hit your target grade.

CategoryWeight (%)Score (%, optional)
Total weight: 100%
Weighted Average (65% of course graded so far)
85.38% (B)

You need 98.6% on "Final Exam" to reach your target.

Weighted Average = Σ(Weight × Score) ÷ Σ(Weight) across graded categories. Required score on a remaining category = (Target × 100 − Weighted Average × Graded Weight) ÷ Remaining Weight. Leave a category's score blank to treat it as not yet graded — the "required score" solver only works when exactly one category is still ungraded.
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Reference Values

Last verified:
Category Range What It Means Status
A ★ 90% – 100% Standard 10-point letter grade scale — check your syllabus, since many schools use +/- grading or a different scale. ★ Best
B 80% – 89% Above-average performance on the standard scale. Good
C 70% – 79% Average performance — the most common minimum grade required to pass a course at many schools. Okay
D / F Below 70% D (60–69%) is passing at most schools but below the threshold for many programs; F (below 60%) is failing. Poor

Source: Standard US 10-point letter grade scale (A/B/C/D/F) — individual schools and courses may use +/- grading or different cutoffs; always verify against your specific syllabus

Worked Examples

4 Categories: HW 20%, Quizzes 20%, Midterm 25%, Final 35%

Homework
95% (weight 20%)
Quizzes
85% (weight 20%)
Midterm
78% (weight 25%)
Final
88% (weight 35%)
Weighted Average: 86.3% (B)

(20×95 + 20×85 + 25×78 + 35×88) ÷ 100 = 86.3%. Each category's score is weighted by its share of the final grade, not averaged equally.

Grade Needed on Final: 85.4% Current, Want 90% Overall

Current Average (completed categories)
85.4%
Final Exam Weight
35%
Target Grade
90%
Required score on final: 98.6%

Required = (Goal − Current × (1 − Final Weight)) ÷ Final Weight = (90 − 85.4 × 0.65) ÷ 0.35 ≈ 98.6%. A high final-exam weight means even a strong current average requires a very high final score to meaningfully move the overall grade.

How to Use This Calculator

  1. 1

    Add your grade categories

    Enter each category's name, its weight as a percentage of your final grade, and your score if you have one.

  2. 2

    Leave ungraded categories blank

    If you haven't taken an exam yet, leave its score field empty — the calculator treats it as not yet graded.

  3. 3

    Check your weighted average

    See your current weighted grade based on everything graded so far, with a letter grade equivalent.

  4. 4

    Set a target grade to solve for the required final score

    If exactly one category is ungraded, enter your target overall grade to see exactly what score you need on that remaining category.

What Each Value Means

Weighted Average (percent (%))
The overall grade calculated by weighting each category's score according to its share of the final grade, rather than averaging all scores equally — a 35%-weighted final counts far more than a 5%-weighted homework category.
Required Score (percent (%))
The exact score needed on a single remaining ungraded category to reach a specific target overall grade, calculated algebraically from the current weighted average and the remaining category's weight.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate a weighted grade?
Weighted Grade = Σ(Category Weight × Category Score) ÷ Σ(Category Weight). Multiply each category's score by its weight, add those products together, then divide by the total weight of all graded categories. For example, Homework 20% at 95%, Quizzes 20% at 85%, Midterm 25% at 78%, Final 35% at 88%: (20×95 + 20×85 + 25×78 + 35×88) ÷ 100 = 86.3%.
How do I calculate what score I need on my final exam?
Required Score = (Target Grade × 100 − Current Weighted Average × Weight Already Graded) ÷ Remaining Weight. For example, if you're at 85.4% with 65% of the course graded and want a 90% final grade with the final worth 35%: (90 × 100 − 85.4 × 65) ÷ 35 ≈ 98.6% needed on the final.
Why do my category weights need to add up to 100%?
Category weights represent how much each part of the course counts toward your final grade — if they don't sum to 100%, either some coursework isn't being counted or the weights don't match your actual syllabus. Always double-check your weights against the official syllabus, since a small error (like using 30% instead of 35% for the final) can meaningfully change your calculated result.
What happens if the required score on my final is over 100%?
It means your target grade isn't mathematically achievable even with a perfect score on the remaining category — you'd need to either accept a lower final grade or ask about extra credit opportunities. This is common information to know as early as possible in a course, since it lets you recalibrate your target grade or study strategy well before the final exam.
Can I use this for more than one ungraded category?
The 'required score' solver in this calculator works when exactly one category is still ungraded, since that's a straightforward algebra problem with one unknown. If you have multiple ungraded categories, you'll need to assume a score for all but one of them, or use a spreadsheet with multiple what-if scenarios — this calculator's weighted average still works fine with multiple ungraded categories, just leave the required-score section for a single-unknown scenario.