Average a course from weighted assignments (points, percents, or letters) and see the score you still need on leftover work. The Final tab solves the grade required on a final exam to finish at a target.
Gradebook check: completed work and a what-if goal
Suppose a syllabus has these completed categories:
| Category | Grade | Course weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homework | 92 | 20% | 18.4 |
| Quizzes | 84 | 20% | 16.8 |
| Project | 88 | 25% | 22.0 |
| Completed | 65% | 57.2 |
The current grade on completed work is 57.2 ÷ 65 × 100 = 88.0%. The
calculator normalizes by the 65% entered; it does not count the ungraded 35% as
zero. To finish with 90%, the remaining work must average:
(90 × 100 − 92 × 20 − 84 × 20 − 88 × 25) ÷ 35 = 93.7
Enter the three rows in Course grade, open Final grade planning, set the goal to 90 and the remaining weight to 35. This is a what-if check; the result is only as accurate as the syllabus weights and grades entered.
Letter grades, GPA, and percent ranges
| Letter | GPA | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.3 | 97–100% |
| A | 4.0 | 93–96% |
| A− | 3.7 | 90–92% |
| B+ | 3.3 | 87–89% |
| B | 3.0 | 83–86% |
| B− | 2.7 | 80–82% |
| C+ | 2.3 | 77–79% |
| C | 2.0 | 73–76% |
| C− | 1.7 | 70–72% |
| D+ | 1.3 | 67–69% |
| D | 1.0 | 63–66% |
| D− | 0.7 | 60–62% |
| F | 0 | 0–59% |
Examples
Default mixed course
Homework 1 at 90 (5%), Project at B (20%), and Midterm exam at 88 (20%) include a letter, so 90 becomes A− = 3.7 and 88 becomes B+ = 3.3. The weighted GPA is (3.7×5 + 3.0×20 + 3.3×20) ÷ 45 = 3.21, nearest letter B+. Total weight is 45%.
Numeric course plus remaining work
Quiz 95 at 30% and Exam 80 at 40% average to 86.4 (B). Aiming for 90 with 30% left needs (90×100 − 95×30 − 80×40) ÷ 30 = 98.3 on the remaining tasks.
Final exam needed
Current grade 88, course target 85, final worth 40%: needed = (85 − 88 × 0.60) ÷ 0.40 = 80.5. A current 82, target 85, and 30% final needs 92.0.
Formula
A course average is the weighted mean of the scores you enter:
average = Σ (score × weight) ÷ Σ weight
All-numeric scores stay percents (one decimal) and pick a letter from the table below. Any letter in the list switches the average onto the GPA column (two decimals) and the nearest letter. Remaining-work planning uses each letter's lower percent:
needed = (goal × 100 − Σ current × weight) ÷ weight remaining
A final exam of weight c percent is the same identity solved for the unknown
exam score:
needed final = (target − current × (1 − c ÷ 100)) ÷ (c ÷ 100)
Two letter grades on the Final tab are averaged on the 4.3 GPA scale. If the exam would need more than an A+ (4.3), the result says even an A+ is not enough. Percent targets still show the numeric score, even when it is above 100.
Common gradebook mistakes
- Use course weights from the syllabus rather than the number of assignments unless the instructor uses a points system.
- Do not enter both a category total and its individual assignments; that double-counts the same work.
- Check whether an instructor drops scores, applies extra credit, rounds final grades, or uses a different letter scale. This calculator does not infer those policies.
- A required result above 100 means the stated goal cannot be reached from the entered weights without extra credit or a grading-policy change.
Course grade or overall GPA?
This page combines assessments inside one course. Use the GPA Calculator when you have course grades and credit hours to combine across courses. First confirm your institution’s grade-point scale and treatment of repeated, pass/fail, and ungraded courses.
Plan your final-exam result
The Final tab uses your average before the final, the desired course result and the final's weight. Enter the average of completed work normalized to that completed portion; do not enter a gradebook total that already treats the missing final as zero. With 88% so far, an 85% target and a final worth 40%, the required exam score is (85 − 88 × 0.60) / 0.40 = 80.5%.
The what-if table shows the resulting course average for several exam scores. The minimum and maximum outputs assume 0% and 100% on the final. A required result above 100 is unreachable under that cap. A zero or negative requirement means the target is mathematically secured, but a course may still require attendance or a minimum exam score.
Percentage scores and letter grades
Use numeric percentage scores when your course provides them. The existing letter-grade mode uses this page's listed GPA/percentage mapping; a letter covers a range and your institution's policy may differ. What-if percentage scenarios appear for numeric or mixed percentage calculations, not for the separate both-letter GPA calculation.
If a final is worth 100%, the required score equals the course target. A zero-weight final cannot change the course result and is rejected by the solver. For credit-weighted university modules and year weightings, use the University Grade Calculator.