The calculation
Before the final, your current grade covers everything except the final. If the final is worth 25%, your current 84% makes up the other 75% of the class — that's 84 × 0.75 = 63 points of your final grade already banked. The final has to supply the rest:
(80 wanted − 63 banked) ÷ 0.25 = 68.00% on the final
That 63 is also your floor: score zero on the final and you finish at 63.00%. A perfect final takes you to 88.00%. Every target between those is reachable; anything outside isn't.
Every letter at once
Often the real question is "can I still get a B?" — so the table under the result works out each letter on the same inputs. At 84% with a 25% final:
- A (90%): not possible (it would take 108.00%)
- B (80%): 68.00%
- C (70%): 28.00%
- Pass (60%): already safe
"Not possible" and "Already safe" are shown as words on purpose: a needed score above 100% or below zero is correct arithmetic, but it isn't a score you can aim for.
When you just need to pass
Just pass sets the target to the lowest passing grade. That's 60% by default, which is a D− on the common 90/80/70/60 scale, but it isn't universal: some colleges require a C for a class in your major or for a prerequisite, and high schools set their own passing marks. Change it under Passing grade and the button and the table's Pass row both follow. At 62% with a final worth 30%, passing at 60% takes (60 − 43.4) ÷ 0.3 = 55.33%.
Out of reach, or already safe
At 70% with a final worth 20%, a 90% would take 170.00% on the final. The calculator says it isn't reachable and gives the best case instead — 76.00% with a perfect final — so you can set a target you can actually hit. At the other end, at 95% with a 10% final, you can't drop below 85.50% whatever happens, so a target of 60% shows as already safe.
When this formula doesn't fit your class
- Your "current grade" must be the grade without the final. A portal grade from before the final is entered is usually that. If yours already counts the final as a zero, the number will look far too low — use the weighted grade calculator with the final left blank instead.
- The final replaces a test score, or the lowest test is dropped. Then the final changes more than its own weight, and the simple formula undercounts it. Enter each category in the weighted grade calculator and try different final scores.
- You have to pass the final to pass the class. Some courses have this rule regardless of your average. The calculator can't know it — check your syllabus.
- The class is graded by points. Use the weighted grade calculator's points mode and leave the final's earned points blank; it shows how many points you need.
Questions
What grade do I need on my final?
Take your current grade times the share of the class that isn't the final, subtract it from the grade you want, and divide by the final's weight. At 84% with a final worth 25%, finishing the class at 80% needs (80 − 63) ÷ 0.25 = 68.00% on the final.
What do I need on my final to pass?
Press Just pass — it sets the target to your passing grade, 60% unless you change it. At 62% with a 30% final, you'd need 55.33%.
What grade do I need to pass a college class?
Often a D− (60%) for credit, but a class required for your major, or one that's a prerequisite, may need a C or better. Your syllabus or course catalog says which; set Passing grade to match and the calculator uses it everywhere.
What does it mean if I need more than 100% on the final?
That the target is out of reach even with a perfect score. The calculator says so and shows the best you can finish with instead: at 70% with a 20% final, a 90% would need 170.00%, and the most you can reach is 76.00%.
How much can my final change my grade?
Between a zero and a perfect score on it. At 84% with a 25% final, you'll finish somewhere from 63.00% to 88.00%. The bigger the final's weight, the wider that range.