How to Calculate Your Final Grade (Step by Step, With Examples)

Your final grade is not a mystery number your teacher invents. In almost every school and college it is a weighted average: each part of the class counts for a set share of your grade, and those shares add up to 100%. Once you know the weights, you can work out your grade by hand in a couple of minutes, and you can work backwards to find exactly what you need on the final exam.

If you just want the answer, use our final grade calculator. If you want to understand the math, or check your teacher’s gradebook, read on.

Step 1: Find the weights in your syllabus

Look for a section called “Grading”, “Assessment” or “Evaluation”. You will usually see something like this:

If your class uses points instead (for example “homework 200 points, final 200 points”), skip to the points method below.

Step 2: Average each category

Within each category, average your scores. If your three quizzes were 80%, 85% and 87%, your quiz average is (80 + 85 + 87) ÷ 3 = 84%. Most online gradebooks show these category averages for you.

Step 3: Multiply by the weights and add up

Multiply each category average by its weight (as a decimal), then add the results.

That is it: 18.4 + 12.6 + 19.5 + 13.2 + 20 = 83.7%, a B on a standard US scale.

Before the final: what is my grade right now?

Before you take the final, add up the contributions you have so far and divide by the total weight completed. Here: (18.4 + 12.6 + 19.5 + 13.2) ÷ 0.75 = 63.7 ÷ 0.75 = 84.9%. This is the “current grade” your gradebook shows.

Working backwards: what do I need on the final?

Rearrange the same idea. Whatever is not the final already counts for (1 − final weight) of your grade.

Needed on final = (Target − Current × (1 − Final weight)) ÷ Final weight

Using the example above (current 84.9%, final worth 25%):

• For an 80% (B): (80 − 84.9 × 0.75) ÷ 0.25 = (80 − 63.7) ÷ 0.25 = 65.2%
• For a 70% (C): (70 − 63.7) ÷ 0.25 = 25.2%
• For a 90% (A): (90 − 63.7) ÷ 0.25 = 105.2%, which is not possible

The points method

If your class is graded on points, your grade is simply total points earned ÷ total points possible.

1. Add up the points you have earned so far, for example 425.
2. Add up the points possible so far, for example 500 (so you have 85%).
3. Add the final exam’s points to get the course total: 500 + 200 = 700.
4. Multiply the course total by your target: 700 × 0.80 = 560 points for a B.
5. Subtract what you already have: 560 − 425 = 135 points needed on the final, or 67.5%.

Semester grades with quarters and a final

Many high schools calculate a semester grade as two quarter grades plus a final exam. Common splits are 40/40/20 and 45/45/10.

How final grades are calculated in high school, college and university

• US high schools usually weight the final exam at 10–25% of the semester. Some districts set this for every school.
• Ontario high schools follow the province’s Growing Success policy: 70% of the final mark comes from work during the course and 30% from a final evaluation (an exam, a culminating task, or both).
• Colleges and universities often weight finals at 25–50%. Some courses let a strong final replace a weak midterm. Always read the course outline.

Common mistakes

• Averaging categories equally. A 100% on homework worth 10% does not balance a 60% on a midterm worth 30%.
• Using the letter instead of the percentage. A “B” could be 80% or 89%; use the number.
• Forgetting dropped scores. Some teachers drop the lowest quiz.
• Assuming rounding. 89.5% may or may not become an A. Ask your teacher.

Final word

Knowing exactly what you need takes the panic out of finals week. If you need 55%, you can spread your revision calmly. If you need 98%, it may be smarter to secure the grade below. Either way, it helps to know early. Our final grade calculator does every method above in one place, with US and Canadian grading scales built in.