Final Grade Calculator
Find out exactly what score you need on your final exam to hit your target grade. Enter your current grade, the grade you want, and how much the final is worth — the calculator tells you the score you need and whether your goal is still within reach.
How to Use
Enter your current overall grade as a percentage, the final grade you're aiming for, and the weight of the final exam (as a percentage of your total grade). The tool shows the score you need on the final, and flags cases where the target is already locked in or mathematically out of reach.
Why This Tool Is Useful
Before a final, the real question is simple: what do I actually need to score? Working it out by hand means rearranging a weighted-average formula, which is easy to get wrong when you're stressed. This calculator does it instantly, so you know whether you need a 72 or a 95 — and whether it's time to relax or to study hard. It also tells you if your goal is impossible, so you can set a realistic target.
The Formula
Your final grade is a weighted average: (current grade × weight of everything else) + (final score × weight of final). To find the score you need, the tool rearranges this to: required = (target − current × (1 − final weight)) ÷ final weight. You just supply the three numbers and it solves for the final score.
When the Target Is Impossible — or Already Won
If the required score comes out above 100%, your goal can't be reached with the final alone — you'd need extra credit or a lower target. If it comes out at or below 0%, you've already secured the grade and can't drop below it no matter what. The tool highlights both cases so you're not left guessing.
Know Your Weights
The accuracy depends on using the right final-exam weight. Check your syllabus: if the final is 30% of your grade, enter 30. If your course uses points rather than percentages, divide the final's points by the total points for the course to get its weight.
Example: Current Grade 85%, Target 90%
| Final weight | Score needed on final |
|---|---|
| 10% | 135% (impossible) |
| 20% | 110% (impossible) |
| 30% | 101.7% (impossible) |
| 40% | 97.5% |
| 50% | 95% |