A Final Grade Calculator
A final grade is two numbers and a weighting, and the weighting is where every mistake happens.
Final grade
88.80%
- Points contributed by the exam
- 18.40%
Values update as you type. This calculator covers the single scenario its formula assumes — see Common Mistakes for what it leaves out.
The formula this calculator uses
final grade = current average x current weight + exam score x exam weight
- FG
- Final grade for the course, as a decimal
- CA
- Current average before the exam, as a decimal
- W
- Share of the grade already earned, as a decimal
- FE
- Exam score, as a decimal
How to check the result by hand
- 1
Read the weighting from the syllabus
Find what share of the grade is already earned. Everything not yet assessed is the remainder, and the two shares must add to one.
- 2
Compute the current average on the right scores
If the syllabus drops the lowest quiz, drop it here too. Using scores that do not count is the quietest way to get the wrong final grade.
- 3
Weight the current average
An 88 percent average worth 80 percent contributes 70.4 points. This part of the final grade is already fixed and cannot be changed.
- 4
Weight the exam score
A 92 percent exam worth 20 percent contributes 18.4 points. This is the only part still in play.
- 5
Add the two contributions
70.4 plus 18.4 is 88.8 percent. The final grade always lands between the current average and the exam score.
For worked examples, common mistakes and the limits of this formula, read the full How To Calculate A Final Grade page.