- 1Enter your Current Grade % — your grade in the course before the final.
- 2Enter your Target Grade % — the overall course grade you want to end up with.
- 3Enter the Final Weight % — how much of your final course grade the final exam or assignment counts for.
- 4Read the score you need on the final below, along with whether it is achievable.
The Final Grade Calculator works backward from a target course grade to find the score you need on a remaining final exam or assignment. It treats your Current Grade % as already representing everything except the final, weights it by (100% − Final Weight %), and solves for the final score that would bring the weighted total up to your Target Grade %. It flags the goal as unreachable if the required score comes out above 100%.
The single calculation performed, with Final Weight % expressed as a decimal (Final Weight ÷ 100).
Required Score = (Target Grade − Current Grade × (1 − Final Weight)) ÷ Final WeightDetermines the message shown under the result.
Required Score ≤ 100 → achievable; Required Score > 100 → 'Requires over 100% on the final exam'Required = (90 − 88 × 0.8) ÷ 0.2 = (90 − 70.4) ÷ 0.2 = 98Required = (80 − 75 × 0.7) ÷ 0.3 = (80 − 52.5) ÷ 0.3 ≈ 91.67Required = (95 − 60 × 0.85) ÷ 0.15 = (95 − 51) ÷ 0.15 ≈ 293.33- The model assumes your Current Grade % already reflects everything except the final; it is multiplied by (100% − Final Weight %) and added to the final's contribution.
- Final Weight % must be greater than 0 and no greater than 100, or the calculator returns no result.
- A required score above 100% means the goal is not reachable on the final alone — the tool flags this as 'Requires over 100% on the final exam.'
- A negative or very low required score simply means you have already secured (or comfortably exceeded) your target grade.
- This is a mathematical projection based on the numbers you provide, not an official grade calculation from your institution.
How is the required final exam score calculated?
Required Score = (Target Grade − Current Grade × (1 − Final Weight)) ÷ Final Weight, with Final Weight expressed as a decimal.
What happens if weights don't total 100%?
The calculator only asks for the Final Weight %; it assumes your Current Grade already represents the remaining (100% − Final Weight %) of the course, so there is no separate weight list to add up.
Can I always reach my desired final grade?
Not necessarily. If the required score comes out above 100%, the calculator marks it as 'Requires over 100% on the final exam' — mathematically unreachable on that exam alone.
What if the required score is very low or negative?
It means your current grade already meets or exceeds your target, so you could score low on the final and still reach your goal, mathematically.
Is this an official prediction of my final grade?
No — it is a mathematical projection from the numbers you enter, not a substitute for your institution's own grade calculation.