How Much Do I Need To Get On My Final

Final Grade Calculator

Enter Final Info

I want (at least) this in the class:

Calculator Instructions

In the top part of the form, enter how much your final exam is worth and the grade that you would like to get in the class. For example, your final test might be worth 20% of your overall grade and you want to get at least a 93% in the class. You would enter these numbers into the form.
In the bottom half of the form, enter a description (optional) of the classwork, the grade received for that classwork, and the weight of the classwork. Most class grades are made up of several components such as homework assignments, tests, exams, quizzes, class participation, attendance, etc. For example, a class exam might be worth 10% of your grade and you received a 95% on the test. You would enter those values into the form.
If you need more than four rows, press the "Add Row" button to add an additional line. You can add as many rows as you need.
Once you have finished entering your grades, press the "Calculate" button and the grade you need on the final exam will be displayed.

Final Grade Formula

final grade = ((g_wanted x w_total) - gw) / w_final

Where:

w_total = w₁ + w₂ + w₃ + ... + w_final

w₁ = weight of assignment #1

w_final = weight of final exam

gw = g₁ x w₁ + g₂ x w₂ + g₃ x w₃ + ...

g₁ = grade for assignment #1

g_wanted = grade wanted in the class

Example Calculation

Let's say your class has the following grading plan.

Assignments	Weight
Project #1	10%
Project #2	10%
Quiz #1	20%
Quiz #2	20%
Mid-Term Test	20%
Final Exam	20%

Now let's assume you received the following grades on your classwork.

Assignments	Grade Received
Project #1	91%
Project #2	85%
Quiz #1	75%
Quiz #2	95%
Mid-Term Test	97%
Final Exam	Not Yet Taken

Finally, let's assume that you want to get a 90% in the class. To determine what you need to get on your final exam in order to get a 90% in the class, let's do some math using the formula above.

First add the weight of all the class assignments together including your final:

w_total = 10% + 10% + 20% + 20% + 20% = 100%

Next, multiple the grade you received on each assignment by the weight of the assignment.

gw = (91% x 10%) + (85% x 10%) + (75% x 20%) + (95% x 20%) + (97% x 20%) = 7100%

Now, calculate what you need on the final exam:

final exam grade = ((90% x 100%) - 7100%) / 20% = 95%

This is how you manually calculate your final grade. Of course, you can make your life a little easier using the calculator above!

What if my class grade is based on points rather than percentages?

Let's assume you have the following class syllabus that is based on points.

Assignments	Possible Points
Project	100
Homework #1	100
Homework #2	150
Quiz	200
Mid-Term Test	200
Final Exam	250

Let's assume you received the following grades.

Assignments	Points Earned
Project	91 out 100
Homework #1	85 out of 100
Homework #2	120 out of 150
Quiz	180 out of 200
Mid-Term Test	190 out of 200
Final Exam	Not Yet Taken

To enter these grades in the calculator above, you first need to calculate your grade percentage for each assignment using the following formula:

grade percentage = points earned / possible points x 100

So taking your mid-term test grade as an example, we get the following:

mid-term test = 190 points earned / 200 possible points x 100 = 95%

In the weight column of the calculator, you would enter the possible points for each assignment.

Assuming you wanted to get at least a 90% in the class and your final exam is worth 250 points (i.e.the weight), you would enter the following information into the calculator.

Classwork	Grade	Weight
Project	91%	100
Homework #1	85%	100
Homework #2	80%	150
Quiz	90%	200
Mid-Term Test	95%	200

In this example, you would need to get a 93.6% on your final in order to get a 90% in the class.