Grade Needed Calculator

Find out what grade you need on your final exam to reach your target average.

Result

Grade needed on the final

7.00

How it works

needed = (target − current × (1 − w)) ÷ w, where w = exam weight

This calculator answers the exam-season question: what do I need to score to reach my target? It rearranges the weighted-average formula — needed = (target − current × (1 − weight)) ÷ weight — where the weight is the share of the final grade that the remaining exam carries. The weight is what decides everything. With 80% already banked and a final worth only 20%, reaching a target demands an extreme score, because the exam can barely move the average. The same target with a 50% final is far more reachable. A result above the maximum is not a bug but an answer: the target is out of reach through that exam alone. Rather than despair, use the tool in reverse — try realistic scores and read what average each produces, which turns an anxious question into a concrete plan.

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Frequently asked questions

What if the needed grade is above the maximum?

Then your target is not reachable from the final alone — you would need extra credit or to raise your other grades.

What scale does it use?

Any — set Maximum grade to 20 (France), 100 (US %), 6 (Switzerland), etc. The result is on the same scale.

How do I handle exams with different coefficients?

Convert each coefficient into a share of the total. With coefficients 2, 3 and 5, the total is 10, so the last exam's weight is 5 ÷ 10 = 0.5 — enter that as the weight, and the calculation handles the rest.

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