# Grade Calculator

> Your class grade is the weighted average of your scores: homework at 92% (weight 20%), quizzes at 85% (15%), a midterm at 78% (25%) and a project at 95% (15%) give 86.53%, a B, with 25% of the course to go. To finish with 85%, you need 80.4% on the rest.

- Interactive calculator: https://calculatorswithsteps.com/grade-calculator
- Category: Education & Grade Calculators
- Last updated: 2026-11-10
- Publisher: Calculators With Steps (calculatorswithsteps.com)

## How to use the grade calculator

1. Choose whether you'll enter scores as **percentages** or as **points earned and points possible**.
2. For each assignment, test or category, enter the score and its **weight**, the share of the final grade it is worth. Your syllabus lists these, for example "Homework 20%, Midterm 25%".
3. Use **+ Add row** to add more items and ✕ to remove one. Names are optional.
4. Optionally enter the **grade you want** in the class to see the average you need on the work that is left.

To grade by total points with no categories, leave every weight box blank. In percent mode the scores are then averaged equally; in points mode the calculator adds all points earned and divides by all points possible.

## Weighted grade formula

A class grade is a weighted average:

**Current grade = Σ (score × weight) ÷ Σ weight**

Dividing by the weights entered so far, not by 100, gives your grade on the work already graded. When the weights reach 100%, this is your final course grade. With weight W done and a target T, the average you need on the rest is:

**Needed = (T × 100 − Σ (score × weight)) ÷ (100 − W)**

## Worked example

| Item | Score | Weight | Score × weight |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homework | 92% | 20% | 1,840 |
| Quizzes | 85% | 15% | 1,275 |
| Midterm exam | 78% | 25% | 1,950 |
| Project | 95% | 15% | 1,425 |
| **Total** | | **75%** | **6,490** |

Current grade = 6,490 ÷ 75 = **86.53%**, a B on the common scale. A quarter of the course, the final exam, is still to come:

- Scoring 100% on the rest would finish the class at 89.9%.
- Scoring 0% on the rest would leave 64.9%.
- To finish with 85%, you need (8,500 − 6,490) ÷ 25 = 80.4% on the remaining 25%.

For a single exam that makes up the rest of the grade, the [final grade calculator](https://calculatorswithsteps.com/final-grade-calculator) gives the same answer and a table for every letter grade.

## Points-based grading

Many teachers keep a running total of points. Then the grade is simply:

**Grade = total points earned ÷ total points possible × 100**

Using the same work as points: 184/200 on homework, 68/80 on quizzes, 78/100 on the midterm and 57/60 on the project. That adds to 387 out of 440, or **87.95%**. It is higher than the weighted 86.53% because, in points, the midterm is only 100 of the 440 points (about 23%), slightly less than its 25% weight in the weighted version.

## Letter grade scale

This calculator uses a common US plus/minus scale. Schools and teachers set their own cut-offs, so check your syllabus.

| Letter | Percent | Letter | Percent |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A+ | 97–100 | C+ | 77–79.99 |
| A | 93–96.99 | C | 73–76.99 |
| A- | 90–92.99 | C- | 70–72.99 |
| B+ | 87–89.99 | D+ | 67–69.99 |
| B | 83–86.99 | D | 63–66.99 |
| B- | 80–82.99 | D- | 60–62.99 |

Anything below 60% is an F. Some schools skip plus and minus grades and use 90/80/70/60 cut-offs for A, B, C and D. Whether 89.5% rounds up to 90% is up to the teacher.

## Common mistakes

- **Averaging percentages without weights.** The four example scores average 87.5%, more than a point above the true 86.53%.
- **Dividing by 100 too early.** Dividing 6,490 by 100 gives 64.9%, which is the grade only if you score zero on everything left.
- **Mixing points and percentages.** Convert every item to the same form first, or use points mode for all of them.
- **Forgetting dropped scores.** If the lowest quiz is dropped, leave it out.

## Tips

- Turn letter grades from several classes into a GPA with the [GPA calculator](https://calculatorswithsteps.com/gpa-calculator).
- For exam marks out of a total, such as 432 out of 500, the [marks percentage calculator](https://calculatorswithsteps.com/marks-percentage-calculator) shows each subject's percentage too.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I calculate my grade in a class?

Multiply each score by its weight, add the results, and divide by the total weight entered so far. For homework 92% (20%), quizzes 85% (15%), midterm 78% (25%) and project 95% (15%), that is 6,490 ÷ 75 = 86.53%.

### How do I calculate a grade with points instead of weights?

Add up the points you earned and divide by the points possible. 184/200, 68/80, 78/100 and 57/60 make 387 out of 440, which is 87.95%. Leave all the weight boxes blank and choose Points to get this.

### Why is my weighted grade different from the plain average of my scores?

Because heavier categories count more. The four example scores average 87.5% if each counts equally, but the weighted grade is 86.53% because the 78% midterm carries the most weight.

### What do I need on the rest of the class to get a certain grade?

Enter your target in the Grade you want box. In the example, with 75% of the course done at 86.53%, you need 80.4% on the remaining 25% to finish with 85%. An A at 90% would need 100.4%, which isn't possible without extra credit.

### What letter grade is 87%?

On the common US plus/minus scale, 87% to 89.99% is a B+, 83% to 86.99% is a B and 90% to 92.99% is an A-. Your teacher's syllabus may use different cut-offs.

### How do I calculate a grade percentage for one test?

Divide the points you scored by the points possible and multiply by 100. 45 out of 50 is 45 ÷ 50 × 100 = 90%.

### What if my weights don't add up to 100%?

If they add up to less than 100%, the calculator divides by the weight entered so far, which gives your grade on the work done. If they add up to more than 100%, they are treated as relative weights.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia – Academic grading in the United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_grading_in_the_United_States)
- [Wikipedia – Weighted arithmetic mean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weighted_arithmetic_mean)