What grade do I need on my final?
Enter your current grade, how much the final is worth, and the grade you want to finish with. The calculator tells you exactly what score you need — and whether it's still possible.
Final exam grade calculator
All three fields are required. Check your course syllabus for the final exam weight — it's usually listed as a percentage of your overall grade.
Common scenarios — try one
Click any example to pre-fill the calculator instantly.
How the formula works
Your final course grade is a weighted average of your current grade and your final exam score. The formula works backwards from your target to find the required final score:
Required = (Target − Current × (1 − Final weight ÷ 100)) ÷ (Final weight ÷ 100)
Worked example
Say your current grade is 78%, the final is worth 30% of your overall grade, and you want to finish with 80%:
Required = (80 − 78 × 0.70) ÷ 0.30 = (80 − 54.6) ÷ 0.30 = 84.67%
You would need an 84.67% (roughly a B) on the final to reach 80% overall.
What the edge cases mean
If the calculator returns a score above 100%, your target is mathematically impossible — the work done so far is too low for the final to make up the gap. If it returns a negative number or "already there!", you've locked in your target no matter what you score on the final.
What score do you need for each letter grade?
Standard US letter grade thresholds, for reference when setting your target:
| Letter grade | Minimum percentage | GPA points |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97% | 4.0 |
| A | 93% | 4.0 |
| A− | 90% | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87% | 3.3 |
| B | 83% | 3.0 |
| B− | 80% | 2.7 |
| C+ | 77% | 2.3 |
| C | 73% | 2.0 |
| C− | 70% | 1.7 |
| D+ | 67% | 1.3 |
| D | 60% | 1.0 |
| F | Below 60% | 0.0 |
Frequently asked questions
Enter your current grade, your final's weight, and 60 (or whatever the minimum passing grade is at your school) as the target. The calculator shows exactly what you need. If the result is above 100%, passing is no longer mathematically possible.
An A is typically 93% or above at most US schools. Enter 93 as your target grade and the calculator will tell you what final score you need. For an A−, use 90.
It means your target is no longer achievable — your current grade is too low for even a perfect final to get you there. You would need to either lower your target grade or check with your professor about extra credit options.
It means your current grade is high enough that you've already secured your target, even if you scored 0% on the final. You can still aim to improve your grade, of course — but the pressure is off.
Check your course syllabus — it's usually listed under "grade breakdown" or "assessment weighting". Common values are 20%, 25%, 30%, or 40%. If you can't find it, ask your instructor.
Yes. The formula works for any single weighted exam. Just enter the exam's weight instead of a final weight and the result is the same. Make sure your "current grade" reflects everything graded before that exam.
Yes — completely free, no signup, no ads. All calculations happen instantly in your browser. Nothing is sent to any server.