How to Calculate Your Final Grade (With Examples)

Your final grade is the one that goes on your report card or transcript. It's built from everything you did in the class, and in most classes the final exam is a big piece of it. Here's how to calculate your final grade by hand, step by step, so you know exactly where you stand.

What "final grade" means

People use "final grade" in two ways:

• Your final course grade. The overall grade for the whole class once everything is in.
• The grade you need on the final exam. The score that gets you the course grade you want.

This guide covers both. If you just want the answer, the final grade calculator does it in a few seconds.

Step 1: Find out how much the final is worth

Check your syllabus. You're looking for something like "Final exam: 20%" or "Final exam: 200 points." That number tells you which method to use:

• A percentage means your class uses weighted grades.
• A point value means your class adds up total points.

Step 2a: Final grade in a weighted class

Use this formula:

Final grade = (current grade × (100 − final weight) + final exam score × final weight) ÷ 100

Example. You have an 85% in the class and the final is worth 20%. You score 78% on the final.

• 85 × 80 = 6,800
• 78 × 20 = 1,560
• (6,800 + 1,560) ÷ 100 = 83.6%, a B.

Your grade dropped a little because you scored below your current grade on the final. If you had scored above 85%, it would have gone up.

Step 2b: Final grade in a points class

Add up every point you earned, including the final, and divide by every point possible.

Example. Before the final you have 640 out of 750 points. The final is worth 250 points and you score 210.

• Points earned: 640 + 210 = 850
• Points possible: 750 + 250 = 1,000
• 850 ÷ 1,000 = 85%, a B.

How to work out what you need on the final

Flip the formula around:

Score needed = (target grade × 100 − current grade × (100 − final weight)) ÷ final weight

Example. You have an 87% and want a 90% in the class. The final is worth 25%.

• 90 × 100 = 9,000
• 87 × 75 = 6,525
• (9,000 − 6,525) ÷ 25 = 99%

That's a tough target. It helps to know this early, so you can plan your studying or decide that a solid B+ is the realistic goal.

Quick tips

• Use your real current grade. Take it from your school portal, not from memory.
• Check that the final isn't already counted. Some portals show the final as a zero before you take it, which makes your grade look lower than it is.
• Ask about rounding. Many teachers round an 89.5% up to a 90%, but not all of them do.
• Remember that the final can't save everything. If the final is only worth 10%, even a perfect score moves your grade by a few points at most.

Try it with your own numbers

Plug your current grade, the final's weight and your goal into the final grade calculator. If your class has several categories, start with the weighted grade calculator to get your current grade. To combine quarter grades with a semester exam, use the semester grade calculator.