Grade Calculator

How the weighted grade is calculated

Most courses weight work differently — a final exam might count for 40% of the grade while homework counts for 20%. A weighted average multiplies each score by its weight, adds those products, and divides by the total weight:

weighted grade = Σ(score × weight) ÷ Σ(weight)

Because the formula divides by the total weight, the weights do not have to add up to 100. You can use percentages from your syllabus (20, 30, 50), points possible (50, 100, 200) or simple ratios (1, 1, 2) — the result is the same. That also means you can calculate your current grade partway through a term using only the assignments that have been graded so far.

The letter grade uses a common US scale: A is 90 and above, B is 80–89.99, C is 70–79.99, D is 60–69.99 and F is below 60. Plus and minus grades are not shown because cutoffs vary between schools. The weighted percentage is rounded to two decimals first and that rounded value sets the letter, so 89.995 is shown as 90.00% and earns an A, matching what you see on screen. The 90/80/70/60 cutoffs are only defaults; many schools use different boundaries or round differently, so check your syllabus.

Worked examples

Example 1: homework, midterm and final

Homework 92% (weight 20), midterm 78% (weight 30), final 85% (weight 50). Products: 92×20 = 1,840; 78×30 = 2,340; 85×50 = 4,250. Sum = 8,430. Total weight = 100. Grade: 8,430 ÷ 100 = 84.3% (B).

Example 2: using points as weights

Quiz 18/20 = 90% (weight 20 points), project 170/200 = 85% (weight 200 points). (90×20 + 85×200) ÷ 220 = (1,800 + 17,000) ÷ 220 = 85.45% (B). This matches the total-points method: 188 ÷ 220 = 85.45%.

Example 3: grade so far

Only two items graded: essay 88% (weight 15) and quiz 95% (weight 10). (88×15 + 95×10) ÷ 25 = 2,270 ÷ 25 = 90.8% (A) — your current standing on the 25% of the course completed.

How to read the result

The headline shows your weighted percentage to two decimals and the letter grade. The colored gauge runs from 0 to 100 with bands for F, D, C, B and A, and the black marker shows where you sit, which makes it easy to see how close you are to the next boundary. The total weight is listed too: if it is less than 100 when your syllabus weights sum to 100, the result reflects only the work graded so far.

Planning for a target grade

You can use the calculator to test "what if" scenarios. Enter your known scores, then add a row for the remaining exam with its weight and try different scores until the result reaches your target. For example, with 84% on 60% of the course, scoring 70% on a final worth 40% gives 78.4%, while scoring 95% gives 88.4%. To reach exactly 90% you would need (90×100 − 84×60) ÷ 40 = 99% on the final.

Limits of this calculator

Grading policies differ. Some courses drop the lowest quiz, cap extra credit, use category averages (average all homework first, then weight the category), or round 89.5 up to an A. This tool performs a straight weighted average of the rows you enter. To mirror category weighting, enter one row per category using that category's average — the average calculator can help — and the category weight.

Scores above 100% (extra credit) are allowed; negative scores and weights are not. If every weight is zero there is nothing to average, so the calculator will ask you to add a weight. Grade-point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale uses credits and grade points instead of percentages and is not calculated here. Always check your official grade with your instructor or school portal.

Where weighted grades are used

Almost every high school and college course weights categories differently, and the syllabus usually lists the breakdown — for example homework 15%, quizzes 15%, labs 20%, midterm 20%, final 30%. Professional certifications, job interview scorecards and product comparisons use the same weighted-average idea: each criterion gets a score and a weight reflecting its importance. Entering those criteria as rows in this calculator gives an overall score in the same way.

Common mistakes

Students often average their percentages without weights, which overstates the influence of small assignments. Three quizzes at 100% and one final at 60% average 90% unweighted, but if the final is worth half the course, the weighted grade is (100 × 50 + 60 × 50) ÷ 100 = 80%. Another mistake is entering points earned instead of a percentage score; convert each item to a percentage first (points earned ÷ points possible × 100) and use the points possible as the weight.