Final Grade Calculator
Your average on everything except the final.
From your syllabus. Must be above 0.
The grade you want to end the course with.
Fills the box with a common minimum. Your syllabus wins.
Every letter, one table
For the current grade and final weight entered above, here is the score the final would take to reach each common letter minimum.
| Target letter | Common minimum | Needed on the final | Verdict |
|---|
How the math works
Your course grade is a weighted average of two things: everything you have already done, and the final. If the final is worth W percent, the rest of your work is worth 100−W. So:
needed = (desired − current × (1 − W/100)) ÷ (W/100)
With an 88 average and a final worth 20%: your existing work contributes 88 × 0.8 = 70.4 points. To finish at 90 you need 19.6 more points from a slice worth 0.2 of the course, and 19.6 ÷ 0.2 = 98. A student one letter-grade from their target often needs a near-perfect final — the table above shows why aiming one rung lower can be the realistic play.
Two honest edge cases: when the math says you need more than 100%, the target is out of reach without extra credit, and the calculator says so instead of pretending. When it says 0% or less, the grade is already banked — even a blank final keeps you at or above target.
Questions
What formula does this calculator use?
needed = (desired grade minus current grade times (1 minus weight/100)) divided by (weight/100). With an 88 average and a final worth 20%, hitting 90 takes (90 - 88 x 0.8) / 0.2 = 98 on the final.
What does the not reachable state mean?
The math produced a needed score above 100%. The calculator still shows the exact number, but without extra credit that target grade cannot be reached from where you are.
What does already secured mean?
The needed score is zero or below: even a 0 on the final leaves your course grade at or above the target. The calculator shows the raw number so you can see the margin.
Can it handle a final worth 100% of the grade?
Yes. The weight field accepts anything above 0 up to 100. At 100%, the needed score equals your desired grade exactly, because nothing else counts. A weight of 0 is rejected, since the final could not change your grade.
Does the letter menu change my grading scale?
No. The letter menu only fills the desired-grade box with a common minimum (A = 93, A- = 90, and so on). The percent field is the source of truth, and your syllabus's own scale always wins.