Grade Calculator
How the math works
There are two defensible ways to average a stack of graded work, and they disagree more often than students expect.
total points = Σearned ÷ Σpossible × 100 average of percents = mean(earnedᵢ ÷ possibleᵢ × 100)
Take the starting example: 45/50, 8/10, and 27/30. By total points you earned 80 of 90, which is 88.9%. By average of percents the three assignments score 90, 80, and 90, which averages 86.7%. Same work, two point difference — because the total-points method makes the 50-point assignment worth five times the 10-point quiz, while the percent method makes every assignment count equally.
Neither number is wrong. One of them matches your syllabus, and that is the one your course is using. If your course goes further and weights whole categories differently, the weighted grade calculator is the right tool.
Questions
Why does this calculator show two different averages?
Because courses genuinely use two different methods. Total points divides everything you earned by everything possible (sum of earned / sum of possible x 100). Average of percents scores each assignment separately and averages those percents equally. They agree only when every assignment is worth the same points.
Which of the two numbers is my real grade?
Whichever method your syllabus uses. A total-points course uses the first number; an equal-weight course uses the second. If your course weights categories differently (exams worth more than homework), use the weighted grade calculator instead.
Can I enter extra credit?
Yes. Points earned can exceed points possible on any row, so a 12/10 quiz is fine. Points possible must be above 0 on every used row.
How do I enter percent scores instead of points?
Enter the percent as points earned and 100 as points possible. When every row is out of 100, the two methods produce the same number, so either reading is your average.
What happens to empty rows?
Rows with both boxes empty are skipped. A row with only one box filled blocks the result until you complete or clear it, so a half-typed assignment can never silently skew the average.