Test Average Calculator
0 = plain average. Must leave at least one score.
How the math works
The plain average is the sum of your scores divided by how many there are. Drop-the-lowest changes the list before the divide: sort ascending, remove the first N, average the rest.
The starting example — 78, 92, 85, 64, 88 — averages 81.4. Drop the 64 and the remaining four average 85.8: the policy was worth +4.4 points, almost half a letter grade on a common scale. That is why drop-the-lowest is the single most valuable line to find in a syllabus, and why the calculator shows the dropped scores and the gain explicitly instead of just printing the after number.
One honest caveat: this tool models the common case where the category is an equal-weight average of its scores. If your course grades on total points and the dropped test had a different point value than the others, the drop also changes the denominator — that version of the question belongs to the points calculator and your syllabus's exact wording.
Questions
How does the drop-the-lowest mode work?
The scores are sorted from lowest to highest and the first N are removed, then what remains is averaged. The result panel lists exactly which scores were dropped and how many points the drop was worth compared with the plain average.
What happens when two scores tie for lowest?
Only the number you asked to drop is dropped. If you drop 1 and two tests both scored 60, one 60 is removed and the other still counts - the tool never silently drops a whole tie.
Can I drop every score?
No. At least one score has to remain, so the drop count must be smaller than the number of scores you entered. The calculator refuses and says so otherwise.
Does dropping the lowest always help?
It can never hurt a plain average: removing the lowest value always moves the mean up or, when every score is identical, leaves it unchanged. The result shows the gain as a plus figure so you can see what the policy was worth.
My teacher drops the lowest quiz, not the lowest test. Does this apply?
Yes, for any one category averaged with equal weights: enter that category's scores and drop what the syllabus drops. If the dropped item changes category weights or point totals instead, that is a weighted-grade question - the syllabus describes which.