CalcKitWhat-If Grade Calculator
Your grades
Final grade = current grade × (1 − final weight) + final exam score × final weight.
Example: current grade 83%, final exam worth 30%, want 85% overall → you need 89.7% on the final. Score 95% on that final instead and your final grade is 86.6%.
Behind the numbers
How the what-if grade is calculated
Your final grade is a weighted average: the part of the course already finished counts for everything except the final exam weight, and the final exam counts for the rest. If the final is worth 30%, your current grade counts for 70% and the exam for 30%. Solving the same equation backwards gives the exam score you need for any target grade.
Worked example, required score: final needed = (85 − 83 × 0.70) ÷ 0.30 = (85 − 58.1) ÷ 0.30 = 26.9 ÷ 0.30 = 89.7%. Worked example, projected grade: 83 × 0.70 + 95 × 0.30 = 58.1 + 28.5 = 86.6%.
A few comparisons
Example what-if grades
| Current grade | Final weight | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 83% | 30% | Need for 85% overall | 89.7% on the final |
| 83% | 30% | Score 95% on the final | 86.6% final grade |
| 90% | 20% | Need for 92% overall | 100.0% on the final |
| 70% | 40% | Score 80% on the final | 74.0% final grade |
| 78% | 25% | Need for 80% overall | 86.0% on the final |
Using the result well
A heavy final moves the needle most: with a 40% final, every 10 points on the exam moves your final grade by 4 points.
If the required score is above 100%, the target is out of reach — lower the target or raise your current grade before the final.
If the required score is below your usual exam scores, you have room: work out the lowest exam score that still keeps the grade you want.
Check whether your teacher drops the lowest grade or curves the final — either changes the weight, and this calculator assumes the weight you enter is exact.
Good to know
Your what-if grade questions, answered.
What score do I need on the final to get the grade I want?
Use the required-score mode: with a current grade of 83% and a final worth 30%, wanting an 85% final grade means you need 89.7% on the final. The formula is (desired grade minus current grade times the non-final weight) divided by the final weight.
How do I project my final grade from an expected exam score?
Switch the solve-for option to projected final grade and enter the score you expect. With a current grade of 83% and a final worth 30%, scoring 95% on the final gives 83 times 0.70 plus 95 times 0.30, which is 86.6%.
What if the required score is over 100%?
Then the target cannot be reached, even with a perfect final. For example, a current grade of 90% with a final worth 20% needs exactly 100% for a 92% — any higher target is impossible, so the calculator shows the number above 100% and you know to aim lower or raise the current grade first.
Does this work with letter grades too?
Convert the letter grade to a percentage first, using your school's scale — for example an 87% is usually a B+. Then enter that percentage as the current grade. The calculator works in percentages throughout, so the final exam score it gives is a percentage too.