How to Calculate Your Final Grade

A weighted final grade multiplies each category's percentage score by its weight, then adds the results.

Final grade = Σ (category score × category weight)

Worked example

Homework: 92%, worth 20%. Midterm: 85%, worth 30%. Final project: 88%, worth 50%.

(92 × 0.20) + (85 × 0.30) + (88 × 0.50) = 18.4 + 25.5 + 44 = 87.9%.

Solving for the score you need on a final exam

If you know your current grade and the final's weight, you can work backward to find the score needed for a target grade:

Required score = (target − current × (1 − final weight)) ÷ final weight

If a current grade of 84% carries a 70% weight and the final is worth 30%, and you want an overall 90%: (90 − 84 × 0.70) ÷ 0.30 = (90 − 58.8) ÷ 0.30 = 104%. Since that's above 100%, a 90% overall isn't reachable in this scenario, and the highest reachable grade with a perfect final is 84 × 0.70 + 100 × 0.30 = 88.8%.

To run this on your own numbers, use the grade calculator.