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45-45-10 grade calculator

Work out a semester grade where each quarter counts 45% and the final exam 10%, and see the exam score you need for an A, B, C or D.

A semester grade combines your quarter grades and the exam using your school’s weights.

Semester = Q1 × W1 + Q2 × W2 + Exam × WE

Quarters, periods or a full year
Score needed for each letter
Type 88, 18/20 or B+
Weight presets

Updated October 13, 2026 · Reviewed by Kyler Bennett

Your semester

Live estimate

Grading structure

Grades and weights

Type 88, 18/20 or a letter like B+. Leave a grade blank if it isn’t in yet.

Weights add up to 100%

Target semester grade

Grade so far

87.5%

So far that is a B, from the 90% of the semester that is graded. Your semester grade will end between 78.75% and 88.75%.

Needed on Final exam
A 90% or more	Out of reach
B 80% or more	12.5%
C 70% or more	Locked in
D 60% or more	Locked in

Needed for 90%112.5% (over 100)

Points locked in78.75

85×45% + 90×45% = 78.75 points so far

Written and reviewed byKyler Bennett

Statistics & Educational Calculator Specialist · Stanford, California, USA

Kyler Bennett contributes to the development and review of educational and statistical calculators at Online Grade Calculators, with a focus on formula accuracy, quantitative reasoning and easy-to-understand results.

Reviewed by Kyler Bennett

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Understand your result

01 / Calculator guide

What 45-45-10 means

In a 45-45-10 semester, quarter 1 and quarter 2 each make up 45% of the grade and the final exam makes up the other 10%. The quarters together are 90% of the grade, so most of it is settled before the exam. The exam can move your grade by at most 10 points: a 0% adds nothing and a 100% adds 10 points.

02 / Calculation method

45-45-10 formula

Semester grade = Q1 × 0.45 + Q2 × 0.45 + Exam × 0.1

Exam needed = (Target − Q1 × 0.45 − Q2 × 0.45) ÷ 0.1

03 / Worked example

Example: 88% and 84% before the exam

The quarters give 88 × 0.45 + 84 × 0.45 = 77.4 points. For a 90% (an A) the exam has to add 12.6 points, so you would need 126%, which is not possible without extra credit. For an 80% (a B) the exam has to add 2.6 points: 26%.

04 / Reference data

Exam score needed for each grade (45-45-10)

Exam score needed for each grade (45-45-10)
Quarter average	A (90%)	B (80%)	C (70%)	D (60%)
95%	45%	Locked in	Locked in	Locked in
90%	90%	Locked in	Locked in	Locked in
85%	Out of reach	35%	Locked in	Locked in
80%	Out of reach	80%	Locked in	Locked in
75%	Out of reach	Out of reach	25%	Locked in
70%	Out of reach	Out of reach	70%	Locked in
65%	Out of reach	Out of reach	Out of reach	15%

05 / Reference data

How much the final exam can move your grade

How much the final exam can move your grade
Quarter average	Exam 0%	Exam 50%	Exam 100%
95%	85.5%	90.5%	95.5%
90%	81%	86%	91%
85%	76.5%	81.5%	86.5%
80%	72%	77%	82%
75%	67.5%	72.5%	77.5%
70%	63%	68%	73%
65%	58.5%	63.5%	68.5%

06 / Calculator guide

Quarter average you need for each grade (45-45-10)

A: possible from a quarter average of 88.89% if you get 100% on the exam. Only a perfect 100% quarter average keeps it safe with a 0 on the exam.
B: possible from a quarter average of 77.78% if you get 100% on the exam. With a quarter average of 88.89% or more it is safe even with a 0 on the exam.
C: possible from a quarter average of 66.67% if you get 100% on the exam. With a quarter average of 77.78% or more it is safe even with a 0 on the exam.
D: possible from a quarter average of 55.56% if you get 100% on the exam. With a quarter average of 66.67% or more it is safe even with a 0 on the exam.

07 / Calculator guide

45-45-10 vs 40-40-20

With 40-40-20, the exam counts 20% instead of 10%, so it can lift or drop your grade by up to 20 points. With 45-45-10, the quarters are 90% of the grade: an A needs a quarter average of at least 88.89% even with a perfect exam (87.5% with 40-40-20), but a bad exam day costs at most 10 points.

08 / Assumptions & limits

Check your school’s rules

Some schools round each quarter grade before combining them, set a minimum exam score to pass, or let students with high grades skip the exam. This calculator uses the exact grades you enter and the standard scale (A 90%, B 80%, C 70%, D 60%). If your quarters do not count equally, change the weights in the calculator.

Key terms explained

Quarter grade: Your percentage grade for one nine-week grading period.
Semester exam: A cumulative exam that counts as a fixed share of the semester grade.
Weight: The percentage of the semester grade that each part contributes.

ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

45-45-10 grade calculator FAQs

How do I calculate a 45-45-10 grade?+

Multiply each quarter grade by 0.45 and the exam score by 0.1, then add them. For example, 88%, 84% and an 80% exam give 77.4 + 8 = 85.4%.

What do I need on my final to get an A with 45-45-10?+

Take 90, subtract 0.45 × each quarter grade, then divide by 0.1. With 90% in both quarters you need 90% on the exam. With a quarter average below 88.89%, an A is out of reach even with 100% on the exam.

Can I fail the final and still pass the semester?+

Yes, if your quarters are strong enough. With 45-45-10, a quarter average of 66.67% or more keeps you at 60% (a D) even with a 0 on the exam, and 77.78% or more keeps a C.

Is 45-45-10 the same as 90/10?+

Yes, when both quarters count the same: 45 + 45 = 90% for the quarters and 10% for the exam. If your school weights the two quarters differently, type your own weights into the calculator.