What score do I need on my final to pass?
Use your course passing threshold as the target grade. Enter your current average with the final excluded and the final exam weight from your syllabus. The result shows the minimum exam percentage needed; any separate requirement to sit or pass the final still applies.
Final exam grade calculator: how it works
Enter your current average before the final, the course grade you want, and the final exam weight from your syllabus. The required score is the part of your target not yet earned, divided by the final’s share of the course.
How final grades are calculated: the formula
Required final score = (Target − Current × (1 − Weight/100)) ÷ (Weight/100)
Example: an 85% average and a final worth 30%
To finish with 90%, you need (90 − 85 × 0.70) ÷ 0.30 = 101.67% on the final. Without extra credit, that target is out of reach. A perfect final produces 89.5% overall; an 80% final produces 83.5%.
How final exam weight changes the outcome
| Current grade | Target | Final weight | Required final |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85% | 90% | 20% | 110% |
| 85% | 90% | 30% | 101.67% |
| 85% | 90% | 40% | 97.5% |
| 85% | 90% | 50% | 95% |
Use it as a midterm grade calculator
The calculator works for any exam, not just the final. To find the score you need on a midterm, enter your current grade, the grade you want, and the midterm’s weight in place of the final’s. Example: your grade is 82% before the midterm, the midterm is worth 25% of the course, and you want an 85%. You need (85 − 82 × 0.75) ÷ 0.25 = 94% on the midterm. If an 80% is enough, you need (80 − 61.5) ÷ 0.25 = 74%.
Calculate my final grade after the exam
Already sat the final? To calculate your final grade, multiply your grade before the exam by the share of the course already done and add your exam score times the final’s weight. With 85% before a 20% final and 92% on it: 85 × 0.80 + 92 × 0.20 = 86.4%.
Points, weighted and college classes
This is a final grade calculator weighted by the final’s share of the course. If your syllabus lists points instead, the final grade calculator points method is to divide the final’s points by the course’s total points and use that as the weight: a 200-point final in a 1,000-point course is 20%. It works as a college final grade calculator too, because college syllabi state the final exam weight.
When the final counts as one of your tests
Some teachers put the final in the test category instead of giving it its own weight. Then the final changes your test average, not the course grade directly. Example: tests are 40% of the course, you have 4 tests averaging 80%, and everything else (60%) averages 92%. Counting the final as a 5th test, your course grade is 0.6 × 92 + 0.4 × (4 × 80 + final) ÷ 5. To reach an 88% course grade you need 90% on the final; an 85% course grade needs 52.5%. With 100% on the final you finish at 88.8%.
When the lowest test is dropped
If your teacher drops the lowest test, a weak final can be the score that gets dropped. Example: test scores of 62, 84, 88 and 90, tests worth 40%, and the rest of the course at 92%. A 95% on the final replaces the 62, giving 90.9%. A 60% on the final is dropped instead, and you still finish at 87.6%.
Finals with several parts
When a final has parts, such as a written paper and a practical, add the points for every part. A 60-point written paper plus a 40-point practical is a 100-point final. If the calculator says you need 75% on the final, you need 75 of the 100 points. With 34 of 40 already on the practical, you need 75 − 34 = 41 of the 60 points on the written paper.
Use the right current average
A learning-management system may treat an ungraded final as zero or exclude it. This tool expects the average on completed work with the final excluded. It cannot account for mandatory final-exam pass marks, dropped assessments, curves, or discretionary rounding.
Before you plan your revision
- Check the final weight in your syllabus.
- Use unrounded grades if your gradebook provides them.
- Compare a realistic score with the maximum score.
- Confirm whether extra credit or separate passing rules apply.
What grade do I need on my final? (final worth 20%)
| Current grade | For an A (90%) | For a B (80%) | For a C (70%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95% | 70% | 20% | Already secured |
| 90% | 90% | 40% | Already secured |
| 85% | 110% (not possible) | 60% | 10% |
| 80% | 130% (not possible) | 80% | 30% |
| 75% | 150% (not possible) | 100% | 50% |
| 70% | 170% (not possible) | 120% (not possible) | 70% |
What grade do I need on my final? (final worth 30%)
| Current grade | For an A (90%) | For a B (80%) | For a C (70%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95% | 78.33% | 45% | 11.67% |
| 90% | 90% | 56.67% | 23.33% |
| 85% | 101.67% (not possible) | 68.33% | 35% |
| 80% | 113.33% (not possible) | 80% | 46.67% |
| 75% | 125% (not possible) | 91.67% | 58.33% |
| 70% | 136.67% (not possible) | 103.33% (not possible) | 70% |
How much can the final change my grade?
With an 85% average and a final worth 20%, a 0 on the final leaves 68%, a 50% gives 78%, and a perfect 100% lifts you to 88%. The heavier the final, the wider that range: use the weight slider above to compare.
Key terms explained
- Final weight
- The final exam’s share of the course grade.
- Target grade
- The overall course percentage you aim to achieve.
- Banked course points
- The contribution already earned from completed work.
References and calculation notes
These references explain the underlying mathematics or policy context. Use your institution’s or provider’s rules for official decisions.