Exam Score Calculator

The formula is: required exam score = (desired grade - current grade x (1 - exam weight)) / exam weight. For example, if your current grade is 80%, the final exam counts 30%, and you want a 85% final grade: required score = (85 - 80 x 0.70) / 0.30 = (85 - 56) / 0.30 = 29 / 0.30 = 96.67%. Enter these values and the calculator gives you the result instantly.

If the calculator returns a required score above 100%, your current grade is not high enough to reach the desired final grade even with a perfect exam score. You would need to either lower your target grade or check whether there are other assignments remaining that could help (use the missing grade calculator). A required score above 100% is mathematically impossible to achieve.

A required score of 0 or a negative number means your current grade is already high enough that you will reach your target even if you score 0 on the exam. You have effectively already secured the desired final grade. You should still take the exam, as a low score could still pull your grade down.

Yes. This calculator works for any upcoming assessment. Enter your current grade in the course so far (excluding the upcoming assessment), the weight of the upcoming assessment as a percentage of the final grade, and your desired overall grade. The formula is the same regardless of what type of assessment it is.

The exam weight determines how much leverage the exam has over your final grade. A 10% weighted exam can only move your grade by a maximum of 10 percentage points, whereas a 40% weighted final can move your grade by up to 40 percentage points. High-weight exams have a much larger impact on your final grade, which is why knowing exactly what score you need is so valuable.