How It Works

This calculator uses weighted averages to determine exactly what grade you need on your remaining work to hit your target. The formula accounts for how much each component counts towards your final grade.

The calculation is straightforward:

For example, if you have 65% right now and that counts for 60% of your final grade, and you want to finish with 70% overall, you need: (70 – (65 × 0.60)) ÷ 0.40 = 81.25% on your remaining work.

The maths is simple, but students mess it up constantly when doing it manually. That’s why this calculator exists.

Quick Reference: What You Need

Current Grade	Current Weight	Target Grade	Need on Final
60%	60%	70%	85%
65%	70%	70%	86.67%
55%	50%	60%	65%
45%	40%	50%	53.33%
68%	80%	70%	78%

Understanding Weight vs. Grade

Weight and grade are completely different things. Your grade is your actual percentage score. Weight is how much that score counts towards your final result.

Think of it like this. If you score 80% on coursework worth 40% of your module, that coursework contributes 32 percentage points to your final grade (80 × 0.40 = 32). The remaining 60% comes from your exam.

Most students confuse these two. They see “worth 60%” and think that’s their grade. It’s not. It’s just the weighting.

Common Weighting Structures

UK courses typically split grades like this: coursework 40%, exam 60%. Or coursework 30%, exam 70%. Some modules do 50/50. Check your module handbook because this changes everything.

If your lecturer says “this assignment is worth 20%,” they mean it counts for 20% of your final module grade. Your actual mark on that assignment could be 45%, 67%, or 92%. Those are separate numbers.

What If The Result Is Over 100%?

If the calculator shows you need more than 100%, your target is mathematically impossible with your current grade. This happens when you’re too far behind.

For example, if you have 30% on work worth 70% of your grade, you cannot reach 70% overall. Even scoring 100% on the remaining 30% only gets you to 51%.

When this happens, adjust your target downwards or focus on damage control. Passing might be more realistic than chasing a classification that’s out of reach.

What If I Need Less Than 0%?

If the calculator says you need a negative percentage or 0%, you’ve already hit your target. You could literally skip the final and still achieve your desired grade. (Don’t actually do this, but mathematically, you’re safe.)

This usually happens when someone’s doing really well on heavily weighted coursework and just needs to avoid a complete disaster on the exam.

Edge Cases and Tricky Situations

Multiple Assignments Left

If you have multiple pieces of work remaining (two exams, an essay and a presentation), add up all their weights and use the total. The calculator shows what your average needs to be across all remaining work.

For instance, if you have two exams each worth 20%, enter 40% as the remaining weight. The result tells you what you need to average across both exams.

Already Submitted Some Final Work

If you’ve already done part of your final assessment but don’t have the mark yet, you need to estimate. Either predict your score and include it in your current grade, or use this calculator to see what you need if that piece went badly vs. well.

Resit Caps

This calculator doesn’t account for resit caps. If you’re resitting, most UK universities cap your mark at 40%, even if you score 80%. So if the calculator says you need 65% but you’re resitting, you’re capped at 40% regardless.

How University Grading Actually Works

UK universities use percentage marks, not letter grades. The classification boundaries are: First (70%+), 2:1 (60-69%), 2:2 (50-59%), Third (40-49%), and Fail (below 40%).

Each module has its own internal weighting between coursework and exams. Then modules themselves are weighted by credits when calculating your overall degree classification. But this calculator handles individual module grades, not your final degree class.

Module vs. Degree Calculation

This tool is for working out what you need within a single module. If you want to calculate your overall degree classification across multiple modules, that’s a different calculation involving credit-weighted averages.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if my weights don’t add up to 100%?

They must add up to 100%. If your current work is worth 60%, your remaining work must be worth 40%. If the numbers don’t add up, you’ve entered something wrong. Check your module handbook.

Can I use this for A-Levels?

Yes, but A-Level grade boundaries are set after exams by exam boards and vary by paper difficulty. This calculator shows raw percentage scores needed. The actual grade you get depends on grade boundaries, which you won’t know in advance.

What’s a realistic grade to aim for?

If you’re consistently scoring 60-65%, aiming for 75% on a final exam is a stretch but possible. Aiming for 90%+ is unrealistic for most students. Be honest about your typical performance level.

Should I include formative assessments?

No. Only include summative work that counts towards your final module grade. Formative work (practice essays, mock exams, tutorial exercises) doesn’t count. Check what’s actually weighted in your assessment breakdown.

What if I have multiple modules?

Use this calculator separately for each module. Then, if you want to know your overall degree classification, you need to calculate the credit-weighted average across all modules. That’s a different process.

What if the exam is worth more than I thought?

Double-check your module handbook. Exam weightings are fixed at the start of the academic year. If you’ve been assuming 50% but it’s actually 70%, that changes everything. Don’t guess. Confirm the actual split.

When This Calculator Is Most Useful

Students use this right before final exams when they know their coursework grades and want to figure out what exam score keeps them safe, gets them to the next classification, or lets them pass.

It’s also useful when planning study time. If you need 45% to pass and you’re averaging 60% on past papers, you’re probably fine. If you need 88% and you’re averaging 55%, you need serious intervention.

What The Calculator Cannot Do

This doesn’t predict what grade you’ll actually get. It only shows what grade you mathematically need. Whether you can achieve that grade depends on your preparation, the exam difficulty, and a dozen other factors.

It also doesn’t account for scaling, bell curves, or discretionary marks. Some lecturers adjust marks after exams. Some courses have minimum exam score requirements regardless of overall average. Always check your specific course rules.

Understanding The Pass Threshold

In UK universities, 40% is the pass mark for most undergraduate modules. If you need less than 40% on your final to pass overall, you’re in a comfortable position. If you need exactly 40%, you’re cutting it close. Above 50% required means you’re in trouble and need focused effort.

Graduate and postgraduate courses often have higher pass marks (50% or even 60%). Check your programme regulations.

Compensation Rules

Some universities allow compensation, you can fail one module (score 35-39%) and still progress if your other modules are strong enough. This calculator doesn’t handle compensation. It assumes you need to pass this specific module.

How To Use This Information Strategically

Once you know what you need, work backwards. If you need 68% on a final worth 60%, and the exam has five questions worth equal marks, you can afford to partially mess up one question and still hit your target.

Break down your required percentage into the actual exam structure. Knowing “I need 75%” is less useful than knowing “I need to get 4 out of 5 questions solidly right.”

If the required grade is really high, prioritise breadth over depth in revision. You need consistent performance across the whole exam, not perfection on half of it.