Enter your current grade and what the final is worth, and you’ll see the score you need to pass or to land the grade you want. You also get a table for every common target, so you can see what an A, a B or a pass would take.
Enter your numbers
Everything graded so far. Don’t include the final.
Its share of your whole course grade. Add other ungraded work here too.
Total points so far.
What those graded items were worth in total.
Or everything still to come.
If your instructor rounds up, use the rounding line, like 89.5.
Examples from named universities. Your own handbook is the rule.
More options: extra credit, exam minimum, what-if
Use more than 100 if there is extra credit.
Some modules require it. Leave empty if yours doesn’t.
Shows the grade you would finish on.
Everything is worked out in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
The score you need
Your result shows up here once you fill in the boxes above.
What to enter
- Your current grade
- The grade you have on everything that’s been graded so far, as a percentage. It should not include the final.
- How much the final is worth
- The share of your whole course grade the final counts for. It’s in your syllabus. If other work is still ungraded, add its weight to the final’s. The answer is then the average you need across all of it.
- The grade you want
- Type the percentage you want to finish on. If your instructor rounds up, type the rounding line, like 89.5 for an A.
- Points instead of percentages
- If your class counts points, switch to the points option and enter the points you’ve earned, the points possible so far, and what the final is worth.
- Extra credit and exam minimums
- Open More options to set a higher top score if there’s extra credit on the final, or a minimum mark you must get on the exam itself, which some modules require.
A worked example
Two students, same formula, very different answers. These are made-up examples, not real students.
| Student | Current grade | Final worth | Wants | Score needed on the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student A | 78.4% | 35% | 80% | 83.0% |
| Student B | 85.0% | 20% | 90% | Out of reach: needs 110.0% |
Student A has 78.4% on the graded work, which covers 65% of the course, so it has already locked in 51.0 percentage points of the final grade. To finish on 80% the final has to supply the other 29.0. Divide that by the final’s weight of 35% and the answer is 82.97%, which the page rounds up to 83.0%.
Student B is doing better on paper, with 85.0%, but the final is only worth 20%. That leaves 68.0 percentage points locked in, so the final would have to supply 22.0. Divided by 20% that is 110.0%. A perfect score gives 88.0%, so the grade they wanted is out of reach. The smaller the final, the less it can move your grade either way.
| If they score on the final | They finish on |
|---|---|
| 100% | 86.0% |
| 90% | 82.5% |
| 80% | 79.0% |
| 70% | 75.5% |
| 60% | 72.0% |
| 50% | 68.5% |
| 40% | 65.0% |
How the calculation works
- Your graded work already decides part of your grade. Multiply your current grade by the share of the course that’s been graded, which is 100% minus the final’s weight.
- Subtract that from the grade you want. What’s left is what the final has to supply.
- Divide by the final’s weight to turn it into a score on the final.
- If the score is above the highest mark possible, the target is out of reach. If it is zero or less, you are already safe.
Score needed = (grade you want − current grade × (1 − weight of the final)) ÷ weight of the final
What if the score you need is out of reach?
If the page says the score is above the highest mark possible, the target can’t be reached with the marks left. Your options are to aim for the next grade down, which the table on the page shows, to check your syllabus for extra credit or a dropped score, or to ask your instructor how rounding works. The page shows the best grade you can still reach.
Pass marks differ more than you’d think
Pass marks and grade bands are set by each university, and sometimes by each course. Here are four examples. Use them to see how much it varies, then check your own handbook.
| University | Pass mark | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiff University (UK) | 40% for levels 3 to 6, 50% for levels 7 and 8 | Module pass marks |
| UBC (Canada) | 50% in most faculties | D is 50 to 54, F is 0 to 49 |
| ANU (Australia) | 50% | Credit 60, Distinction 70, High Distinction 80 |
| Macquarie University (Australia) | Not checked here | Distinction is 75 to 84, a different band from ANU |
When the exam has its own minimum
Some modules need you to pass the exam as well as the module. Say a student has 90.0% on graded work, the final is worth 30%, the pass mark is 50% and the exam has a minimum of 40%. The grade alone would let them off, since even a zero leaves them on 63.0%. But the exam minimum still applies, so 40% is the number to hit. Enter a minimum in More options and the page does this for you.
Assumptions to keep in mind
- Your grade is a weighted average. If your syllabus drops your lowest score, uses a curve or counts attendance in a way this page cannot see, the real answer can differ.
- Your current grade covers only the work that has been graded. The final and anything else still to come is the remaining share.
- The score you need is rounded up to one decimal, so you don’t land just under it.
- The A, B, C and D rows use the 90, 80, 70 and 60 cut-offs that many syllabi use. They are a default. Type your own target if your syllabus differs.
- Pass marks in the list are examples from named universities. Your own module or course sets the rule, so check it.
Mistakes that throw the answer off
Counting the final in your current grade
Your current grade should cover only what’s been graded. If it already includes a score for the final, the final gets counted twice and the answer comes out too low.
Using the final’s weight inside its own category
If tests are worth 40% and the final is half of that, the final is worth 20% of your grade, not 50%. Enter its share of the whole course.
Forgetting other work that is still ungraded
A paper you haven’t had back or a quiz after this one also shares the remaining weight. Add everything still to come into the weight and read the answer as the average you need across all of it.
Assuming an A starts at 90 everywhere
Many US syllabi use 90, but UBC lists an A as 85 to 89 and an A+ as 90 to 100, and Australian universities use bands like High Distinction. Use your own syllabus for the target.
Missing an exam minimum
Some modules say you must pass the exam as well as the module. In that case a comfortable overall grade is not enough. Use the minimum exam mark box to check.
Questions students ask
What do I need on my final to pass?
Pick your pass mark and the page shows the score you need. At Cardiff, UK undergraduate modules pass at 40% and taught postgraduate modules at 50%, and UBC in Canada and ANU in Australia both pass at 50%. Your own syllabus or module handbook is the rule, so type your pass mark in as the target if it differs.
How do I find out how much my final is worth?
Check your syllabus or course page. If it lists points instead, divide the final’s points by the total points for the course. Or switch to the points option here and enter the points, and it does the sum for you.
What if the score I need is over 100%?
Then the target is out of reach with the marks left, and the page says so and shows the best you can reach. Check your syllabus for extra credit or a dropped score, and use the extra credit box if the final has bonus marks.
My instructor rounds up. How do I allow for that?
Type the rounding line as your target. If 89.5 rounds up to an A, enter 89.5 instead of 90. Only do this if your instructor has said they round.
What if I only know my letter grade?
Use the percentage your syllabus gives for that letter, or the middle of its range, as your current grade. It will be an estimate. Your gradebook usually shows the exact percentage, so use that if you can.
