Type the points you earned and the points possible, and you’ll get your percentage and letter grade. Add extra credit, change the cut-offs to match your teacher’s, and see how many points you could lose and still keep each grade.
Enter your test score
The most the test was worth, not counting extra credit.
Or fill in the points you lost instead.
Use this if your paper shows what you got wrong.
Bonus points added on top of your score.
More options: grade cut-offs
The lowest percentage for each letter. Change them if your teacher’s are different.
Everything is worked out in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Your test grade
Your result shows up here once you fill in the boxes above.
What to enter
- Points possible
- The most you could get on the test, not counting extra credit. A test with 40 one-point questions has 40 points possible.
- Points earned or points lost
- Fill in whichever you know. If your paper shows what you got wrong, use points lost. If you fill in both, they should add up to the points possible.
- Extra credit
- Bonus points that count on top of your score. They can push you past 100%, and they can lift you to the next letter.
- Grade cut-offs
- Open More options if your teacher uses different cut-offs. They start at 90 for an A, 80 for a B, 70 for a C and 60 for a D.
A worked example
Two examples. These are made up, so check your own numbers.
| Example | Points | Percentage | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A quiz with 2 extra credit points | 33 / 36 | 91.67% | A |
| A quiz without it | 31 / 36 | 86.11% | B |
| A test | 34 / 40 | 85.00% | B |
On the quiz, 31 out of 36 is 31 ÷ 36 × 100 = 86.11%, a B. The 2 extra credit points make it 33 out of 36, which is 91.67%, and that tips it over the 90% line into an A. That is why the extra credit box matters. It can change your letter as well as your number.
How many points can you lose and still keep a grade?
Now the test. 34 out of 40 is 85.00%, a B. The table the page builds shows what each grade needs. An A needs 36 points, so you could lose up to 4. The B line needs 32, so you could lose up to 8. This student lost 6, which is 2 more than an A allows, so they are 2 points short of it.
From a percentage to a letter grade
A percentage turns into a letter by comparing it with the cut-offs your teacher uses. The page starts with the most common ones and lets you change them.
| Letter | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A | 90% and above |
| B | 80% to under 90% |
| C | 70% to under 80% |
| D | 60% to under 70% |
| F | Under 60% |
| Percentage | Letter |
|---|---|
| 95% | A |
| 89.9% | B |
| 83% | B |
| 72% | C |
| 65% | D |
| 55% | F |
Notice 89.9%. It rounds to 90, but it is a B on a 90 cut-off, because the letter uses the exact percentage. If your teacher rounds up, ask, because it changes the grade. Change the cut-offs in the form if your teacher’s are different, for example if an A starts at 93.
How a test percentage is calculated
- Divide the points you earned by the points possible.
- Multiply by 100 to get a percentage.
- Compare the percentage with your cut-offs. At or above the A cut-off is an A, at or above the B cut-off is a B, and so on.
- For points you can lose, take the points possible, multiply by the cut-off as a decimal, and subtract that from the points possible.
Percentage = points earned ÷ points possible × 100
Assumptions to keep in mind
- The letter uses the exact percentage. 89.9% is a B on a 90 cut-off, even though it rounds to 90. Some teachers round up, so ask if you are close.
- The cut-offs are the 90, 80, 70, 60 many schools use. They are a default, not a rule. Change them if your teacher posted different ones.
- Plus and minus grades are not included. If your school uses them, use the percentage and check your syllabus for the bands.
- Every question is worth the points you enter. If some questions are weighted differently, enter total points, not the number of questions.
- Extra credit is added to your points earned. If your teacher counts it differently, such as only toward a different category, use the percentage without it.
Mistakes that throw a test grade off
Counting questions when they are worth different points
A 20 question test where five questions are worth 2 points isn’t 20 points. Add up the points to get the points possible, or the percentage will be wrong.
Putting extra credit into points earned
If you put bonus points in points earned, the calculator tells you that you earned more than the test had. Use the extra credit box so the percentage can go past 100% when it should.
Reading 89.9% as an A
A cut-off is a line. 89.9% is under 90 until your teacher says it rounds. The points-short figure tells you how close you are, so you know whether it’s worth asking.
Using the wrong cut-offs
If your teacher’s A starts at 93 or at 85, the default letter will be wrong. Change the cut-offs, because the letter is only as good as the scale behind it.
Assuming one test is your whole grade
A test is usually only a part of a course. To see how it changes your class grade, use the grade calculator with the test’s weight.
Questions students ask
How do I calculate my test score as a percentage?
Divide the points you earned by the points possible and multiply by 100. For 34 out of 40 that is 34 ÷ 40 × 100 = 85%. Type the two numbers above and the page does it and shows the letter.
What grade is 31 out of 36?
It’s 86.1%, which is a B on the 90, 80, 70, 60 cut-offs. Two points of extra credit would make it 33 out of 36, which is 91.7%, an A.
How many points can I miss and still get an A?
Take the points possible, multiply by the A cut-off as a decimal, and subtract from the points possible. On a 40 point test with an A at 90, you need 36 points, so you can lose 4. The table under your result does this for every grade.
Does extra credit count toward my percentage?
On this page it does. It’s added to your points earned and the percentage can pass 100%. Whether your teacher counts it that way, or caps the grade at 100%, is their call, so check.
How do I find out how this test changes my class grade?
Use the grade calculator. Enter this test’s score and its weight along with your other work, and it shows your grade for the whole class.
