How to Find the Final Exam Score You Need for Your Target Grade

Before finals, one question matters most: what score do I need? The answer comes from a short formula.

The formula

Needed score = (Target grade – Current grade x (1 – Exam weight)) / Exam weight

Write the exam weight as a decimal. If the final is worth 40 percent, use 0.4.

Example

Your current grade is 75 percent, you want 80 percent, and the final is worth 40 percent.

Current grade x 0.6 = 45. Target minus 45 = 35. Then 35 / 0.4 = 87.5%. You need about 88 percent in the final.

What if the answer is above 100?

Then the target cannot be reached with the final alone. Pick a lower target, or talk to your teacher about extra credit.

Plug in your own numbers in the Final Grade Calculator.