How it's calculated
Your current grade reflects the coursework already graded. The final exam is the remaining part of your course grade accounted for by this calculator, so you can work backward from your target to find the grade you need on the exam.
Required Exam Grade = (Target Grade − Current Grade × (1 − Exam Weight)) ÷ Exam Weight Current Grade: 87% Target Grade: 90% Final Exam Weight: 40% (90 − 87 × 0.60) ÷ 0.40 = 94.5% With the final exam worth 40% of the course, everything else already graded makes up the other 60% — and at 87%, that portion alone is contributing 52.2 percentage points toward the final grade. Reaching 90% overall means the final exam itself needs to score 94.5%.
Understanding the result
The result is the percentage you would need to score on the final exam to reach your target course grade. The calculation uses your current grade as the average for coursework already completed and the final exam weight as its share of the overall course grade.
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean if the required grade is higher than 100%?
It means the calculation requires a final exam grade above 100% to reach the target based on the values entered. The result reflects the mathematical requirement using your current grade and final exam weight.
What counts as "Final Exam Weight"?
The percentage of your total course grade the final exam itself is worth — check your syllabus if you're not sure. This calculator doesn't need to know about your individual assignments, just your current grade on everything else and how much the final counts for.
How is this different from the Grade Calculator?
The Grade Calculator calculates your current grade from individual assignments and their weights. This calculator starts with your current grade and works backward to determine the final exam grade needed to reach your target.