Grade Needed Calculator
The score you need on what's left.
Reviewed by the Calculation Machine team · Updated 24 October 2026 · How we check our maths
Your values
ⓘ Live results
- Score needed
- 108.7%
- Remaining weight
- 30%
- Achievable?
- Not possible — adjust target
- Max possible grade
- 87.4%
Quick answer
The grade you need on the rest of a course is (target − current grade × share completed) ÷ share remaining. If 60% of the course is graded at an 85% average and you want 80% overall: (80 − 85 × 0.6) ÷ 0.4 = 72.5% on everything left. Over 100% means the target is no longer reachable.
What the Grade Needed calculator does
This calculator works out the average score you need on all the work still to come — remaining tests, projects and the final together — to finish a course at a target grade. You enter your current grade, the percentage of the course weight already graded, and the grade you want; it returns the required average, the remaining weight, and the highest grade still possible.
It is the right tool mid-semester, when several assignments are left and you want one number to aim for. If the only thing left is the final exam, set the weight completed to 100 minus the final's weight (for a 30% final, enter 70) — or use the final grade calculator, which adds what-if scores for the exam.
Weight completed is not the same as time elapsed. Halfway through the term you might have only 30% of the grade recorded if big exams come late, so check your gradebook categories. If your class uses several weighted categories, work out your true current grade with the weighted average calculator first.
The formula
Needed average = (G − C × d) ÷ (1 − d) Max possible = C × d + 100 × (1 − d)
| Symbol | Meaning | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| G | Target overall grade for the course | % |
| C | Current grade on the work already graded | % |
| d | Share of the course weight already graded, as a decimal (70% → 0.70) | — |
| 1 − d | Share of the course weight still to come | — |
This is a weighted average solved for the unknown part, the same arithmetic a gradebook uses. The result is an average across all remaining weight: if a 20% final and a 10% project remain, the needed figure is the weighted average of those two scores, so a strong project lowers what you need on the final. It assumes grades are averaged by weight; it does not model dropped-lowest-score rules, minimum-score-to-pass rules or curves.
Worked examples
Comfortably on track
60% of a course is graded at an 85% average, and the student needs 80% overall to keep a scholarship.
Inputs
- Current grade85 %
- Weight completed60 %
- Target grade80 %
Result
- Score needed72.5%
- Remaining weight40%
- Achievable?Achievable
- Max possible grade91%
An average of 72.5% on the remaining 40% is enough. The best possible finish is 91%, so the student also still has a realistic shot at an A−.
Late in the term, close to the line
80% of the course is graded at 76% and the student wants a B− (80%).
Inputs
- Current grade76 %
- Weight completed80 %
- Target grade80 %
Result
- Score needed96%
- Remaining weight20%
- Achievable?Achievable
- Max possible grade80.8%
The last 20% needs a 96% average — achievable only with near-perfect work, since the ceiling is 80.8%. A 4-point gap costs far more this late than it would have mid-term.
Target out of reach
70% of a course is graded at 82% and the student hopes for 90%.
Inputs
- Current grade82 %
- Weight completed70 %
- Target grade90 %
Result
- Score needed108.7%
- Remaining weight30%
- Achievable?Not possible — adjust target
- Max possible grade87.4%
108.7% would be needed, so 90% is not possible; the maximum is 87.4%. Re-run with a target of 87 to see what a B+ requires.
Why a gap gets harder to close as the term goes on
If your current grade is below your target, the average you need on the remaining work rises sharply as less weight is left. The table shows how far above your target you must score on the remaining work when you are currently 5 points below it.
| Weight completed | Weight remaining | Needed above target |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | 75% | +1.7 points |
| 50% | 50% | +5 points |
| 60% | 40% | +7.5 points |
| 70% | 30% | +11.7 points |
| 80% | 20% | +20 points |
| 90% | 10% | +45 points |
Working out the weight completed
Add up the syllabus weights of every category or assignment that has been fully graded. For example, with Homework 15%, Quizzes 15%, Midterm 25%, Project 15% and Final 30%: once homework, quizzes and the midterm are done, the weight completed is 55%.
- Partly finished categories: if half the homework (worth 15%) is graded, count 7.5%.
- Points-based classes: weight completed = points possible so far ÷ total points in the course.
- Current grade: use the weighted grade on graded work only. A gradebook that counts missing future work as zero will understate it.
To check how your term grades feed into your GPA, the GPA calculator converts letters and credits.
Making a plan from the number
- Under your usual scores: you have slack; focus on not missing assignments, which are the biggest risk.
- A few points above your average: target the heaviest remaining item, since one strong exam moves the average most.
- More than 100%: the target is gone without extra credit or a curve. Lower it a step, or ask whether a retake, replacement or curve policy exists — the grade curve calculator shows how common curves work.
How to use the Grade Needed Calculator
- 1Enter your current grade on the work already graded, as a percentage.
- 2Enter the share of the course weight already graded (from the syllabus weights), as a percentage.
- 3Enter the overall grade you are aiming for.
- 4Read the average you need on the remaining work, the remaining weight, and the maximum grade still possible.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate what grade I need on the rest of the class?
Subtract current grade × completed weight from your target, then divide by the remaining weight. At 78% with half the course done, an 85% target needs (85 − 39) ÷ 0.5 = 92% on the rest.
What grade do I need on my final exam to pass?
Set the weight completed to 100 minus the final's weight and the target to your pass mark. At 65% with a 25% final and a 60% pass mark, you need 45% on the final.
What is the highest grade I can still get?
Assume 100% on everything left: current grade × weight completed + 100 × remaining weight. At 82% with 70% graded, the ceiling is 87.4%.
Does this work for a weighted grading system?
Yes, as long as your current grade is already weighted and the weight completed is the sum of the graded categories' weights.
Why does the calculator say my target is not possible?
Because even 100% on all remaining work would not raise your average to the target. The maximum possible grade shows the best you can still finish with.
References
- Introductory Statistics (measures of the center of the data: the mean and weighted mean) — OpenStax, Rice University
About this calculator
- Built and reviewed by the Calculation Machine team · How we build and test calculators
- Last reviewed: October 24, 2026
- Report an error