How a weighted grade is calculated
Most courses don't treat every assignment equally. A syllabus might say homework is worth 20%, quizzes 15%, the midterm 25% and the final 40%. Your course grade multiplies each category's score by its weight and adds them up.
When the weights total 100%, dividing by the total changes nothing and the result is your final grade. When they total less — because the final hasn't happened yet — dividing by the total gives your average on the work that has been graded.
Inputs
- Homework92% · 20%
- Quizzes85% · 15%
- Midterm78% · 25%
Calculation
- 18.4 + 12.75 + 19.5 = 50.65
- Weights total 60%
- 50.65 ÷ 0.60 = 84.42
Result
84.42%
average on graded work
50.65 of 100 points are locked in, with 40% of the course still to come.
- Grade
- your score in a category, as a percentage
- Weight
- that category's share of the course, from the syllabus
- Σ
- add up across all categories entered
Reading your result
If every weight is entered, the number is your course grade. If not, it is your average on the graded part only, and the points locked in line tells you how much of the final grade is already fixed. A student with 50.65 points locked in and 40% of the course left can finish anywhere between 50.65% (scoring zero on everything left) and 90.65% (scoring full marks) — useful for seeing how much is still in play.
Common mistakes
- Averaging the averages. Adding 92, 85 and 78 and dividing by three gives 85 — but that treats a 15% category as if it mattered as much as a 25% one.
- Counting missing work as zero. Leave categories that haven't been graded out entirely instead of typing 0.
- Mixing up weight and points. A 100-point midterm isn't necessarily worth 100%. Check the syllabus for the percentage.
Once you know your current grade and the weight of the final, the final exam calculator tells you the score you need. To combine several courses into a GPA, use the GPA calculator.
Questions
Why does it warn me when the weights don't add up to 100%?
A course grade is built from categories that together make up 100% of the course. If yours add to less, part of the course hasn't been graded yet — we show your average on what's been graded instead of guessing the rest. If they add to more than 100%, something has been entered twice and we won't show a number until it's fixed.
Is my average on graded work the same as my final grade?
Only if you perform at the same level on what's left. It's a snapshot. The “points locked in” line shows how much of the final grade you've already secured no matter what happens next.
My class uses points, not percentages. What do I enter?
Enter each category's percentage (points earned ÷ points possible × 100) and its share of total course points as the weight. Or, if every assignment is simply added up, use the test score calculator on your total points.
Can a grade be above 100%?
Yes, up to 200% here, to allow for extra credit. The result can then go above 100% as well.