Turn any raw score into a percentage, letter grade, and GPA
Enter the points possible on any test and get a grading key for every score. No more long division at the podium.
| Score | Percentage | Letter |
|---|
| Percentage | Letter (10-pt, +/−) | GPA (4.0 scale) |
|---|---|---|
| 97 – 100% | A+ | 4.0 |
| 93 – 96.9% | A | 4.0 |
| 90 – 92.9% | A− | 3.7 |
| 87 – 89.9% | B+ | 3.3 |
| 83 – 86.9% | B | 3.0 |
| 80 – 82.9% | B− | 2.7 |
| 77 – 79.9% | C+ | 2.3 |
| 73 – 76.9% | C | 2.0 |
| 70 – 72.9% | C− | 1.7 |
| 67 – 69.9% | D+ | 1.3 |
| 63 – 66.9% | D | 1.0 |
| 60 – 62.9% | D− | 0.7 |
| Below 60% | F | 0.0 |
This is the most common US scale, but cutoffs vary. Many high schools use a plain 10-point scale (90 A, 80 B, 70 C, 60 D), and some districts grade on a 7-point scale where an A starts at 93. Your syllabus always wins.
Grading a test by hand is one division problem per student. This calculator does the division, converts it to a letter grade on the scale you pick, and then answers the two follow-up questions every student actually has: what letter is that, and how close was I to the next one up?
Percentage = points earned ÷ points possible × 100. The percentage then maps onto a letter scale. For "how many points for the next letter up," the calculator multiplies the next band's cutoff by points possible and rounds up — that's the smallest whole-point score that clears the bar.
Type in your points earned and points possible, pick the scale your class uses, and read the result. Teachers can scroll to the quick-grade table, set the points possible once, and keep the grading key open while they mark. It works for quizzes, homework, midterms — anything scored in points.
Take 21 out of 30. The division is 21 ÷ 30 = 0.70, so the percentage is 70%. On the 10-point scale with plus/minus grades, 70% lands at the bottom of the C− band (70–72.9%), worth 1.7 GPA points.
Now the follow-up. To reach a C at 73%, you'd need 73% × 30 = 21.9 points, which rounds up to 22 — one more point buys a whole letter step, since 22/30 = 73.3%. A B− at 80% takes 24 points, and a B at 83% takes 25 (24.9 rounded up). Another common one: 18 out of 25 is 72%, also a C−, and 45 out of 50 is exactly 90%, an A−.
21 out of 30 is 70%, which is a C- on the standard 10-point scale (C- covers 70-72.9%). On a simple letter scale without plus/minus grades it's a C. To reach a solid C (73%) you'd need 22 out of 30, and a B- (80%) takes 24 out of 30.
Divide the points you earned by the points possible and multiply by 100. For example, 18 out of 25 is 18 ÷ 25 × 100 = 72%. That percentage maps to a letter grade using your class's grading scale, most commonly the 10-point scale where 90-100 is an A, 80-89 a B, 70-79 a C, and 60-69 a D.
Multiply the cutoff percentage by the points possible and round up. If you have 21 out of 30 (70%, a C-) and want a C at 73%, you need 73% × 30 = 21.9, rounded up to 22 points, which scores 73.3%. The calculator shows this gap for every letter band automatically.
On the 10-point scale, 60% (a D) is technically passing in most high school and college classes, but many programs require a C or better (70%) for credit toward a major, and degree-specific courses often require higher. Always check your syllabus, because cutoffs vary by school and by teacher.
With plus/minus grading, 70-72.9% is a C-, so exactly 70% is a C-. Without plus/minus grading, anything from 70-79.9% is a plain C. The GPA difference is real: a C- is usually 1.7 while a C is 2.0 on the 4.0 scale.