Scores × weights, summed — your real grade when categories count differently
| Course type | Homework | Quizzes | Tests / Midterms | Projects / Essays | Final exam |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math & science (typical) | 20% | 15% | 45% | — | 20% |
| English & history (typical) | 25% | 10% | 25% | 25% | 15% |
| AP courses (typical) | 10% | 15% | 50% | — | 25% |
| Lab science (typical) | 15% | 10% | 40% | 15% (labs) | 20% |
| The classic syllabus example | 20% | — | 30% | — | 50% |
Commonly seen defaults, not rules — weighting varies by teacher, school, and district, and some districts cap final-exam weight (20-25% is a frequent ceiling). The only table that matters is the one in your syllabus; copy it into the calculator above.
| Percentage | Letter | GPA points (unweighted) | Where 82.6-style scores land |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 – 100 | A | 4.0 | 91.1 from the final-exam what-if below |
| 80 – 89.9 | B | 3.0 | 82.6 (the worked example) and 85.7 (the 85% trap) |
| 70 – 79.9 | C | 2.0 | 78.0 — what the final alone contributed in example 1 |
| 60 – 69.9 | D | 1.0 | — |
| Below 60 | F | 0.0 | — |
Schools with plus/minus typically split each band into thirds (B− 80-82.9, B 83-86.9, B+ 87-89.9), so 82.6 is often a B−. Converting letters to a 4.0 average across courses is a different job — that's the GPA calculator.
Most courses don't count every point equally. Your syllabus assigns each category a share of the final grade, and your grade is the weighted sum of how you did in each. This calculator takes any set of (score, weight) pairs and returns the number your teacher's gradebook computes — including the case most students get wrong, where the weights entered so far don't yet total 100%.
Weighted grade = (score₁ × weight₁ + score₂ × weight₂ + …) ÷ 100, when weights total 100. When they total less — because the final isn't graded yet, or you haven't entered every category — the calculator renormalizes: it divides by the total weight entered, giving your standing on completed work. That's the same behavior most gradebooks show mid-semester, and it's why your grade can move so sharply when a heavyweight category lands.
Open your syllabus, find the grading breakdown, and enter one row per category: the name, your current average in it (as a percentage — the GPA scale converter translates letters if that's what you have), and the category's weight. Leave out anything ungraded, or enter a what-if score to game out scenarios. Add rows freely; the calculator handles any count.
The classic scheme: homework 20%, midterms 30%, final 50%. A student sitting at 92 on homework, 84 on midterms, and 78 on the final computes 92 × 0.20 = 18.4, 84 × 0.30 = 25.2, 78 × 0.50 = 39.0. Sum: 82.6%, a B. Notice the final's 78 is a C, but it contributes 39 of the 82.6 points — half the grade rides on the weakest category, which is the whole point of weights.
Now the trap. Mid-semester, the same student has quizzes 90 (25%), tests 81 (35%), and projects 88 (25%) — 85% of the grade defined, 15% ungraded. The correct standing is (90 × 0.25 + 81 × 0.35 + 88 × 0.25) ÷ 0.85 = 72.85 ÷ 0.85 = 85.7%, a B. The naive average (90 + 81 + 88) ÷ 3 = 86.3% reads higher because it weights three equal categories instead of the syllabus's 25/35/25 split. Small error here, but with a 60% test category it compounds.
And the what-if: in the first example, scoring 95 instead of 78 on that 50%-weight final moves the total to 18.4 + 25.2 + 47.5 = 91.1%, an A. If you'd rather solve that backwards — what score do I need for the A? — the final grade calculator does exactly that.
Multiply each category score by its weight as a decimal, then add the results. With homework 92 at 20%, midterms 84 at 30%, and a final 78 at 50%: 92 × 0.20 = 18.4, 84 × 0.30 = 25.2, 78 × 0.50 = 39.0, and 18.4 + 25.2 + 39.0 = 82.6%, which is a B on the standard 10-point scale.
Divide by the total weight entered instead of 100. Scores of 90, 81, and 88 with weights of 25%, 35%, and 25% (85% total) give 72.85 ÷ 0.85 = 85.7%, not the 86.3% you'd get from a naive average. Renormalizing tells you your grade on the work completed so far — the grade the teacher's gradebook usually shows mid-semester.
No. A weighted grade is a percentage inside one course, built from category weights. GPA converts course letter grades to points on a 4.0 scale and averages them across courses, and a weighted GPA adds bonus points for AP, IB, and honors courses. Same word, three different calculators — this page handles the first one.
This tool computes the grade you already have from completed work. A final grade calculator runs the problem backwards: given your current weighted grade and the final's weight, it solves for the score you need to reach a target. Example: standing at 87.2% on homework and midterms (weights 20% + 30%) before a 50%-weight final, an A (90%) needs a 92.8% on the exam.
Points-based grading divides points earned by points possible, so a 200-point test swamps a 10-point quiz. Weighted grading fixes each category's share in advance — homework can be 20% whether it holds 300 points or 3,000. Most US high schools and colleges use weighted categories, which is why the syllabus's weight table matters more than any single assignment's point count.
On the standard 10-point scale, 82.6% is a B (80-89.9). Roughly: A for 90-100, B for 80-89, C for 70-79, D for 60-69, and F below 60. Schools that use plus/minus cutoffs typically split those bands into thirds, so 82.6 usually lands as a B−; check your school's exact scale.