Final grade calculator
Enter your current grade, how much the final counts, and the grade you want. You get the score you need on the final, plus what every possible score does to your course grade.
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How the calculation works
The final is worth some share of your grade, and the rest is already decided. If the final is worth 20%, 80% of your grade is set before you walk in. So the calculator does not average your current grade with the final. It works out how much of your target the finished work already covers and asks the final to cover the rest.
needed = (target − current × (1 − w)) / w
Here w is the final’s weight as a decimal, so 20% is 0.20.
An example. You have 88%, the final is worth 20%, and you want 90%, an A- on a common syllabus scale. Locked in: 88 × 0.80 = 70.4. Needed: (90 − 70.4) / 0.20 = 98. You need 98%. A perfect final finishes at 90.4%, and a zero finishes at 70.4%.
Required scores are rounded up to the next hundredth, never down, so you are never told a score is enough when it falls a fraction short.
When the answer is over 100% or below 0
Over 100% means the grade is out of reach on the final alone. The calculator then shows where a perfect final would put you and the best letter still possible, which is usually the more useful number. Below 0 means the grade is locked in: even a zero on the final does not take you under your target. Check your syllabus for a minimum score on the final before you relax.
If your class uses points
In a total-points course, the points you need are the target times the course’s total points, minus the points you have earned so far. With 412 of 500 points so far, a 100-point final and a target of 80% of all 600 points: 0.80 × 600 − 412 = 68. You need 68 of 100 points on the final. The Points tab does this for you and works out the final’s weight.
What counts as your current grade
Use your grade without the final in it. In Canvas that is the number on your Grades page with “Calculate based only on graded assignments” ticked, as long as the final is the only work left, it has a group of its own and your group weights add up to 100. If other work is still ungraded, or the final sits in a group with a drop rule, use the Canvas grade calculator instead.
Before you trust the number
- A minimum score on the final. Some courses say you must pass the final to pass the course. That rule overrides the arithmetic.
- A final that replaces a lower test. In the Canvas grade calculator, put the tests and the final in one group, add the final as an ungraded assignment and set drop lowest to 1. Syllabi word this in several ways, so read yours.
- Rounding. Some instructors round 89.5 up to 90 and some do not. The rounding setting shows how much it changes the score you need.
- Extra credit. A current grade above 100% is fine here.
- The final’s weight. It is the one number that matters most, so confirm it in your syllabus.
What you need for each letter grade
The first table shows the score you need on the final for every letter on your scale at once, which answers “what do I need to get an A” and “what do I need to pass” together. The second table shows the course grade you finish with at each possible score on the final.
The same arithmetic runs inside the Canvas grade calculator. For a course where the final is the only work left and the weights add to 100, the two give the same required score: our test cases check that they agree on the same course.
Final grade calculator FAQ
What do I need on my final to get an A?
Enter your current grade and the final’s weight, then choose A as the target. The table shows the score needed for every letter grade at once. If it says out of reach, even a perfect final cannot get you there, and the table shows the highest grade still possible.
How do I calculate what I need on my final?
Multiply your current grade by the share of the course already decided (1 minus the final’s weight), subtract that from your target, and divide by the final’s weight. The formula and a worked example are above.
What if my final is worth points, not a percentage?
Use the Points tab. Enter the points you have earned so far, the points possible so far and the final’s points. The calculator works out the weight and the score you need.
What if my final replaces my lowest test?
Then the final is not a separate slice of the grade. Use the Canvas grade calculator: put the tests and the final in one group, add the final as an ungraded assignment and set drop lowest to 1. Read your syllabus for exceptions, since “replaces” can be worded several ways.
Can I need more than 100% on the final?
Yes. It means the grade is out of reach on the final alone. Unless your course offers extra credit, pick the next grade down, which the table shows.
My instructor rounds up. How do I account for that?
Choose “My instructor rounds to a whole percent” under Rounding. A 89.5 then counts as 90, and the score you need on the final drops accordingly.
What if I have more than one assignment left?
This calculator assumes the final is the only thing left. With several assignments left, use the Canvas grade calculator and its Work backward panel.
Does this calculator send my grades anywhere?
No. The math runs in your browser and the numbers you type are not sent to any server. A share link keeps your numbers after the # sign, which browsers do not send to websites. “Remember on this device” is off unless you turn it on.
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