Predict your final course grade
Letter grade reference (standard plus/minus scale)
| Letter | Range | Standing |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97-100% | Excellent |
| A | 93-96% | Excellent |
| A- | 90-92% | Excellent |
| B+ | 87-89% | Good |
| B | 83-86% | Good |
| B- | 80-82% | Good |
| C+ | 77-79% | Average |
| C | 73-76% | Average |
| C- | 70-72% | Average |
| D | 60-69% | Below average |
| F | Below 60% | Failing |
How the Grade Predictor Works
The grade predictor calculates two things at once. First, it shows your predicted final grade if you maintain your current performance on every remaining assignment. Second, it tells you the exact score you need on the remaining course work to hit a specific goal grade. Both calculations update the moment you finish typing, with no Calculate button to click.
The math relies on a weighted-average approach. Your current grade represents a percentage of the total course weight you have already completed. The predicted final grade is your current grade carried forward. The required score solves backward from your goal: the calculator figures out what average you need on the remaining weight to pull the overall grade up (or keep it at) your target.
The three inputs explained
- Current grade percentage: Pull this directly from your LMS gradebook. Canvas, Blackboard, and Moodle all show a running overall percentage above the assignment list. If your gradebook shows only raw points, divide earned points by total possible and multiply by 100.
- Course weight completed: Open your syllabus to the grading breakdown table and add up the percentage weights for every category you have fully submitted. Homework 20% + Quizzes 15% + Midterm 20% = 55% completed if all three are done.
- Goal grade: The final course grade you want. Enter 93 for an A, 83 for a B, 73 for a C, or 60 for a passing grade. The calculator tells you whether that goal is still reachable and what it requires.
Understanding Course Weights and Grading
Most college and high school courses split the grade across several categories. A typical breakdown might look like: homework 20%, weekly quizzes 15%, midterm exam 25%, lab reports 15%, and final exam 25%. Each category carries a percentage weight that determines how much it moves the overall grade.
When you enter "course weight completed" into the predictor, you are telling the calculator how much of that total grade structure your existing submissions already represent. A student who has finished homework, quizzes, and the midterm has completed 60% of their total course weight in the example above. The remaining 40% (labs + final) is what the required-score calculation covers.
Where to find your weight breakdown
Your syllabus is the authoritative source. Most syllabi include a grading breakdown table near the front. If yours does not list category weights, look for total points per category and divide each by the total possible points for the course. A midterm worth 100 points in a 400-point course carries a 25% weight.
Required = (Goal - Current x (Weight Done / 100)) / (Remaining Weight / 100)
- Goal = your target final course grade as a percentage
- Current = your current overall grade percentage
- Weight Done = percentage of total course weight already completed
- Remaining Weight = 100 minus Weight Done
Examples: Using the Grade Predictor
The following worked examples show how different combinations of current grade, weight completed, and goal produce different required scores. Use them to sense-check the calculator output before you plan your study schedule.
Example 1: Staying on track for a B
A student has an 84% in their sociology course. They have submitted homework (20%), two quizzes (10%), and the midterm (25%), for a total of 55% of course weight completed. They want to finish with a B (83%). Points earned so far: 84 x 0.55 = 46.2. Points needed to reach 83%: 83 - 46.2 = 36.8. Required on remaining 45%: 36.8 / 0.45 = 81.8%. That is comfortably achievable at their current performance level, so they only need to maintain their average on the remaining work.
Example 2: Recovering from a weak start
A student scored 65% on their first set of assignments, which represented 30% of total course weight. Their goal is 75% overall. Points earned: 65 x 0.30 = 19.5. Required on the remaining 70%: (75 - 19.5) / 0.70 = 79.3%. Jumping from 65% to 79.3% on all remaining work is a meaningful improvement, but it is achievable if the student identifies which topics cost them points early and addresses them before the next assessment.
Example 3: Aiming for an A late in the semester
A student currently holds an 88% after completing 75% of course weight. They want an A- (90%). Points earned: 88 x 0.75 = 66. Required on remaining 25%: (90 - 66) / 0.25 = 96%. An A- still requires a near-perfect finish on the remaining quarter of the course. Achievable, but it leaves almost no margin for error on the final exam or remaining assignments.
| Current grade | Weight completed | Goal grade | Required on remaining |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70% | 50% | 75% | 80% |
| 80% | 60% | 85% | 92.5% |
| 85% | 70% | 90% | 100% |
| 90% | 40% | 93% | 95% |
| 75% | 80% | 80% | 55% |
| 65% | 30% | 70% | 72.1% |
When the Predicted Grade Is Not Achievable
When the required score on remaining work exceeds 100%, the calculator flags the goal as not achievable through standard grading. It also shows you the maximum possible final grade: what you would earn if you scored a perfect 100% on everything remaining. This ceiling is the honest upper bound of your grade trajectory.
A result above 100% is not a calculator error. It is arithmetic. The more of the course weight you have already completed at a lower grade, the harder it becomes to raise the overall average with the remaining assignments. A student with a 60% after completing 80% of the course weight can score 100% on the remaining 20% and reach only (60 x 0.80) + (100 x 0.20) = 68%. The final grade ceiling is fixed by what has already been submitted.
Options when the goal is out of reach
- Recalibrate the goal. Lower the target grade until the required score falls into an achievable range. Use the calculator to find the exact crossover point where 100% on remaining work is just enough.
- Check for extra credit. If your instructor offers extra credit, treat it as a boost to your current grade before re-running the prediction. Enter the adjusted current grade and see how the required score changes.
- Talk to the instructor. Some courses allow grade replacement for retaken exams or dropped lowest scores. Confirm the official policy before planning around it.
- Protect your other courses. If one course is mathematically locked, redirect study energy toward courses where the grade is still in play. The GPA calculator can help you see how shifting effort across courses affects your semester GPA.
When the required score is zero or negative, the opposite applies: your current grade already exceeds your goal, and no additional performance can reduce the overall grade below it (assuming no future assignments can remove points you have already earned). The calculator shows "Already achieved" in this state.
For a more targeted calculation focused specifically on the final exam, use the final grade calculator, which isolates the single-exam scenario with its own formula. For multi-category weighted grading with assignment-by-assignment entry, use the grade calculator. For semester-level GPA projection, use the GPA calculator.