How weighted grades work
A weighted grade gives each category a share of the course. If coursework is worth 40% and exams 60%, a coursework average of 85% and an exam score of 70% give 0.40 × 85 + 0.60 × 70 = 76%. The calculator adds up each category score times its weight and divides by the total weight that has graded work. This page reports a current grade on graded work: it answers “where do I stand today?”, not “what will my final grade be?”. To find the exam score you need for a target, use the final grade calculator.
Points versus equal-weight assignments
Each category can be scored two ways. In equal weight mode every assignment counts the same, so the category score is the average of the assignment percentages. In total points mode bigger assignments count more: the category score is total points earned divided by total points possible. A quiz worth 10 points and a project worth 100 points are very different in total-points mode and identical in equal-weight mode. Check your syllabus for which one your course uses.
Which low score gets dropped?
You can drop one score in a category. In equal-weight mode the lowest percentage is removed. In total-points mode that is not always the right choice, because the lowest percentage can be a small assignment that barely moves the total. Here the calculator tests removing each row and drops the one that leaves the highest points ratio. Take three homework rows, 50/50, 65/100 and 12/24. All three together earn 127 of 174 points, or 72.99%. Dropping 65/100 leaves 62 of 74, or 83.78%, even though 12/24 (50%) is the lowest percentage. In equal-weight mode the same three rows drop 12/24 and give 82.5%. Ties are dropped in the order you entered them. At least two counted assignments are needed to drop one; otherwise the calculator shows an error instead of ignoring the rule. Drops apply inside a category only, and this tool does not copy every learning-system rule, such as dropping several scores or never dropping some work.
Blank work versus a zero
A box left empty means the work is not graded yet and is left out. A typed 0 is a real zero and pulls the average down. Tick Exclude for work that does not count, such as an excused assignment. If you want to see the worst case, turn on Count ungraded work as zero: blank rows with valid points possible are then counted as 0. Zero points possible is never valid because the percentage would be undefined.
Worked examples
| Case | Result |
|---|---|
| Coursework 40% (80, 90), exams 60% (70) | 76% |
| Same, dropping the lowest coursework score | 78% |
| Homework 50/50, 65/100, 12/24, total points, drop 1 | 83.78% |
| Homework 50/50, 65/100, 12/24, equal weight, drop 1 | 82.5% |
Weights that do not add to 100%
Weights do not have to total 100% for a current result. If only coursework (40%) has scores so far, the grade is based on that 40% and the page says so. Weights above 100% in total are rejected. If the weights you entered are below 100%, the rest of the course is simply not part of the result; it is not treated as zero. A category with weight 0 never changes the result.
Extra credit and limits
A score can be above its maximum, for example 12 out of 10. It is kept and flagged as extra credit, and the grade can exceed 100%. The calculator does not convert to letter grades or a GPA, does not import from a school system and does not know your teacher’s policy, so treat the result as arithmetic on the numbers you typed. A course grade is also not a percentile; for how a score compares with a distribution, see the normal distribution calculator.
FAQ
Why don’t category weights need to total 100% for a current grade?
Because the grade is calculated on the work that has been graded. Each active category’s weight is divided by the active total, so 40% of graded weight gives the same answer as 100% would for those scores.
Which score is dropped when assignments have different point totals?
In total-points mode, the row whose removal leaves the highest points ratio, which may not be the lowest percentage. In equal-weight mode, the lowest percentage.
Is a blank counted as zero?
No. A blank means not graded yet and is left out. A typed 0 counts. You can switch on “Count ungraded work as zero” to see a worst case.
Can the grade exceed 100%?
Yes, when a score is above its maximum. The result is labelled as including extra credit and is not capped.
What score do I need on the final?
Use the final grade calculator, which solves for the exam score that reaches your target. This page calculates the grade you have now.