The method of calculating your final grade for a class depends on a large number of variables. In order to complete this assignment, you need to understand how grades for assignments, tests, quizzes, and participation are weighted when calculating your final grade. The best way to find this information is to consult the study plan that your teacher provided you. When you identify the number of tasks, the weight of each one, and your grade on each task, calculating your final grade is very simple.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Calculate Your Final Unweighted Grade Manually
Step 1. Write your grades
Find your grades for each assignment, test, project, etc. of the period. Sometimes you can see this online, as in a system called "Blackboard". Sometimes you will have to see all of your graded work. Write them all down in a column or piece of paper for reference.
If things like participation or discussions are included in the percentage of your final grade, ask your professor or teacher what your grade is on that
Step 2. Write the total possible points you could have
Read the syllabus to see the grading system. Teachers use several systems to determine final grades, but the most common systems are points and percentages. Either way, write as many points as possible in a second column next to the grades you received.
- In a point-based system, there is a maximum number of points that you can earn in each class. Each task is worth a certain number of points. For example, there may be 200 points in total in a course, divided into 4 tasks of 50 points each (4x50 = 200).
- In a percentage-based system, each assignment will be worth a certain percentage of your grade. These percentages add up to 100%. For example, you can have 4 assignments and each one is worth 25% of the grade (4x25 = 100).
- Keep in mind that in these examples, each percentage is worth the same, although the numbers are different.
Step 3. Add both columns
Do this even if your assignments are graded on a percentage scale or in some other way. Add all the numbers in the first column and write the total at the end. Add the numbers in the second column and write the total at the end.
- For example, let's say you have 5 activities in total that count toward your final grade. 2 of these activities were tests worth 20 points each. Another 2 were tests of 10 points each. And the last activity was a 5 point assignment.
- 20 + 20 + 10 + 10 + 5 = 65. This is the total number of numbers that you can receive in the class.
- Now add up your grades. Let's say that on your first test you got 18 out of 20 and on the second 15 out of 20, on your first test you got 7 out of 10 and on the second 9 out of 10, and on homework you got 3 out of 5.
- 18 + 15 + 7 + 9 + 3 = 52. This is the total number of points you received in class.
Step 4. Calculate your average grade
Now divide the total points you earn by the total points available to get your grade percentage. In other words, divide the number you wrote at the end of the first column by the number you wrote at the end of the second column.
Step 5. Multiply the decimal number by 100
To get a grade that seems more recognizable to you, you need to convert the decimal to a percentage. Multiply the decimal number by 100. Another way to do this is to move the decimal point two places to the right.
- 52/65 = 0, 8 or 80%
- To move the decimal point two places to the right, you have to add more zeros, like this: 0800. Now move the decimal point 2 places. This will give you: 080, 0. Now remove the extra zeros and you will get an 80. That means your grade in that class is 80.
Step 6. Determine your letter grade or point equivalent (GPA)
You need to understand your class grading scale to calculate your final grade. Some schools use a letter grade (eg A, B, B-, etc.) while others use a point system (eg 4, 0, 3, 5, 3, 0, etc.). These scales correspond to the assigned percentages that work in relation to the total number of points you can get in a class.
These scales can also vary depending on your school. For example, some schools may assign grades of plus (+) and minus (-), and others may not. Some may use a 10-point scale (for example, anything between 90-100 is an A, anything between 80-89 is a B, etc.). Others may use a 7-point scale (for example, 97-100 = A, 93-96 = A-, 91-92 = B +, etc.). This may vary depending on the preferences of your teacher
Method 2 of 4: Calculate Weighted Final Grade Manually
Step 1. Identify how grades are weighted
This means that some grades make up a higher percentage of your final grade. For example, your grade can be made up of 30% participation, 4 tests of 10% each and a final exam of 30%. Finding out how your participation and your final exam affect your score, when they are 3 times more important than each test, is the difficult part.
- Review your syllabus or ask your teacher how grades are weighted.
- In high school, it is very common in advanced classes, such as Advanced Placement (AP) classes, to assign more quality points than regular classes. If you are trying to calculate your GPA, make sure you know how each course is weighted.
Step 2. Multiply the weighted percentage by your grade
To make it easier to organize, first write your grades and total possible points in separate columns. Then multiply each number by the weighted amount. Write those numbers down in a new column.
Example: if a final exam is worth 30% of your total grade and you received an 18 out of 20, multiply 30 by 18/20. (30 x (18/20) = 540/600)
Step 3. Add the new numbers
When you multiply each grade by its weighted percentage, add up the total points you received and the total possible points. Divide the sum of all your weighted points by the total number of weighted points.
- Example: weight by task: task 1 = 10%, task 2 = 10%, test 1 = 30%, test 2 = 30%, participation = 20%. Your grade: homework 1 = 18/20, homework 2 = 19/20, quiz 1 = 15/20, quiz 2 = 17/20, participation = 18/20.
- Task 1: 10 x (18/20) = 180/200
- Task 2: 10 x (19/20) = 190/200
- Test 1: 30 x (15/20) = 450/600
- Test 2: 30 x (17/20) = 510/600
- Participation: 20 x (18/20) = 360/400
- Total score: (180 + 190 + 450 + 510 + 360) ÷ (200 + 200 + 600 + 600 + 400), or 1690/2000 = 84.5%
Step 4. Compare your score percentage to the rating scale
Now that you've identified your final percentage, by counting the weighted assignments, compare that percentage to your class's grading scale. This will be, for example, A = 93-100, B = 85-92, etc.
It is very common for teachers to round up to the next percentage. For example, your 84.5% can become 85% as a final grade
Method 3 of 4: Use a Spreadsheet to Calculate Your Final Unweighted Grade
Step 1. Open a spreadsheet
Open a new file in the spreadsheet application on your operating system. Write a title for each column to keep the file organized. Use the first column to write the name of the activity. The second column should have the points you received in that activity. And the third column should be the possible points that you could receive.
For example, your columns could be Activity name, Points received, Total possible points
Step 2. Write your information
Write the name of each activity in the first column. Then write your rating in the second column. And write the total points you could receive in the third. If the grade is calculated in a basic percentage, this means that the maximum of points that you could receive is 100.
Step 3. Add columns 2 and 3
Write "TOTAL" under each activity name in the first column. Then in that same row in the right column so that it is just below the last grade you put in. Type the equal sign, then type "SUM" and open a parenthesis. It should look like this: "= SUM (", then select your first grade in the column above and drag the cursor to cover all the grades in that column. Release the mouse and close the parenthesis. It should look something like this: "= SUM (B2: B6) ".
- Repeat the "= SUM" method with the third column, to obtain the total number of possible points.
- You can manually type all the cells that you want to sum. For example, if the values you want to add are B2, B3, B4, B5 and B6, write yourself "= SUM (B2: B6)".
Step 4. Divide your total points received by the total points you could receive
In the same row, go to the fourth column. Write the equal sign and open a parenthesis "= (". Then select the total points you earned in that semester, write a diagonal (/), then select the total points you could receive in the term and finally close the parentheses "= (B7 / C7)".
Hit Enter when done. The total should appear automatically
Step 5. Convert the decimal point to a percent
This can also easily be done in a spreadsheet. Go to the next column. Type the equals symbol, open a parenthesis, select the average grade you just calculated, type an asterisk, then type 100, and finally close the parenthesis. It should look something like "= (D7 * 100)".
Hit Enter to get the grade
Step 6. Compare the percentage of your final grade to your class grading scale
Now that you know your percentage of all weighted activities, compare your percentage to your course's grading scale to identify the letter (for example, A, B-, D +, etc.). If the scale is of numbers (3, 75; 2, 5; 1, 0; etc.) you can multiply the total decimal by the perfect grade.
For example, if your average in decimals was 0.82, and you are scored on a 4-point scale (like GPA), multiply the decimal by 4. This will give you your score on the 4-point scale
Method 4 of 4: Use a Spreadsheet to Calculate Your Final Weighted Grade
Step 1. Open a new spreadsheet
Open a new file in a spreadsheet application on your operating system. Write the title in each column so that the file is organized. Use the first column to write the name of the activity. The second column will be the points you received for that assignment. The third column will be the total points you could receive.
- For example, your columns should be Activity Name, Points Earned, Points Possible, Weighted Value, Weighted Score.
- Write your information. At this point you can only write the names of the activities, the points received, the points you could receive and the weighted value.
Step 2. Multiply your grades by their weighted value
This will give you the percentage of your total grade that each score is worth. For example, if the midterm score that is 30% of your final grade was 87, you should open a parenthesis, select the cell with the midterm score, write an asterisk and then "30%". Written it should look like "= (B2 * 30%)".
Step 3. Add up your weighted grades
Choose the cell where you want your final weighted score to appear. Do the same addition function as before. Type the equals symbol, then type "SUM" and open a parenthesis, select the range of cells with your grades, close the parenthesis, and hit the Enter key. Written it should look something like "= sum (B2: B6)".
Step 4. Compare the "percentage of your final grade" with the grading scale
Now that you have your total percentage of all your weighted activities, compare the percentage to the grading scale for that course to identify the letter (for example, A, B-, D +, etc.) or the number grade (3, 75; 2, 5; 1, 0; etc.) that you will receive for that class.
Advice
- If you want to find out your grade for that period and not your final grade, just replace the grades for the period with the grades from all your assignments, tests, tests, projects, etc.
- All statements above that have exact phrases or numbers in quotes must be copied without the quotes. For example, if the statement says to write "= sum (B2: B6)", then you must write the sentence without the quotes.
- Always save your work. Saving your assignments, tests, and exams will ensure that you are using the correct numbers when calculating your final grade. Also, saving your assignments can be useful if at the end of the semester or class you need to fight your final grade with your teacher.
- Make sure to use all of your grades.
- Use the grades on your report card. Don't use the semester grade either. Only the grades for the period.
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Here are a couple of examples of grading scales used in schools and universities in the United States of America. The numbers below represent the "letter" grade, the "percent" grade, and the "GPA", in that order, separated by commas.
- A, 90-100, 4, 0
- B, 80-89, 3, 0
- C, 70-79, 2, 0
- D, 60-69, 1, 0
- F, 0-59 0, 0
- or
- A, 93-100, 4, 00
- A−, 90-92, 3, 67
- B +, 87-89, 3, 33
- B, 83-86, 3, 0
- B−, 80-82, 2, 67
- C +, 77-79, 2, 33
- C, 70-76, 2, 0
- D, 60-69, 1, 0
- F, 0-59, 0, 0