What grade you need on the final exam
The minimum mark you need to reach your target for the course.
Calculator inputs
Results
Enter your values and press “Calculate” to see the result.
In short
- What it calculates
- The minimum mark you need to reach your target for the course.
- Formula used
Grade needed = (target − current × weight/100) / (1 − weight/100)- Example
- You have 65 with 60% assessed and want 70 overall:
Final grade calculator
Before a final exam it helps to know exactly what is required. The calculator gives you the minimum and tells you whether your target is still reachable.
If the grade needed exceeds the maximum possible, it says so plainly.
How it works
The exam grade is isolated from the target weighted average, taking into account what you have already banked and the weight left for the final.
Formula
Grade needed = (target − current × weight/100) / (1 − weight/100)
Maximum possible = current × weight/100 + max × (1 − weight/100)
Worked example
You have 65 with 60% assessed and want 70 overall:
Needed = (70 − 65 × 0.6) / 0.4 = 77.5
Scoring 77.5 on the final gets you exactly 70.
Explanation
Knowing the exact number changes your strategy
Needing a 4 is not the same as needing an 8.5 in the final exam. With the figure in front of you, you can decide how much time to give that subject against the others, or whether to sit the resit. Many students revise blind because they never do this sum.
When the result is impossible
If the required mark exceeds the top of the scale, the subject cannot be passed on that assessment alone. That does not always mean failing: there may be a resit, assessed practicals or coursework that can lift the part already banked. Check the course handbook before writing it off.
When the result is negative
It means you have already secured a pass even if you score zero on what remains. It is worth confirming, because some subjects require a minimum mark in each component as well as an overall average, and that condition does not show up in the mean.
Minimum marks per component
This is the commonest trap: passing on average but failing for not reaching the minimum required in the final exam or the practicals. Check whether your subject has that requirement before relying on the average alone.
Frequently asked questions
What if the grade needed is negative?
It means you have already passed your target: even a zero on the final would still get you there.
What if it exceeds the maximum?
The target is no longer reachable in this assessment. The tool flags it so you can adjust expectations.
What if I need more than the maximum possible mark?
Check the course handbook: there may be a resit, practicals or assessed coursework that changes the part already banked.
Is passing on average enough?
Not always. Many subjects also require a minimum mark in the final exam or the practicals, regardless of the average.
Need to calculate something else?
These tools are often used alongside this calculator.
Weighted average
An average that accounts for the credits or weight of each subject.
Grade average
Mean, median and pass count from your list of marks.
Percentage
The four most common percentage calculations in a single tool.