What score do I need on the final to reach my target grade?

How we calculated this

The rest of the course is already locked in at your current grade, so the amount it contributes toward your target is fixed: current grade times the share of the course that is not the final. What is left over, divided by the final's weight, is the score the final needs. Using the example values above, 88% carried over 80% of the course contributes 70.4 points; the remaining 19.6 points needed, divided by the final's 20% weight, means the final needs 0.98, or 98%.

A result at or below 0% means your target is already secured by your current grade alone. A result above 100% means the target cannot be reached through the final alone under ordinary scoring, since a final cannot count for more than its full weight without an explicit curve or extra credit.

Limitations

This assumes the rest of your grade will not change; if you still have other work besides the final, use Can I Reach My Target Grade instead, since it accounts for multiple remaining pieces at once. It also does not know your school's rounding convention; if your result lands right at a boundary like 89.5%, check Current Weighted Course Grade for the exact unrounded figure.

Common mistakes

A frequent error is entering the final's weight as a whole-course fraction like 0.2 instead of 20, or mixing up current grade and target grade in the two fields, which produces a needed score that looks plausible but answers the wrong question. Another is forgetting that "current grade" here means your grade on everything graded so far, not just your most recent test; use Current Weighted Course Grade first if you are not certain of that number.

Frequently asked

What does it mean if the needed score is negative?

It means your target is already secured: even a 0% on the final would not bring your final course grade below the target you entered, given your current grade and the final's weight.

Why is a score above 100% shown as impossible rather than a number?

Because it is not achievable through ordinary scoring on the final by itself. If your course allows curves, retakes, or extra credit, those change the math and are not assumed here; check the relevant policy tool for that scenario.

Does the final's weight ever change during the term?

Occasionally, if an instructor reweights after a drop or a syllabus revision. Use the weight that will actually apply when the final is graded, not the one printed on day one, if you know the two differ.

What if I have two finals, like a lecture and a lab final?

Combine them into a single equivalent weight and expected contribution first, or treat one as "current grade" input if it is graded before the other; this tool solves for one remaining unknown at a time.

Next decision

If the number here looks out of reach, see Highest Possible Course Grade to confirm your actual ceiling, or Grade Needed to Pass if passing, not a specific target, is what actually matters right now.