What raw score do I need to round up to the grade I want?

How we calculated this

Under half-up rounding, a displayed threshold only needs a raw score within half of the smallest displayed step below it; under truncation, nothing less than the threshold itself will ever display as that threshold. Using the example values above (threshold 90%, whole-percent display, half-up), the raw minimum is 89.5%: anything from 89.5% up rounds to 90% or higher.

Limitations

This tool only tells you the raw number your rounding rule requires; it does not know which rule your instructor actually uses. Half-up and truncation are common, but some courses use other conventions (round-half-even, for example); confirm yours before relying on a boundary case.

Common mistakes

A common error is assuming half-up rounding applies without checking, since some instructors round down on principle or use no rounding boundary at all and simply record the number to two decimals. Another is confusing this tool's "displayed threshold" with a grade-scale band boundary; a rounding threshold is about how one number gets displayed, while a scale boundary is about which letter grade a range of numbers maps to.

Frequently asked

Why does truncation require the exact threshold?

Because truncating never rounds a number up; a score even slightly below 90.0% would display as 89-something, not 90%, under truncation.

What if my course displays to one decimal place instead of a whole percent?

Enter 1 for decimal places; the half-up step shrinks to a tenth of that instead of a whole point, which this tool calculates automatically.

What if I do not know whether my instructor rounds at all?

Assume no rounding until you can confirm otherwise; treat any number this tool gives you as the raw minimum required only if rounding does apply.

Can a rounding rule ever hurt me instead of help?

Only if it rounds down (truncation) on a display that a student expects to round up; confirming which rule applies protects against assuming a cushion that does not exist.

Is a rounding boundary worth emailing an instructor about?

If a real grade outcome sits exactly on a boundary like 89.5%, it is a reasonable, specific question to ask rather than assuming either direction.

Next decision

Once you know your raw minimum, see Final Grade Needed to find out whether your remaining work can actually reach it.