What Score Do You Need on Your Final Exam? Here's How to Find Out

Finals week is approaching and you're doing the math in your head, trying to figure out whether you can relax a little or if you need to lock yourself in the library for the next two weeks. Let's figure this out properly.

What You Need to Know First

To calculate what you need on your final, you need two things from your syllabus:

1. Your current grade (or at least your scores on all completed work)
2. How much the final exam is worth as a percentage of your total grade

Pull up that syllabus — the one you probably skimmed on day one of class. The grading breakdown is in there.

The Formula

Here's what you're solving for:

Final Score Needed = (Target Grade − Current Grade × (1 − Final Weight)) ÷ Final Weight

Let's say you have an 82% going into a final that's worth 30% of your grade, and you want to end with a 90%.

Final Score Needed = (0.90 − 0.82 × 0.70) ÷ 0.30 = (0.90 − 0.574) ÷ 0.30 = 0.326 ÷ 0.30 = 108.7%

Ouch. That's not happening. Which means it's time to recalibrate your goal. If you aim for 87% instead: (0.87 − 0.574) ÷ 0.30 = 98.7%. Still tough, but possible. An 85% final grade gives you (0.85 − 0.574) ÷ 0.30 = 92% — that's doable.

When the Number Is Impossibly High

If the math tells you that even a perfect 100% on the final won't get you to your goal, it's time for a real conversation with yourself (and possibly your professor).

Options to consider: Can you earn extra credit? Is there a grade replacement policy? When's the last day to withdraw without a W or an F on your transcript? These are worth knowing before you just hope for the best.

When You Need Very Little

Sometimes the math works in your favor. If you have a 95% going into a final worth 20%, a 60% on the final still keeps you above 90%. That doesn't mean you should blow it off — but it does mean you can probably relax a bit.

Run the Numbers Right Now

Our grade calculator handles all of this automatically. Enter your assignment scores, their weights, and what you're targeting — it'll tell you exactly what you need on the final.