Semester Grade Calculator
Your semester grade from quarters and exams
Free academic tool
Semester Grade Calculator
Calculate your semester average, track your grades so far, and find the score you need on your final exam.
Your semester grades
Enter grades from 0 to 100Plan your final exam
Choose your desired semester percentage to estimate the average needed across all remaining, ungraded work.
Weighted semester grade = total of (each grade × its weight) ÷ total weight of graded work.
When all weights are blank, each graded part counts equally. When weights are entered, use the percentages specified by your syllabus.
On this page: 5 Sections
1. What Does a Semester Grade Calculator Do?
A semester Grade Calculator combines your quarter grades, six-week averages, midterms, and final exam scores
according to their assigned weights. It multiplies each grade by its weight, adds the contributions, and calculates
your overall semester result as a percentage and an estimated letter grade.
Use this calculator after your report cards are released to check your final semester performance, or before exams
to understand your current standing and plan ahead. Keep in mind that it works with overall grading-period or exam
grades rather than individual assignments, so calculate your assignment averages or quarter grades first.
2. How to Use a Semester Grade Calculator for High School
1. Enter Each Grading Period
Add each part of your semester, such as Quarter 1, Quarter 2, a midterm, or a final exam. Enter the grade as a percentage, points, or a letter grade, depending on the calculator’s supported input format. Click + Add Part to include additional grading periods or exams.
2. Assign the Correct Weights
Choose a Semester Split preset to fill in the weights automatically, or enter the percentage weight for each part based on your school’s grading policy. If you leave all weight fields blank, the calculator treats each part as equally important.
3. Select Your School’s Grading Scale
Open Options and select the appropriate grading scale, such as plus/minus, a standard 10-point scale, or a 7-point scale. This helps the calculator match your percentage to the correct letter grade. Your calculated semester result will appear beneath the grading rows.
3. How to calculate your final grade for a semester
How to Calculate Your Semester Grade
Learn how grades and weights combine to determine your final semester result, with a simple Chemistry example.
THE WEIGHTED AVERAGE FORMULA
Σ (Grade × Weight) ÷ Σ (Weight)
Use decimal weights in the calculation: 40% = 0.40 and 20% = 0.20.
Understand the Formula
Grade
The percentage you earned on one part of the course, such as a quarter or final exam.
Weight
How much that part contributes to your semester grade, according to your syllabus.
Σ (Sigma)
Means “add them all up.” If all parts have equal weight, the formula becomes a simple average.
Example: Chemistry Semester
Suppose each quarter is worth 40% and the final exam is worth 20%.
| Part | Grade | Weight | Grade × Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter 1 | 88% | 40% | 88 × 0.40 = 35.2 |
| Quarter 2 | 84% | 40% | 84 × 0.40 = 33.6 |
| Final Exam | 79% | 20% | 79 × 0.20 = 15.8 |
| Total | — | 100% | 35.2 + 33.6 + 15.8 = 84.6 |
Your Semester Grade
The weighted total, with all course weights included.
How the Calculation Works
- Convert each percentage weight to a decimal.
- Multiply each grade by its decimal weight.
- Add the weighted results together.
- Divide by the total weight if it is not 100%.
Divide 84.6 by the total weight of 1.00 and you get 84.6%. The calculator shows 84.6% B, with Grade points 3.0 and
Weights add up to 100%.
4. How to Interpret Your Semester Grade With or Without the Final Exam
Your semester result appears as a percentage alongside its corresponding letter grade. Depending on the calculator’s
settings, you can also see the grade points associated with that letter and details about the grading periods entered
or the total weight assigned.
Calculate Your Current Semester Grade Without the Final
To check your standing before the final exam, enter only the grades you have received and assign each one its actual
course weight. If the entered weights add up to less than 100%, the calculator displays Semester Grade So Far, showing
your average based on the completed portion of the semester.
For example, suppose you earned 88% in Quarter 1 and 84% in Quarter 2, with each quarter worth 40% of your semester
grade. Without entering the final exam, your current average is 86% (B) across the completed 80% of the course.
Find Out What You Need on the Final
ExamAfter entering your quarter grades, select What Do I Need on the Final? Then enter your desired result under Semester Grade I Want and specify the exam’s weight under Final Exam Counts (%).
Using the same quarter scores, if you aim for a B+ and the final exam is worth 20%, the calculator estimates that you need 91% on the final exam. Depending on your current grades and target, the result may instead indicate Out of Reach or Already Safe. You can also review the letter-grade scale displayed below the result.
Understand Your Letter Grade
The calculator uses the grading chart shown below when the plus/minus scale is selected. However, grading policies and percentage cutoffs vary between high schools, so check your school handbook or syllabus to confirm which letter grade corresponds to your semester percentage.
Letter Grade & Grade Points Scale
Understand how percentage scores correspond to letter grades and grade points using this quick reference guide.
Grading Scale
Find your percentage range to identify the matching letter grade and grade-point value.
| Letter Grade | Percentage Range | Grade Points |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97–100% | 4.0 |
| A | 93–96% | 4.0 |
| A− | 90–92% | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87–89% | 3.3 |
| B | 83–86% | 3.0 |
| B− | 80–82% | 2.7 |
| C+ | 77–79% | 2.3 |
| C | 73–76% | 2.0 |
| C− | 70–72% | 1.7 |
| D+ | 67–69% | 1.3 |
| D | 63–66% | 1.0 |
| D− | 60–62% | 0.7 |
| F | Below 60% | 0.0 |
How to Use This Scale
Match your final percentage to the range in the table. The corresponding row gives your letter grade and its grade-point value. Grade points can be used to calculate a GPA when combined with course credits and your school's GPA rules.
5. How Semester Exams and Six-Week Grades Affect Your Average
Your school’s grading system determines how much each quarter, six-week period, and semester exam contributes
to your final grade. For example, Sylvania Schools in Ohio assigns 40% to each quarter and 20% to the semester exam.
The calculator provides source links for the available semester split options below the result.
Six-Week Grading Periods
Some school districts calculate semester grades using three six-week grading periods and one semester exam.
Fort Worth ISD, for example, assigns each six-week period a weight of 2/7 and the exam a weight of 1/7. To calculate
the result manually, double each six-week grade, add the exam score, and divide the total by 7.In the calculator, select
3 Six Weeks × 2 + Exam × 1 under Semester Split, or enter weights of 2, 2, 2, and 1 manually. When the entered weights
total 10 or less, the calculator interprets them as relative ratios rather than percentages. For example, six-week grades
of 91%, 86%, and 89%, combined with an exam score of 80%, produce a semester average of 87.43% (B+).Semesters With
Equal Quarter Weights
Some schools calculate semester grades using two equally weighted quarters without a separate exam. In this case, leave the Weight fields blank for every row, and the calculator will average the entered grades equally. If you enter weights for only some grading periods, you will need to complete the remaining fields or clear the existing weights before continuing
Exam Weight Limits and Grade Rounding
School districts may limit how much a semester exam can affect the overall course grade. For instance, Fairfax County
Public Schools limits an exam covering the entire course to no more than 20% of the course grade. Its rounding policy
also rounds a score with a decimal of 0.5 or higher up to the next whole number. Under that rule, 89.5% becomes 90%
.If your school follows a whole-number rounding policy, select Round to a Whole Percent under Options, where available
, to apply rounding to the calculated result.
What Happens When Weights Exceed 100%?If the weights you enter add up to more than 100%, the calculator flags the
total so you can review your entries. It calculates the weighted average by dividing the combined weighted scores by the
total entered weight. For an accurate result, make sure your weights match your school’s grading policy and correct any
accidental entries before relying on the final percentage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate a semester grade?
To calculate your semester grade, multiply each grading period’s score by its assigned weight, add the weighted scores, and divide by the total weights entered. If all weights add up to 100%, the result is your overall semester percentage.
How do I calculate my semester grade without a final exam?
Enter your completed quarter or six-week grades with their correct weights, leaving the final exam out of the calculation. Your result shows your current average based on the graded portion of the semester, rather than treating the missing exam as a zero.
How much is a semester exam usually worth?
The exam weight depends on your school’s grading policy. Some schools assign 20% to the semester exam, while others use different percentages or ratios. Check your syllabus or school handbook before entering the exam weight into the calculator.
How do you calculate a semester grade with three six-week periods?
If each six-week period counts as 2/7 of the semester grade and the exam counts as 1/7, multiply each six-week score by two, add the exam score, and divide the total by seven. For example, scores of 91%, 86%, and 89%, with an exam score of 80%, produce a semester average of 87.43%.
Can I calculate my semester grade using only two quarters?
Yes. Enter both quarter grades and leave their weight fields blank if the quarters count equally. The calculator will find the average of the two grades. If your school assigns different weights to each quarter, enter those weights instead.