On this page: 6 Sections

1. How to Use the Weighted Grade Calculator

Use the Weighted Grade Calculator when different parts of your course, such as homework, quizzes, and exams, contribute different percentages to your overall grade. It helps you calculate your current average, estimate your final course grade, and determine what scores you need on upcoming work.

Formula

Weighted Grade (%) = Σ(Category Grade × Category Weight) ÷ Σ(Entered Category Weights)

Use percentage values consistently: enter 90 for a grade of 90% and 20 for a category weight of 20%.
If the category weights you enter add up to 100%, the result represents your overall course grade. If you include only
categories that have been graded and their weights total less than 100%, the result shows your average across the completed
portion of the course. The remaining, ungraded portion is not automatically counted as zero.

Quote

“Selecting this option assigns a weight to each assignment group, not the assignments themselves.”Instructure Canvas

Guide, Weighted assignment groups

Canvas Grading Guide

“Selecting this option assigns a weight to each assignment group, not the assignments themselves.”Source: Instructure
Canvas Guide, Weighted assignment groupsIn Canvas, individual assignment points are used to calculate the percentage
for each group before its assigned weight is applied. The instructor’s grading settings determine how category weights and ungraded assignments affect the final result.

Weighted grade vs. weighted GPA

Once your course grades are final, use the College GPA Calculator or Weighted GPA Calculator to combine them into GPA.

3. Weighted Grade Examples

Example 1: Calculating Your Final Course Grade


Imagine your syllabus assigns the following weights to each course category: Homework 20%, Quizzes 15%,
Midterm 25%, Final Exam 30%, and Participation 10%. Once all categories have been graded, you can multiply
each category average by its assigned weight and add the contributions to find your final course percentage.

The weighted contributions total 85.85%, which is a B on this calculator’s default plus/minus grading scale. By comparison,
the simple average is 87.8%. The difference occurs because a simple average treats every category equally, while
the weighted calculation follows your syllabus. For example, the final exam, worth 30% of your grade, has three times
the influence of participation, which is worth 10%.

Example 2: Calculating Your Current Grade Mid-Semester

Selecting Try Sample Scores loads three completed categories: Homework at 92% with a 20% weight, Quizzes at 85% with a 15% weight, and Midterm at 78% with a 25% weight. Together, these categories account for 60% of the total course grade.

4.What Score Do You Need on the Final?

Open Plan My Final Exam, choose your desired result under Grade I Want, and enter the final exam’s percentage weight.
If you have multiple assessments left, you can use their combined weight when calculating the single average you need
across all remaining work.

Formula

Required Remaining Score = [Target Course Grade × 100 − Σ(Completed Category Grade × Weight)] ÷ Remaining Weight

Example 3: Reaching a 90% Course Grade

Using the sample scores, 60% of the course has been graded, while the remaining 40% includes the final exam
and participation. To achieve an overall grade of 90%, you need an average of:

If your participation grade is already confirmed at 100%, add it as a completed category. The final exam then becomes the only remaining assessment, worth 30% of the course. To reach 90%, your required exam score would be:This example shows why including all known grades is important: a confirmed participation score changes the average you need on the final exam.

Check the Highest Possible Grade

Before setting your target, calculate the best result you could achieve if you earned 100% on all remaining work.
In this example, scoring 100% across the remaining 40% would give you a maximum course grade of 90.65% (50.65 + 40).

Knowing this maximum helps you set a realistic goal and prioritize your study time based on the score you need.

5. Points, Extra Credit, and Dropped Grades

Calculating Grades From Points
To find a category average when assignments use points, add the points earned and divide them by the total points
possible. Then multiply the result by 100.
For example, suppose you scored 18 out of 20 on one homework assignment and 40 out of 50 on another.
Your category average is:
Simply averaging 90% and 80% gives 85%, but that method treats both assignments as equally important, even though
they have different point values.
If your course uses a total-points grading system without separate category weights, calculate your grade using total points earned ÷ total points possible × 100.
If you enter individual assignment percentages into this calculator, assign each one a weight based on its share of the
total possible points. Alternatively, use the Grade Calculator to work with your specific grading system.

Extra Credit, Dropped Scores, and Grade Curves

Extra credit: Follow your instructor’s grading rules before entering your scores. Bonus points added to an
assignment, points added directly to your course percentage, and a separate extra-credit category can affect
your grade in different ways.

Dropped scores: Apply any required drops before calculating each category average. In a points-based category,
the assignment that improves your total the most may not be the one with the lowest percentage.

Curves and rounding: Calculate your raw grade first, then apply the rounding or curve policy stated in your syllabus.
Do not assume that 89.5% automatically becomes 90%, since instructors and schools may use different rules and
letter-grade cutoffs.

6. Why does your result differ from the gradebook?

Frequently Asked Questions