What Grade Do I Need Calculator
Enter your current grade and see exactly what you need on remaining work to reach every letter grade target — all at once.
What Grade Do I Need?
Enter your current class grade, the weight of remaining work, and the grade you want. We’ll show you the exact score you need — plus what’s required for every other letter grade.
Enter each grading category with its weight and your current score. Leave the score blank for categories you haven’t completed yet — the calculator will tell you what average you need across those categories.
Can I Still Get an A?
Your Results
Grade Thresholds
Required Scores for Every Grade
See what you need on remaining work to hit each letter grade — all in one table.
| Target Grade | Minimum % | You Need | Status |
|---|
What If Remaining Work Is Worth…
See how the required score changes if the remaining work weight were different.
Required Score vs. Remaining Weight
Current vs. Target by Category
Weight Distribution
You May Also Need
Final Grade Calculator
Calculate the exact score needed on your final exam, or compute your final course grade from all weighted categories.
Weighted Grade Calculator
Compute your weighted average across categories like exams, homework, quizzes, and labs with detailed breakdowns.
Pass/Fail Grade Calculator
Determine if pass/fail grading helps or hurts your GPA, and find the minimum score needed to pass your course.
Standard US Grading Scale
| Letter Grade | Percentage Range | GPA Points | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 97 – 100% | 4.0 | Exceptional |
| A | 93 – 96% | 4.0 | Excellent |
| A- | 90 – 92% | 3.7 | Very Good |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.3 | Good |
| B | 83 – 86% | 3.0 | Above Average |
| B- | 80 – 82% | 2.7 | Satisfactory |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.3 | Average |
| C | 73 – 76% | 2.0 | Adequate |
| C- | 70 – 72% | 1.7 | Below Average |
| D+ | 67 – 69% | 1.3 | Poor |
| D | 63 – 66% | 1.0 | Below Standard |
| D- | 60 – 62% | 0.7 | Marginal Pass |
| F | 0 – 59% | 0.0 | Failing |
How to Use This Calculator
This calculator answers the reverse question: instead of “What is my grade?”, it answers “What grade do I need?” It works in two modes, and both produce the multi-target table that shows required scores for every letter grade simultaneously.
Quick Mode is for students who know their current overall class percentage and the total weight of remaining work. Enter three values — your current grade, the weight of what’s left, and the grade you want — and the calculator instantly shows your required score. The multi-target table below the result lets you compare every letter grade at a glance, so you can make an informed decision about where to set your sights.
Advanced Mode is for students who want category-level precision. Enter each grading category from your syllabus (homework, quizzes, midterms, final, participation, projects) with its weight and your current score. Leave the score blank for any category you haven’t completed. The calculator automatically detects what’s remaining, computes your weighted average on completed work, and tells you the average score needed across all incomplete categories to reach your target.
Both modes generate the same rich results dashboard: a grade ring, threshold bars, the full multi-target table, what-if scenarios, charts, and a “Can I Still Get an A?” quick-answer panel. Advanced Mode adds strengths/weaknesses analysis and a category impact ranking.
How to Figure Out What Grade You Need
The formula behind this calculator rearranges the standard weighted average equation. Starting from how your professor computes your course grade:
Rearranging to solve for the unknown remaining score:
This is the same algebra behind the final grade calculator, but applied more broadly. Where that tool focuses specifically on the final exam, this calculator works for any remaining work — whether it’s a final, a project, three more quizzes, or an entire unfinished category.
Worked Example: Jordan Needs a B+
Jordan needs to average 95.5% across the final paper and exam. That’s yellow territory — difficult but not impossible. The multi-target table would also show that a B (83%) only requires an 84.0%, which is much more comfortable. Jordan can decide whether the extra effort for a B+ is worth it or if locking in a solid B makes more strategic sense.
Worked Example: Taylor Checking All Targets
- A (93%): Needs 131% — impossible
- B+ (87%): Needs 113% — impossible
- B (83%): Needs 101% — impossible
- B- (80%): Needs 98% — nearly impossible
- C+ (77%): Needs 83% — achievable with a strong performance
- C (73%): Needs 71% — comfortable
- D- (60%): Needs 32% — easy, just need to show up
Taylor’s realistic target is a C+ (77%). The table made this decision instant — no need to run the calculator twelve separate times for each grade. That is what makes the multi-target table the single most useful feature on this page.
What Grade Do I Need on My Final to Pass?
Passing typically means a D- (60%) at most US colleges, though many programs require a C (73%) for major courses and a B (83%) for graduate programs. The burnout calculator at the top of your results shows the exact minimum score needed to reach 60% — what we call the “survive the semester” number.
If the burnout number is below 50%, you can breathe easier: passing is virtually guaranteed with even minimal effort on the final. If it’s between 50% and 80%, you need a respectable showing but nothing extraordinary. If it’s above 90%, you’re in danger territory and should focus all available study time on this course. If it exceeds 100%, passing through remaining work alone is mathematically impossible — talk to your professor about extra credit, a grade curve, or an incomplete.
Use the multi-target table to identify the highest achievable grade beyond just passing. Sometimes the difference between a D+ and a C- is only a few extra percentage points of effort, but the GPA difference is significant. Our GPA calculator can show you exactly how much each letter grade matters to your cumulative average.
What to Do When You Can’t Reach Your Target Grade
When the calculator shows red (over 100% required), the standard weighted average formula cannot get you there. But you still have options beyond accepting a lower grade:
- Ask about extra credit. Many professors offer extra credit during finals week or allow bonus points on the final exam. Even 3–5% of extra credit can shift the math. Re-run the calculator with the extra credit factored into your current grade.
- Check for a grade curve. If your class is curved, the grade boundaries shift based on class performance. A “B” might start at 78% instead of 83%. Ask your professor or TA what the curve looks like and use the custom target percentage option to recalculate.
- Evaluate pass/fail. If a low letter grade would damage your GPA, switching to pass/fail removes the GPA impact entirely. A D- still counts as “Pass.” Check your school’s deadline for pass/fail conversion and whether the course counts toward your major under that option. The pass/fail grade calculator can help with this decision.
- Look into incomplete grades. If personal circumstances affected your performance, some schools allow an Incomplete grade that gives you extra time to finish coursework in the following semester.
- Redirect your energy. If this course is a lost cause for your target grade, reallocate study hours to courses where grade improvement is still achievable. Use the raise GPA calculator to find where your study time has the highest GPA return.
How Remaining Assignments Affect Your Final Grade
The weight of remaining work determines how much control you still have over your grade. Understanding this relationship prevents both false confidence and unnecessary panic:
- 10–15% remaining: Your grade is mostly locked in. Even a perfect score on remaining work can only boost your grade by 10–15 points. Conversely, bombing the remaining work only drops you by 10–15 points. Focus on maintaining your current standing.
- 20–30% remaining: This is the typical range when only a final exam is left. You have meaningful but limited room to move your grade up or down by one full letter grade. This is where strategic studying pays off most.
- 35–50% remaining: You still have substantial control. This happens early in the semester or when a large project and final exam are both pending. Grade swings of two letter grades are possible in either direction.
- 50%+ remaining: The semester is young enough that your current grade is more of a trajectory indicator than a final outcome. Use this calculator to set early targets, then revisit as more work is completed.
The “What If Remaining Work Is Worth…” scenario cards in the results dashboard let you visualize this relationship. They show how the required score changes as the remaining weight increases, which is especially helpful if you’re uncertain about exact category weights from your syllabus.
Strategic Grade Planning: Focus on High-Weight Categories
Not all remaining work is created equal. A 10% quiz and a 25% final exam both count as “remaining work,” but your study strategy should weight them differently.
In Advanced Mode, the calculator identifies incomplete categories and ranks them by weight. The category impact analysis shows exactly which incomplete category has the most leverage over your final grade. Scoring 10% higher on a 25% final exam raises your grade by 2.5 points, while the same improvement on a 5% quiz only moves the needle by 0.5 points.
This analysis pairs well with the grade calculator for understanding your current standing and the weighted grade calculator for breaking down exactly how each category contributes. Together, these three tools give you a complete picture: where you stand, where you need to be, and where your effort matters most.