How to Calculate
Your Grades

1. The Simple Point System

The easiest grading system to calculate is the absolute point system. In this scenario, your professor determines that the entire semester is worth a specific number of points (e.g., 1,000 points total).

To find your current standing, you simply divide the points you have earned by the points that were possible to earn up to this date.

2. Calculating Weighted Averages (The Category System)

In high school and college, most syllabi use a weighted system. This means that a 100-point homework assignment does not have the same impact on your final grade as a 100-point final exam.

Instead, grades are broken into categories (e.g., Homework = 20%, Quizzes = 30%, Exams = 50%). To calculate this manually, you must find your average in each category first, then multiply by the category’s weight.

Step-by-Step Example:

• You have a 90% average in Homework (Weight: 20% or 0.20).
• You have an 80% average in Quizzes (Weight: 30% or 0.30).
• You got a 75% on the Final Exam (Weight: 50% or 0.50).

Your math looks like this:
(90 × 0.20) + (80 × 0.30) + (75 × 0.50)
18 + 24 + 37.5 = 79.5% (C+)

Pro Tip: To avoid manual math errors, use our free Weighted Grade Calculator.

3. How Dropped Scores Work

Many professors offer a syllabus policy like, “I will drop your lowest quiz score.” While this sounds simple, it often confuses students when trying to figure out their current grade.

When a score is dropped, it is removed from both the numerator and the denominator. It is as if the assignment never existed in the space-time continuum of your class.

4. Relative Grading (Mid-Semester Math)

The most common question we get is: “My syllabus weights add up to 100%, but it’s only October and the Final Exam (worth 30%) hasn’t happened yet. How do I calculate my grade?”

You must calculate your Relative Grade. You do this by dividing your current weighted points by the total weights of the assignments you have actually completed.

For example, if you have completed 60% of the syllabus weight, and your weighted points add up to 51, your relative grade is 51 / 0.60 = 85%. (Our calculators handle relative grading automatically if your weights don’t add up to 100%).