How to calculate a weighted grade
To calculate a weighted grade, multiply each category’s average by its weight, add the results, and divide by the total weight of the categories that have grades. If every category is graded and the weights add up to 100%, the division is by 100 and the sum is your course grade.
weighted grade = Σ(category average × category weight) ÷ Σ(weights of graded categories)
- List the categories and their weights from the syllabus, for example homework 20%, quizzes 20%, tests 40%, final exam 20%.
- Find each category average. Inside a category, teachers usually total the points: three quizzes of 9/10, 8/10 and 26/30 average 43/50 = 86%. You can type “43/50” straight into the score box.
- Multiply and add. 94 × 20 + 86 × 20 + 81 × 40 = 1,880 + 1,720 + 3,240 = 6,840.
- Divide by the graded weight. Only 80% of the course is graded, so 6,840 ÷ 80 = 85.5%.
Grade with weights: “so far” vs. final course grade
Gradebooks report your grade so far by leaving ungraded categories out and re-scaling the rest, and this calculator does the same. That number is your course grade if you keep performing at the same level in what is left. It is not locked in: the remaining 20% can still move it by up to 20 points.
The result card shows the average you need on the ungraded weight for an A, B or C. In the example, 85.5% with 20% to go means a 58% average on the rest keeps a B (80%), and a 108% average would be needed for an A (90%), which is out of reach. For a single final exam, the final grade calculator gives the same answer with a full ladder of letters.
Which category moves your grade most?
Raising a category average by 10 points raises your course grade by 10 × the category’s weight. That makes high-weight categories the best place to spend effort, even when low-weight ones feel easier to fix.
| Category weight | Course grade change | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | +1 point | Participation 80% → 90% |
| 20% | +2 points | Homework 75% → 85% |
| 30% | +3 points | Quizzes 70% → 80% |
| 40% | +4 points | Tests 81% → 91% |
| 50% | +5 points | Exams 65% → 75% |
The flip side: a category with a big weight and few grades in it is risky. If “Tests 40%” holds only three tests, each test is worth more than 13% of your course grade.
When the weights don’t add up to 100%
Some teachers write weights as points (“tests 4, quizzes 2, homework 1”) or the syllabus lists categories you have not reached yet. The calculator divides by whatever total you enter, so 4-2-1 weights give the same result as 57.1% / 28.6% / 14.3%. If your weights add up to more than 100%, it flags it: usually a category was entered twice, or the syllabus counts extra credit as its own line.
Total points or weights?If your gradebook simply adds all points together, the class is not weighted. Use the points-based grade calculator instead; the two methods give different answers from the same scores.
Checked against Canvas’s own example
California State University, Chico’s Canvas guide works through a weighted grade: homework scores of 8/10, 18/20 and 24/30 average 50 ÷ 60 = 83.3%; with homework 40%, quizzes 90% at 30% and a final of 80% at 30%, the course grade is 84.32%.[3] Entered here (homework as 50/60), the calculator gives 84.33%: the 0.01 difference is only because the guide rounds the homework average to 83.3% before multiplying.
| Category | Average | Weight | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homework | 50/60 = 83.33% | 40% | 33.33 |
| Quizzes | 90% | 30% | 27.00 |
| Final | 80% | 30% | 24.00 |
| Course grade | 100% | 84.33 |
Dropped scores, extra credit and the letter
If your teacher drops the lowest quiz, remove it before you average the category. Extra credit usually adds points inside one category, so a category average can pass 100%; enter it as it appears in your gradebook. The letter on the result card uses the plus/minus 10-point scale, where a B starts at 83% and a B− at 80%,[1] while whole-letter scales like Florida’s put every B from 80% to 89%.[2] Convert other scales with the letter grade calculator, and turn finished course grades into a GPA with the GPA calculator. For a high school report card built from two quarters and an exam, the semester grade calculator is set up for you.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my grade with weights?
Multiply each category average by its weight, add those products, and divide by the total weight of the graded categories. Homework 90% × 30% + tests 80% × 70% = 27 + 56 = 83%.
What is a weighted grade?
A weighted grade is a course grade where each category counts for a fixed share, set in the syllabus, regardless of how many points or assignments it contains.
Why does my weighted grade change when a new category gets its first grade?
Before the category has grades, it is left out and the other weights are scaled up. Its first grade brings its full weight into the average at once.
Can I enter scores as points?
Yes. Type a score as 43/50 or as a percent. The calculator converts points to a percent before weighting.